The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Loriemarler]

Total count hatched 6.
For my first hatch I am thrilled 6 out of 6. I had a huge scare this morning when the electricity went out for 2 hours but everything worked out and I have 6 mille fleur d'Uccles babies sleeping in the brooder. Are they suppose to sleep a lot? All the chicks I have seen at feed stores are awake and moving around

 

[HarrietB]

Total count hatched 6.
For my first hatch I am thrilled 6 out of 6. I had a huge scare this morning when the electricity went out for 2 hours but everything worked out and I have 6 mille fleur d'Uccles babies sleeping in the brooder. Are they suppose to sleep a lot? All the chicks I have seen at feed stores are awake and moving around

mine always snooze lots when they are really really young

 

[Hayduke27]

Total count hatched 6.
For my first hatch I am thrilled 6 out of 6. I had a huge scare this morning when the electricity went out for 2 hours but everything worked out and I have 6 mille fleur d'Uccles babies sleeping in the brooder. Are they suppose to sleep a lot? All the chicks I have seen at feed stores are awake and moving around

I think the chicks in the feed stores are a few days old at the very youngest. As the chicks age, they will perk up. It was a lot of work getting out of that shell!

 

[misbhaven]

Total count hatched 6.
For my first hatch I am thrilled 6 out of 6. I had a huge scare this morning when the electricity went out for 2 hours but everything worked out and I have 6 mille fleur d'Uccles babies sleeping in the brooder. Are they suppose to sleep a lot? All the chicks I have seen at feed stores are awake and moving around

Bantam's are always seem to run around like crazy then crash in the weirdest positions mid run butt in the air..it is normal..I have some of those watch it they can fly at just a couple weeks i had one escape the brooder other day..I hadn't bothered putting the top on yet..luckily it didn't get hurt.

 

[Doctor Pammie]

Thanks, sherlocklabs. I'd read somewhere that the cooling feature could delay hatch. Haven't been able to plow through all these postings every day to see if anyone has had some experience. Had one more pip so hopefully total of 4 chicks by later today! Fingers crossed!

 

[jinks12333]

this poor little one hatched yesterday..... alot of the yellow yolk is gone however that blob is still there. I put her in seclusion bowl with a warm wash cloth and a little bacetracin on her navel... any other suggestions besides time?

 

[Happy Chooks]

So my eggs were set on the last day to set but I think they will take until Wednesday. They will still count right?

Yes, as long as they were set within the +/- 2 days, they count no matter when they hatch.

I need help. One of my Khaki Campbell ducks pipped on the side of the egg facing down - not wrong end just facing bottom of incubator. I didn't realize he was pipped so I don't know how long. I do know he has been wiggling ALOT and making lots of noise for over 4 hours. I noticed the egg was kinda turning colors so I turned it over and realized then that he had pipped and there is a dark sticky substance down that side of the egg and it looks like maybe the membrane is drying out? He is not wiggling the egg any more but now that I can see his beak, he is still moving a little but I think he's exhausted! What has caused the egg to turn colors like it has? What is that sticky stuff on the outside? And do I try to help him out now or give him more time?

I see Sally answered, I'll defer to her judgement as I've never hatched ducks.

I'm sorry about the chick that was lost. Overall it sounds like you had a pretty good day and are raising wonderful boys.

Yes we did overall. Thank you. I try my best to raise them right and I don't shelter them from much, just help them through the rough times instead. I think it makes them stronger people.

So happy that your day ended up a happy one. That's a lot of eggs! Did they all get found? lol..I have a daughter that put out a lot, and not all of them were found. Eventually I guess..lol...

Yeah they all got found. These kids dont leave anything lol. One of my boys ended up with 2 grocery bags and his bucket full and the other 1 grocery bag and his bucket! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm on day 4 of the new hatch and trying to watch my fertility, growth, and hatchabilty in my eggs very carefully. Right now I'm pretty focused on the fertility in particular, but also noting everything else to study the results. Looks like so far with all questionables counted as clears on paper that my fertility rate is about 82% for this roo and his ratio. But my question is, what is an "acceptable" % for selling hatching eggs? I know you cant guarantee a hatch or fertility but what would you say is acceptable in your opinion to sell them fairly?

I like my fertility in the high 90's. With shipping, I want them to have the best hatch possible.

My results: 7 of 8 OE's and my one Wheaten Maran. The other three eggs don't look good now - so I'm probably done. Are Maran's harder to hatch? I guess I should ask on the Maran thread. It was fun!

I have heard they are harder to hatch.

My hatching is finally done! I had 10 go into lockdown, and 7 hatched, all Olive Eggers. It was stressful, they all hatched on day 23! It was my first time in a hovabator, and it got unplugged 2x by the kids playing around it, so I think that's why they were late. My 7 year old said they wanted to wait to be Easter Day chicks! I had to help 2 out as they were big, plus membrane had dried on them and they were both stuck for hours after zipping (one couldnt move its wing, the other its neck). Now they're out but neither has fluffed up, and it's been over 12 hrs. Should I try a warm wet towel and some Ivory dish soap?

No need to wash it unless the gunk restricts movement. In a day or two, they will fluff up on their own.

So I have 5 still in on day 23. Can see movement inside. How long do I give them? Will they hatch you think?

If your temps were low, they will take longer to hatch. If you still see movement, leave them in!

Well we are late for the party! I had set eggs late, on 3/30 then on april 15 I turned the eggs and went to bed without turning the bator back on. Thought I'd killed everyone. Well candling a couple nights later showed some were still alive. so I am still waiting. Dropping to 68 degrees overnight has delayed them. Maybe tomorrow....

Fingers crossed!

SEE ABOVE POST, if that is the same chick! GET IT OUT! it will have foot and neck issues if it dont already! IF ITS ZIPPING as in a long line around the egg and doesnt come out in 1 to 1.5 hours IT NEEDS ASSISTANCE! THEY DONT ZIP unless they are ready. ZIP IS opening a zipper, just like that... yours is WAY WAY ZIPPED!

[COLOR=FF0000]thank you so much!!! [/COLOR]It was only when i helped the little fella out I realised what a mess he had got into! How he had done it baffles me but he had managed to zip 90% of the way round then managed to get totally stuck! his head and feet were [SIZE=17.77777862548828px]all in the wrong position[/SIZE] and he came out bottom first!! he is certainly a VERY noisy chick now he is out, he must be as relieved as i am!

Great job!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

this poor little one hatched yesterday..... alot of the yellow yolk is gone however that blob is still there. I put her in seclusion bowl with a warm wash cloth and a little bacetracin on her navel... any other suggestions besides time?

put the chick in a cup upright to force its legs under it and close to where they should be, thats a baby food container in the image, or you can try a narrow tapper bottom tea cup to force legs under it, are its legs messed up? why does it look like that? That chick doesnt look right at all, is it the image?

 

[mlm Mike]

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Voting is complete and the Voters have decided​

The Winner of Contest #2: Creative Brooder Contest is​

chicken pickin​

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CONGRATULATIONS!​

 

[Happy Chooks]

this poor little one hatched yesterday..... alot of the yellow yolk is gone however that blob is still there. I put her in seclusion bowl with a warm wash cloth and a little bacetracin on her navel... any other suggestions besides time?

Nothing more you can do. Keep it separated and comfortable.