"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long Hosted by Mike & Sally

[PaisyQ]

I set 8 barnyard mix chicken eggs today. Can I join the HAL?

 

[Laurel Meadows]

Just trying to get caught up here after a whirlwind past couple of days! I had most of my 1st group hatch day 21 Friday

We had a couple pip the wrong end but hatched quickly on their own!
Woke up Saturday to a migraine and struggled through the day. We had one straggler in the bator left yesterday with a pip. It got stuck zipping and was wearing out so as I was just getting the tweezers on the shell at 8:15pm . Power outage from high winds

I was seriously stressed. I had 8 babies in the brooder, a struggling zipping chick in one bator, and more eggs in the second bator in lockdown.

Let me tell ya I'm so glad I had read @Sally Sunshine 's helpful posts for what to do. We fired up the wood stove, I moved the brinsea next to the stove and covered with a blanket. I heated uncooked rice in a pan, put it in baggies along the zipper in the hovabator and wrapped with a blanket. I also filled up mason jars with water (I keep several gallons full for emergencies) and heated them to place in with the live chicks and in the big bator.

About a half hour in, the babies heat plate had cooled to the point they were getting upset so I decided to line a plastic laundry basket with an old towel and paper towels. Set the basket on a chair right in front of the stove. The chicks were able to get warm through the holes in the side of the basket and I put a tap light in there since it was so dark in the house and covered with a blanket.

They settled down after a while and hung out by the sides and seemed fairly comfortable.
2 hours later we got power restored. The bators stayed at 84 degrees so hopefully the other eggs will be ok.

I managed to help my last chick out about 10:30pm. It was a slow process and it did push out on its own but this morning seems to keep one foot slightly forward of the other foot but walking ok. Wow what a day that was!

I'll be getting some pics posted of our new babies soon

 

[h2oratt]

Just trying to get caught up here after a whirlwind past couple of days! I had most of my 1st group hatch day 21 Friday

We had a couple pip the wrong end but hatched quickly on their own!
Woke up Saturday to a migraine and struggled through the day. We had one straggler in the bator left yesterday with a pip. It got stuck zipping and was wearing out so as I was just getting the tweezers on the shell at 8:15pm . Power outage from high winds

I was seriously stressed. I had 8 babies in the brooder, a struggling zipping chick in one bator, and more eggs in the second bator in lockdown.

Let me tell ya I'm so glad I had read @Sally Sunshine 's helpful posts for what to do. We fired up the wood stove, I moved the brinsea next to the stove and covered with a blanket. I heated uncooked rice in a pan, put it in baggies along the zipper in the hovabator and wrapped with a blanket. I also filled up mason jars with water (I keep several gallons full for emergencies) and heated them to place in with the live chicks and in the big bator.

About a half hour in, the babies heat plate had cooled to the point they were getting upset so I decided to line a plastic laundry basket with an old towel and paper towels. Set the basket on a chair right in front of the stove. The chicks were able to get warm through the holes in the side of the basket and I put a tap light in there since it was so dark in the house and covered with a blanket.

They settled down after a while and hung out by the sides and seemed fairly comfortable.

2 hours later we got power restored. The bators stayed at 84 degrees so hopefully the other eggs will be ok.

I managed to help my last chick out about 10:30pm. It was a slow process and it did push out on its own but this morning seems to keep one foot slightly forward of the other foot but walking ok. Wow what a day that was!

I'll be getting some pics posted of our new babies soon

Wow good job at saving all those babies

 

[mlm Mike]

Good morning. The one pipped egg we have is still not hatched. My days start at 7 pm ( i couldn't wait to load the bator until the next morning

) Yesterday was day 19 and we had that one egg w/ a pip, its still chirping, the hole has got a little bigger. Anyway day 20 today. We cant wait to see the chicks hatch. But now im so nervous. I really hope all goes well. My 3yo son will be waking up soon and he really wants to see and have his own hatched chicks. His face when we hear them is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Fingers crossed! Whats the groups hatch status? I saw some of the new chickes!

How exciting, I hope I see good news updates as I read to catch up in the thread!

Quote: Nice to read things are getting even more exciting! It sounds like you have good help for your gardening too!

My hatch is going well! I set 11. 5 hatched already, 4 more are pipped, and one is zipping!
How fun! I am having a ball with all of these contests! And, this is my very first hatch-a-long!

Cute. I'm glad you are having a good hatch!

24 more eggs set from my flock. These will mostly be EE and OE F1 (Ameraucana Roo over many hens) but there's a slim chance of some Brabanter or Barnevelder genetics. I'll have to separate my groups this week then do test hatches over the next few weeks to see how the genetics work out. I was going to separate them already but I needed to patch the small coop fencing and today it is snowing with a high predicted of 20s. We probably have about a week left of wintery weather then spring raininess for the rest of April.

So nervous this morning, put eggs in lockdown last night, waiting for some kind of movement is hard. I just want some sign of life.

and

8:22 1st chicks out

its out of the egg and moving around all wobbly and chirping bit i think the egg and cord are still intact it not bloody but its like stuck to it. It seems to be dragging it to get free. Is this normal?

Congratulations. It'll most likely break free shortly.

Quote: I'm glad you were able to wait.

 

[h2oratt]

Hi. First chick hatched this morning. The rest have just done an external pip. Can they get o2 through the crack? No hole made yet.

Here is a picture of the first chick

 

[feedman77]

Hi. First chick hatched this morning. The rest have just done an external pip. Can they get o2 through the crack? No hole made yet.

Here is a picture of the first chick

Congrats.

The ones that are pipped should be fine on air.

Is that a fridge type incubator?

 

[Harborotter]

Out of my 8 fertile Saipan eggs, I have 5 healthy babies. One quit, I am guessing 4-6 days ago from the looks of it. One drowned this morning. I tried saving it but it only last about 30 minutes after I freed it's head and got the water out of it's beak the best I could. And one is still trying to hatch. It is doing well just seems to be a bit late compared to the others.

 

[Harborotter]

My next hatch is due April 9th. Easter Eggers from my flock. Only 18 in this batch but hopefully it is a good hatch.

 

[h2oratt]

Congrats.

The ones that are pipped should be fine on air.

Is that a fridge type incubator?

Thank you. I hear chirping.
Yes I have this model

99 dollars. It has worked well this is my first hatch.

 

[h2oratt]

Out of my 8 fertile Saipan eggs, I have 5 healthy babies.  One quit, I am guessing 4-6 days ago from the looks of it.  One drowned this morning.  I tried saving it but it only last about 30 minutes after I freed it's head and got the water out of it's beak the best I could.  And one is still trying to hatch.  It is doing well just seems to be a bit late compared to the others.

You have beautiful birds. I would love to do some water fowl one day.my husband Is suppose to build a natural pond.