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

[Junibutt]

If you set at noon, then lockdown is noon. But it's really not a big deal to do it a bit earlier or a bit later. I've locked mine down late MANY times and still have had great hatches. (by late, I mean no more than a day) Ron had one hatch without locking down the eggs.

Thanks! I will do it at beginning of day 19/end of day 18, maybe a shade sooner.

Seems like I may have to pull all 7 of my eggs from the Brinsea Mini because none of them have progressed beyond a 1 inch wide shadow and today is day 15. I am thinking they were either yolk shadows (and I mistook them for a developing embryo) or early deaths which I did not see because of the dark eggs. Well 6 of the eggs were from Whole Foods anyways so not a big loss. But I still went ahead and purchased 4 light Brahma chicks as a consolation. I am wondering if the Brinsea Mini has any ventilation or not. I did not see a vent and its tightly sealed and the manual does not mention any either.

Fingers crossed on my Brinsea Octagon 20 which is on Day 13 which definitely has a few eggs with embryos and they are moving and kicking. Will post pictures after tomorrow's candling.

 

[mlm Mike]

REMINDER, you can open your incubator to sneak a candle, after lockdown IF NECESSARY, I do it HOWEVER, WIPE the inside of the bator to give immediate humidity boost, or mist the side of the bator, DO NOT GET EGGS WET! I am not talking 10x's day!

I always check for draw down from day 18 onward and until I see internal pips, its a good judge to know that when you see internal pips and or drawdown you could have chicks the following day or so!

A REMINDER TO EVERYONE to sit tight this is gonna be stressful for first time hatchers, they panic.

READ the TIMELINE of a silky hatching in the Hatching 101 article and read the assist article timeline of a hatching. READ READ READ what they are doing in there, and how picking at those external pips can be more harm than good, read that in MOST CASES if a chick has an external pip it will hatch on its own. But understand the process is key to realizing when something IS in fact wrong!

What's the benefit? I only see adding risk with no benefit. I already know I'll have chicks in the next day or so by what day of incubation I am on.

 

[Cynthia12]

Normal sized and shaped and on the fat end
No they are my own flocks.
Its just 2 days worth of eggs. I was told to let them sit over night after collecting then turn them once a day until in the incubator which happened on day 3 after collecting the first one and after that 3 or 5 times per day depending on length of time we were home but always at least 3. And I'm not assisting at this point because beaks are out and moving.

And BTW 3 pips 3 wrong end but all beak out and breathing now.
And since I got the link for Sally's assist page I've read it 3 times so I knew I didn't skip anything because I tend to scan instead of reading.

Glad I got you that page of Sally's. No baby yet? Will see, I am catching up! You will get a lot of different people telling/helping you now they are on. Going to catch up.
Did you get any sleep at all? Whew...long night ey?

 

[ronott1]

Is lockdown at the beginning of day 18 or end of day 18?

For most breeds, you can wait a day to lock down the eggs for hatching

Incubators that stop turning automatically, stop at the end of day 18, beginning of day 19. People tend to do it anytime day 18 when it is convenient, which works well.

Good answer! Your schedule is key here. What ever time works best on day 18 to 19. If I lock down too early, I will have to open to add water. My Genesis will not go 4 days without adding water.

What's the benefit? I only see adding risk with no benefit. I already know I'll have chicks in the next day or so by what day of incubation I am on.

This is regarding assisting pipped eggs. Not much really. Pipped eggs that will not hatch are usually chicks that you do not want to use for breeding. I am becoming convinced that helping is one of the reasons we are seeing so many infertile and weak hens leading to bad hatches.

For eggs damaged from shipping or eggs that cost 10.00 per egg, there would be a benefit because of the investment. If breeding them next season, consider not helping them. You will have a stronger flock that way.

If you are hatching expensive eggs, make sure you have a good incubator, thermometer, Hygrometer and a very good candler. It would be wise to invest in those before spending hundreds or thousands on eggs that will not hatch well because of things like too high or too low average temperatures.

 

[Cynthia12]

I don't feel like I got much sleep after watching the moon. It was interesting though.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I HAVE A PIP!!!!!!!

Should there be so much visible space at the bottom of an egg at this point?

Two of the eggs, the two large ones have a lot of empty space on the bottoms of them, and small air cells at the top (we know what caused that though). Just wondering if the bottom being empty is normal. I can't believe there is still movement in some of the eggs! I feel badly, like I am making them suffer but there is no choice at the moment, we can only hope!

