Speckledhen - Day 21 6 babies & 2 Suede Babies!

[CityGirlintheCountry]

All of my BBS ameraucana blues have hatched out looking black. The only way I can tell they are black is that the blacks have white on their heads and tushies. It goes away once they feather out, but they start out with some white. I've got a super dark blue out there right now that is practically black.
Interesting how the BBS colors work.

I"m dying to see what's in Egg #3!! Come on, baby!

 

[speckledhen]

You cant really tell till it's dried off. Blues look black when wet and there are all shades of blue, too. 'Bout time!

 

[jthayerkatz]

c'mon I can't take much more of this!!!

let's get on with this hatching thing children.

 

[speckledhen]

This is the point where Tom and I candle the unpipped ones to see if there is a beak in the air cell or movement. Can't tell you how often that saved us waiting another 24 hours for a chick that had already expired. Have had a happy surprise once, a Delaware in fact. She was alive and hatched, on her own, on Day 23, but I needed her and let it go longer than normal and since we saw movement, we knew she was probably going to hatch.

 

[jthayerkatz]

we must think HAPPY thought, lots of movement

 

[speckledhen]

They are slowpokes, these big Orps, but I haven't ever had one go past halfway into Day 22. And I've pipped an egg right on the top of the air cell, expecting a long-gone baby only to see movement under the membrane. You just never know, but I hate waiting too long. Most of the ones who are not making their way out by the beginning of Day 22 don't do well or just never get to their feet, even if they do manage to hatch. The Delaware I mentioned was a small baby and never got to a good body size. She is, however, a treasured pet for Yard Full 'o Rocks here on BYC.

 

[insiderart]

Quote:
Yeah this is what I was thinking too. It's at this point I start looking for life, and if they aren't moving as vigorously as I think they should be I even hatch them myself.

I know it's controversial, but I truly believe that shipping sometimes interfers with hatchability.

 

[jthayerkatz]

We are going to start talking to our BBS' now and tell them they had better get out in a timely fasion..

maybe by starting this early they will get the picture by day 21..

 

[speckledhen]

Hey, I'm a rulebreaker, too. If you know what you're doing and how to compensate for having to open the bator a couple times, you can keep the hatch from being unnecessarily drawn-out. However, in this case, we'll think happy thoughts!

 

[Cetawin]

*sigh* nothing but my cheeping orp chick in the bator. I just jacked the humidity up (added hot water to sponge) and I will candle the rest in a bit. I am so scared I am going to be heartbroken and not have a third orp. But, I have two beautiful babies now. I am glad I went ahead and 'broke the rules' I think I would have lost this little guy if I had not chipped away that initial pip shell. The shell pipped but the membrane was intact, once I chipped it away, baby rested and then broken the membrane and a bit of shell with no problems...but little one really tired by the time that happened.

Good news, s/he is up, cheeping, running to my hand when I reached in to add water and remove the shell. Good baby.

Just to show you the cuteness...

this is the delaware chick now lovingly named "Cannonball" and my splash orp.

This is my little sweetie pie splash sleeping in my hand

My two delawares #1 on the left and Cannonball on the right....see the size difference Cyn

I will get a good pic of new orp baby and update this post in a bit...Once humidty raises a bit, I think baby will be dry enough for brooder and I can take him/her in there and then candle remainders.

Keep your fingers and toes crossed.