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

[CherriesBrood]

Ok, so did have 11 silkies hatch, but one passed this morning. It looked like it had a yolk sac infection Was a blue silkie, it breaks my heart. It also had fluid it inhaled possibly during hatch? It was still in the incubator, and when i took it out after it had passed, it had fluid leaking from its beak. Never had that happen before... But all others, including the black one are doing great, including the last hatch.

I did do eggtopsies on 4 (2 silkie, 2 D'uccle) unhatched eggs. Two were malpositioned, head above wing, one had head between legs. One looked like it had tried to internally pip (beak up towards aircell) but didn't get thru membrane. 2 others I didn't do eggtopsies on, one just by candling looked like it had quit around day 16-17 because of the amount of yolk/fluid in the shell, and the other probably shrink wrapped, but didn't want to open it up, too depressed with the rest of them.

Aww firedragon I'm so sorry. I know how hard that can be especially with babies.

 

[h2oratt]

Ok, so did have 11 silkies hatch, but one passed this morning. It looked like it had a yolk sac infection Was a blue silkie, it breaks my heart. It also had fluid it inhaled possibly during hatch? It was still in the incubator, and when i took it out after it had passed, it had fluid leaking from its beak. Never had that happen before... But all others, including the black one are doing great, including the last hatch.

I did do eggtopsies on 4 (2 silkie, 2 D'uccle) unhatched eggs. Two were malpositioned, head above wing, one had head between legs. One looked like it had tried to internally pip (beak up towards aircell) but didn't get thru membrane. 2 others I didn't do eggtopsies on, one just by candling looked like it had quit around day 16-17 because of the amount of yolk/fluid in the shell, and the other probably shrink wrapped, but didn't want to open it up, too depressed with the rest of them.

Sorry about your losses

 

[Pensmaster]

Welcome to the dark side, Pen!  

What happened... run out of room in the bators???   

Thanks UR. Wasn't really wanting to start the bators. So much going on here with Spring growth so I'm glad the hens stepped up. Not at all sure what I'm going to do if even half hatch. One of them is a newbie so hers won't make it she's off the nest too much and eggs are not kept together. The other three are repeats from last year.

 

[darkbluespace]

I have 18 or so Serama eggs on day 17 and a couple of little hens also on day 17, one with 5 eggs and a tiny tiny hen with 3.

My hatcher has an emu in it at 97 degrees, so I guess I'll have to hatch the seramas in the bator they are in. I prefer to hatch in still air... Oh well. I still have a few days. Air cells are pretty tiny though.

When the seramas are out of this incubator, I want to use the thermostat for my new experimental incubator. I only got to use it for a week before I had to commandeer the thermostat because the emus needed their own incubator, but the eggs I started with it all hatched later which was impressive for my seramas. I am excited to try a full incubation with it.

 

[Harborotter]

Awww i love bunnies! What breed are they?

Californians

 

[junebuggena]

Day 5 candling here for my overloaded Incuview. Out of 3 dozen set, I pulled 18 clears. 50% fertility from my cockerel. I guess he needs to work on his balance.

 

[weegarden]

I am completely flabbergasted. I counted all my eggs last night, numbered them, candled them, and wrote down notes on all of them. My silkies are only 6 days old so I wanted to check them again today. #66 is missing...as in not there!?!? I had 18 shipped and 1 from a friend. We dropped one on day 2 and tossed it, dropped one on day 4 and waxed it (#71)...so should have had 18 silkie eggs in the bator. Have only 17. I've looked on the floor, around the bator, the dog isn't acting guilty (plus everything was in place in the bator, lid on, other eggs fine). If my dog would have gotten to the bator they would have been massacred (German Shepard) I looked through the trash and threatened the kids I was going to look and they swore up and down they didn't touch them. (I have a 9 and 13 yr old). I'm completely at a loss as to what happened to it...

Oh no, that is awful! Is it possible that it got stuck under the turner. They are tiny, so they could fall out and under. Any lost silkie is sad.

Oh no that's awful! At least you found it in time. I have to agree with you. I have had accidents happen too. One time I almost smooshed a babies head in between the water mechanism like you did, thankfully it started chirping really loud and I immediately lifted it up.