Tomorrow is lock down!

Yes very odd, and it has good veining, I think its the invisible chick! if its alive let it be! your air cells seem just a bit small for this day, what are you on? and did you calibrate thermometers? pray you didnt go with with one on that fancy music maker!!

Quote: How did you turn them? were they laying sideways? Three turns a day will give you some malpositions, as 3x is not the ultimate turning sched, its the minimum.

did you turn while in storage, what angle of turn during storage and how often, same questions for incubation

 

[SilkieSensation]

Hey Silki! Are you watching the moon?

Nope. Didn't know it was happening until I read the posts here. Then I was too lazy to get up to look.

Should there be so much visible space at the bottom of an egg at this point? Two of the eggs, the two large ones have a lot of empty space on the bottoms of them, and small air cells at the top (we know what caused that though). Just wondering if the bottom being empty is normal. I can't believe there is still movement in some of the eggs! I feel badly, like I am making them suffer but there is no choice at the moment, we can only hope! Tomorrow is lock down!

If you still see movement in them they have a chance.

My Seramas are rocking!!! e It's day 17 for me, should I put them in the hatcher now instead of tomorrow morning? Last time I incubated, none of the LF eggs started rocking until after lockdown, and none of the LF eggs in the bator now are rocking, only the Seramas. This is my first time hatching them, so I could really use some advice!!

I've never hatched seramas, but it looks like they hatch at Day 19. Definitely move them if you hear cheeping.

Serama typically hatch at day 19.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Good morning all! Locked down the seramas last night all 11 I had at last candle still going strong!

GO BABIES!!! Harmony cant wait to see what you get!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

im tying to decide the same thing. cartons or laying them down. got to decide soon cause lockdown is tomrrw. love to hear some suggestions!!!!

Please understand the hatching process and you can come to your own conclusions, I have added links and tons of info to help you decide! PASTE from the Hatching 101


CANDLE EGGS
DAY 18 & LOCKDOWN!




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Candle day 18 is to determine growth, weigh, pencil mark air cell size and dispose bad eggs. It will look pretty dark and FULL in there! You may or may not see movement on this candle. Its ok if not, don’t panic! The chick may easily be resting! See how that air cell is beginning to dip more to one side and if you lay the egg down it will roll into the hatching position. I set my eggs with lowest dip in the aircell up. This position for hatching is good so the chick is able to turn into position and I can easily see my pips too! Day 18 laying horizontal for actual hatching helps a chick hatch 1-2 hours earlier. I lay my eggs down LOWEST DIP of the AIRCELL UP! This is the normal and most likely hatching position and the chick will break through or Internally pip and externally pip in that probable area. See the image below with the x, x being lowest dip in air cell and probably pip area/s.








LOCKDOWN!
Stop turning, Remove Turner and Raise Humidity to 62-65%

NOTE: It is now known that the different embryos communicate with each other by a series of clicking sounds,
the rate of clicking being the important feature. Ensuring the eggs on the hatching trays are in contact with each other facilitates
the synchronization of hatching where the eggs are incubated in a modern machine. This assists in reducing the time between when the first and last chicks hatch.


After Day 18 candle you will “LOCK DOWN” your eggs. Lower the temperature see suggest temps below and increase the humidity the last three days. STOP turning and the incubator stays closed, for the next three days while the chicks hatch! If you’re having a hard time with humidity it is OK to open quickly to boost, add warm water or increase the size of the pan or add a wet sponge. NEVER ADJUST HUMIDITY BY cutting back airflow. VENTILATION is EXTREMELY important at this stage!

Researchers have found that lowering temperatures will prolong incubation,
HOWEVER it is favourable to do so at the end of incubation.
Day 19 & 20 Temp Min 98.0 Max 98.5
Day 21 Temp Min 97 Max 98.0
for more information please refer here:
http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/managementguides/Incubation%20guide%20(english).pdf


A REALY GOOD READ
on what that chick is doing in that egg at this time!
Development of motor patterns in avian embryos:
hatching behavior http://www.int-ornith-union.org/files/proceedings/durban/Symposium/S46/S46.1.htm



VIDEO : Early day 19 INTERNAL PIP
(shipped initially loose air cell, set after 12 hours and turned upright in the cabinet cooler incubator right from set)
Silky embryo in position for hatch and with internal pip (NOTE: NO EXTERNAL YET!)
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Note: It’s not necessary but I like to place a piece of foam grip drawer mat on the wire bottom of incubator on day on day 18 lockdown. A cloth, crinoline, or paper towels could work as well. This protects the navel, the place where the abdomen closes after surrounding the remains of the yolk, from injury. It also makes cleaning the incubator easier. NO the wire on the incubator bottom should not injure or effect your chicks after they hatch. Dollar store baskets are great to keep hatching chicks separated by breed.




