Super Hero Hatch-Along

[Chickin Fairy]

Day 17 (3/23)

• 2:21 AM – 8:00 AM:
- Very consistent overnight
- Temperature hovered right around the 99.5°F average.
- Humidity started at 52.2% and began a steady, natural decline as the water reservoir depleted.

• 9:15 AM:
- Humidity Low. You hit a daily low of 38.3%.

• 9:30 AM:
- Water Addition.
- Humidity spiked back up quickly following a refill, recovering to the 48–50% range.

• 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM:
- The afternoon was exceptionally stable.
- Humidity stayed remarkably flat near the 49.2% average
- Temperature fluctuations were minimal, mostly staying between 99.1°F and 99.5°F.

• 7:08 PM:
- Temperature: ~99.5°F
- Humidity: ~49%

 

[servant_of_fluffs]

Let's go Kamaria and friends!

 

[GreenJay]

Let's grow superhero chicks!
go Mantis go!

 

[jxp]

It's a beautiful day to Groot! Getting ready to lock down.

 

[Chickin Fairy]

Lockdown is officially underway! Numbers looks great and the eggs are clear to move about!

Grow lil heroes

 

[Chickin Fairy]

Today is a massive transition day for Sylvie, Groot, Mantis, Strange, and Kamaria. While it looks like nothing is happening from the outside, the "Marvel 5" are incredibly busy inside those shells.

Here is the play-by-play of what they are up to on Day 18:

1. The Great "Tucking" Maneuver
The chicks are finishing a very specific yoga-like move. They have grown so large that they take up almost the entire shell. They are currently tucking their heads under their right wing and positioning their beaks so they are pointing toward the air cell (the blunt/fat end of the egg).

2. Absorbing the Yolk Sac
This is the most critical biological task of the day. The yolk sac, which has been their food source for 18 days, is being pulled into their abdominal cavity.
This yolk provides them with all the nutrients and hydration they need to survive the first 48 hours after hatching.

It’s also why they might seem "quiet" or sleepy—this process takes a lot of metabolic energy!

3. Shutting Down the Blood Vessels
Up until today, the chicks have been getting oxygen through a network of blood vessels attached to the inside of the shell (the CAM membrane). Today, those vessels are starting to dry up and recede because the chick is preparing to switch over to using its own lungs.

4. Hardening the "Egg Tooth"
That tiny white bump on the tip of their beak (the egg tooth) is fully hardened now. They’ll use this like a little hammer to punch their way out soon.

What you might notice tonight:
Egg Rocking: If you see a slight wobble, that’s just a chick "kicking" to get its head into the perfect position.

A Drop in Activity: After you moved them for lockdown, they might "go dark" for a bit while they rest up for the final push.

 

[jxp]

Lockdown is officially underway! Numbers looks great and the eggs are clear to move about!

Grow lil heroes

 

[jxp]

1. The Great "Tucking" Maneuver
The chicks are finishing a very specific yoga-like move. They have grown so large that they take up almost the entire shell. They are currently tucking their heads under their right wing and positioning their beaks so they are pointing toward the air cell (the blunt/fat end of the egg).

I wonder if, like people, a certain small percentage are more inclined to the left side. .

Southpaws Unite!

 

[Chickin Fairy]

I wonder if, like people, a certain small percentage are more inclined to the left side. .

Southpaws Unite!

Here's what my Gemini told me when I asked. As with humans, harder to be a leftie! Interesting question, tho.

Almost all chicken embryos (over 99%) tuck their heads under their right wing. There are two fascinating reasons for this:

The Heart & Liver Space: In a developing chick, the internal organs are slightly asymmetrical. Tucking to the right provides the most anatomical clearance for the heart to beat strongly and the lungs to expand during that first critical breath in the air cell.

The Eye-Light Connection: Even through the shell, chicks can sense light. Studies show that the way the embryo sits in the egg typically exposes the right eye to more light through the shell than the left. This light stimulation helps develop the brain's "visual pathways" specifically on that side, which triggers the right-side tuck.

What if they tuck under the left wing?

This is known as a malposition (specifically Malposition II).

The Struggle: If a chick tucks under its left wing, their beak ends up pointed away from the air cell or buried against their own body.

The Outcome: It makes it much harder for them to "pip" (break the shell). While some "lefties" can still hatch with a lot of extra effort, many struggle to get enough oxygen and may need help—though during lockdown, we won't know this is happening until the very end.

 

[jxp]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.