I was just devastated. Who would ever think that would happen? I didn't even know that piece was in there, because it was clear, and I was being so careful. My heart went right into my throat, I got hot and my head started swimming, like when you are panicking during a speech. Here I am with 18 little sets of eyes on me, asking if it is ok, terrified that it was not. It was covered up in my hands, and it really looked like it was struggling. I held it, and just hoped that it would be ok. In a couple of what seemed like forever seconds, it perked up, and seemed just fine, but that was an awful couple of seconds. The kids only had two so far, so there would have been no hiding it at all. I have never ever lost a chick at school, in front of my students, and I did not want it to happen this time. Luckily that little boy saw it when he did. It wasn't peeping, it wasn't crushed because there is some space, but I think it's air was cut off a bit. I'm just so glad it is ok. It is such a cute little chick too. They named them Peeps and Mikey! Mikey is a little boy in my class, and he wanted the little rooster named after him.

<<Ahem>> May I have your attention please? I have two new chicks! Noticed a little hole in the shell of one about 12:30 in the morning. Got all excited, double checked humidity, and finally went to sleep. Woke up at 4:45 to the sound of very demanding cheeping! Little Olive Egger named Yokel (for @LocalYokel just as I promised I would) and it's so doggone strong! Then later on in the morning I noticed a pip in another egg - and we have a little Cream Legbar! And that was another one that hatched fast....nothing at 7 am, pip at 8, and hatched sometime around 10.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

Congratulations! I like kinds of programming interruptions.

Well I have to get the munchkin n hubby to bed ( currently both asleep on couch)

Good night all, catch you on the flip side.
Hugs

Thanks for the ovations everyone! It is so exciting to get them! I feel like Rudolph with Clarice... They like me, They like me!!!! Hee Hee

HELP my hens have come down with a contagious case of broodiness. 4 and counting. So I'm officially in on the April Hal. Approximately 40 eggs.
@Sally Sunshine

Ruh Roh!!!! Have fun with that!!!!! I want to use a broody, but I don't want them to stop laying, so I can't right now.

Ok, so did have 11 silkies hatch, but one passed this morning. It looked like it had a yolk sac infection Was a blue silkie, it breaks my heart. It also had fluid it inhaled possibly during hatch? It was still in the incubator, and when i took it out after it had passed, it had fluid leaking from its beak. Never had that happen before... But all others, including the black one are doing great, including the last hatch.

I did do eggtopsies on 4 (2 silkie, 2 D'uccle) unhatched eggs. Two were malpositioned, head above wing, one had head between legs. One looked like it had tried to internally pip (beak up towards aircell) but didn't get thru membrane. 2 others I didn't do eggtopsies on, one just by candling looked like it had quit around day 16-17 because of the amount of yolk/fluid in the shell, and the other probably shrink wrapped, but didn't want to open it up, too depressed with the rest of them.

Oh no, I 'm sorry. That is so hard. So do you still have 10? Oh, I want a little black one. Lucky!!!!

I have 18 or so Serama eggs on day 17 and a couple of little hens also on day 17, one with 5 eggs and a tiny tiny hen with 3.

My hatcher has an emu in it at 97 degrees, so I guess I'll have to hatch the seramas in the bator they are in. I prefer to hatch in still air... Oh well. I still have a few days. Air cells are pretty tiny though.

When the seramas are out of this incubator, I want to use the thermostat for my new experimental incubator. I only got to use it for a week before I had to commandeer the thermostat because the emus needed their own incubator, but the eggs I started with it all hatched later which was impressive for my seramas. I am excited to try a full incubation with it.

You sure sound like you are having a lot of fun!!!!

Day 5 candling here for my overloaded Incuview. Out of 3 dozen set, I pulled 18 clears. 50% fertility from my cockerel. I guess he needs to work on his balance.

UGH! I can relate to that! My rooster, for whatever reason, has not been connecting with my girls, and I have thrown out over 125 clears in the last couple of months. :-( I gave him a vent trim this last weekend, so hopefully that will help. My hubby saw him in action the other day for the first time since we got him, so maybe just maybe???

 

[weegarden]

I'm hoping for a couple more babies at school this morning! There are three eggs that I'm hoping to see hatched or well on their way! One is a silkie and two are Rocks. I also have a back up incubator with a couple of eggs, just in case we had problems with these (don't want to let down my first-graders,) so I should have 4 more hatching tomorrow too. The kids will love that, because they didn't even realize that those would be hatching. I snuck them in from home, when I saw that my hatch was going slower than expected. Peeps and Mikey need some friends.

 

[weegarden]

I'm getting myself some of these for my birthday! I need to up my amount though, so I don't have to pay shipping. Does anyone have a recommendation for a super powerful egg candler?

I've had really good luck with this one at school, but is there a better one?

 

[weegarden]

Calling all roosters! It is time to wake up your owners!!!! Good morning everyone!