PREPARE BROODER:
Prepare everything you need for them once they have hatched.
Now is the time to do final checks on brooder, heat lamp and feed.
See bottom of article for links on chick care.

Click on the link below for Brooder Ideas!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/homemade-chicken-brooder-designs-pictures



Rocking Egg Video!
Eggs can rock for several days before hatcing, but how exciting it is!





Understanding The Hatching Process

Between the 15th and 16th days, the chick orients itself so that its head is near the air cell at the large end of the egg. Not long before the chick is ready to attempt to make its way out of the shell its neck acquires a double bend so that its beak is under its right wing and pointed toward the air cell.

21 DAYS is just a baseline for hatching eggs.
Many chicks can take 23 - 25 days!
Some pip internally and fully hatch in hours while others will be 24 hours or more.

Egg movement! Eggs can “Rock n Roll” days before they are due to hatch!

The initiation of hatch occurs partially from the increased carbon dioxide level in the egg. This process causes the embryo to begin twitching it's muscles allowing the inner shell membrane to be punctured by the egg tooth. The chick then begins breathing the air in the air cell. Using its egg tooth, it pecks at the shell thousands of times and after a few hours the chick pips a small hole through the shell and begins to breathe air directly from the outside. After the chick has made a hole in the shell, it stops pipping for 8+ hours sometimes up to 24 hours and rests. During this time, it is acclimating its lungs.





In regards to opening and closing the bator to remove already hatch chicks; It is important to remember that chicks can go 3 days without food/water. It is better to wait for the remaining chicks to hatch to insure reducing the impact to unhatched pipping eggs.

But my new chick is running around in the bator knocking eggs around!
LET THEM GO! DO NOT OPEN THE INCUBATOR! They are fine!
​

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TIMELINE of a silky HATCHING! ​

MONDAY 5 PM noticed external pip


TUESDAY DAY 20 9AM STILL RESTING,
hole slightly larger but chick is NOT zipping!




2 PM TUES. CHICK IS ALREADY OUT!
missed the last quick zipping!
Silky on the left, two CCL hatched at the same time!

ITS IMORTANT TO NOTE:
THIS CHICK TOOK WELL OVER 24 hours to hatch! and absolutely normal!​

 

[Cynthia12]

I'm in lock down! Come on babies. Don't have too many bad air cells in these hatch a long eggs..but..in the ones that took a week to get here..different story.
If those babies aren't pipping by the end of day 20, I go in. I see a lot of comments on not helping, but I have saved many a baby by helping if there aren't any pips by the end of day 20 in certain eggs Don't try this though, if you haven't hatched before, or, if you have only hatched a few times, unless you really want a chick. Are you keeping this chick? There may be a first time for those that want to keep their chicks.
These air sacs are waay up the side. No way that a baby can turn in these. Will be putting a ? on the ones that are real bad, put them in a different bator to hatch, so I can help them if nothing is happening.
Once you start to help..and this part is for anyone helping, then they will need help the rest of the way. If you don't have another bator, put them in a short glass and close to a broody light for warmth. I put a wet something over the egg also..helps keep the membrane somewhat moist and easy to get off the chick.
I know I am stepping on some strong opinions here for a lot of people, but I am guessing there are a lot of people that do help in certain conditions also, but don't want to say anything here..or..then there are those that have a ba gillion eggs, and don't worry about helping..or, they can get their own from the back yard. Shipping eggs aren't cheap. I love getting the breeds I want for my back yard. This is what I do to save them if needed. I have saved many that have grown to lay me some pretty nice eggs, and I can honestly say, that I have saved more, a lot more, than I have lost. I don't breed. I don't show. I just want eggs.

From a pretty nice looking bird. Yep.
Now, don't be mean. :/