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

[Happy Chooks]

Congrats to everyone with new chicks. I'm still waiting but had some serious humidity problems and a spike in temps with this round so my expectations are low. Can't help but have peep envy though!!

Hope you see some action soon!

In other news one of my barred holland hens went broody so I stuck some turkey eggs under her last night. Hopefully she has better luck hatching them out than I do!

Yay!

Heard the first peeping last night - more peeping this morning,but no external pips yet. Had two very questionable (no blood rings but no detectable movement) at lockdown, but left them in. As a side note - the 'might be clears' that I left in earlier all developed; but only two made it to lockdown & are still looking great. Can't sit by the 'bator, because we found a 20 foot sinkhole at the edge of the riparian area this morning, extending out under the fence, and it's gonna be a day of moving cattle and trying to find many loads of fill dirt in a hurry.

Hope everything goes okay.

Some hens will take them and others will kill them to protect their chick. Has this hen been broody before?

No, this is her first time.

Then it could go either way.

What's wrong with this little guy??? There are two like this...

You can try splinting it, but it may not be fixable. Sorry I don't have better news.

How do you tell an internal pip?

Sticky goop Okay, the LF are coming out just nice. But I did have one silkie 3/4 zip and died. Have a another silkie that pipped over 24 hours, so checked on it. Sticky goop is what I found all around the pip. Went ahead cleaned goop and membrane is pretty much veinless. Why would there be sticky goop? d'uccle had no goop and silkie that 3/4 zipped didn't. Humidity is still the same. (57) Any suggestions?

She didn't make it. But worried about the other bantams. None of them are doing any thing yet. Any suggestions?

Humidity problems cause sticky chicks. Did you calibrate your hygrometer?

Question for those with more experience - I have one chick who has broken off pieces of the egg shell, but it looks like the inner membrane is still intact. Is that normal? Shouldn't she have broke through the membrane first? Thanks!

Totally normal.

Still just my 2 chicks. Do shipped eggs take longer? Today is day#22.

Nope. I'd say your temps are probably low.

I have hatching fever!!!! I hope I am not being too annoying posting about my babies all the time...but this is my first hatch ever and I am beyond excited! Five of my seven are out so far and the last three were within minutes of each other. The first one that pipped seems like it is going to be the last of my Anconas to hatch, it has been approximately 25 hours but he's still alive and is making progress. The last egg from the barn isn't due until tomorrow (but it has several pips already). This has been by far the best Easter EVER! Here is my first duckling now all fluffy:

Oh my, more adorable ducklings!

My best hatch EVER!!! I locked down 30 eggs And 29 hatched I opened the other egg it was not fertile. All of my fertile eggs hatched!!!!!

Congrats!

Another question - is a little bit of blood on the chick's bottom okay?

A little is okay. Out some neosporin on it when you put it in the brooder.

This olive egger just hatched. One bugged eye and cross beak. This is my first ever hatch. Is this something that might correct itself since it was squished in the egg? Something it can live with? The bugged eye does not seem to be able to close. Thanks

Depends on the severity of the crossbeak. It tends to get worse as they grow. Some do fine, others cannot eat. I wouldn't think the eye would be a problem for it.

This chick is taking forever! The membrane has turned brown where it first pipped. I believe the first one to pip has died. The membrane in the hole where it pipped has turned dark brown and there hasn't been any activity since yesterday evening. GAH! What am I doing wrong?

Brown membrane means the chick is stuck. See Sally's article on assisting it hatch. It will not be able to hatch on its own. Humidity dropping causes them to get stuck.

WARNING!!! GRAPHIC IMAGES!!! While I was pulling babies out of the bator, I candled a couple of eggs...when I put my LF eggs into lockdown with the rest, their air cells hadn't drawn down yet, so I had no idea which end should be facing up. One of the three I candled had pipped upside down, and there was dried blood on the spot. When I candled it, there was no movement. So I opened it up just a tad to be able to feel the chick, and it was warm but a bit stiff, and no movement when I poked. I went ahead and opened it all the way, and this is what I found: She obviously drowned in her own blood. There was blood IN her nostril, as well as on her face. With the unabsorbed yolk, I am guessing she pipped way to early...which seems to be happening with a LOT of my chicks. Now for the question I have. This chick's dad is an EE roo. The mama is a Barred Rock or Commercial Black, which looks exactly like a Barred Rock, but it's a cross between a BR and an unknown hatchery breed. I was told that the chicks would come out looking like a BR chick...black, with boys having the yellow dot on their heads. So...how in the WORLD did this one end up yellow???? There are NO other Roos to mount the hens, except a Chocolate Orpington Bantam, which I doubt happened because non of the girls let him anywhere near them.

You can never tell what an EE is carrying. He likely has silver instead of red. You need red over barred to make black sex links.

 

[Gardeningmama]

I almost threw out the rest of my Call eggs. Left 4 in, had no hope, but do believe in miracles. I just picked one up and saw movement in the aircell that I mistook for an internal pip. I put a small hole in that end because NO WAY was I going to lose a pipped baby to suffocation. It pipped the aircell right in front of my eyes(that was the movement I was seeing). I would never recommend doing what I did but mine are dire circumstances as I lose them one by one. GOD IS GOOD!! Now I pray! I can't tell you the feeling I have right now!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I almost threw out the rest of my Call eggs. Left 4 in, had no hope, but do believe in miracles. I just picked one up and saw movement in the aircell that I mistook for an internal pip. I put a small hole in that end because NO WAY was I going to lose a pipped baby to suffocation. It pipped the aircell right in front of my eyes(that was the movement I was seeing). I would never recommend doing what I did but mine are dire circumstances as I lose them one by one. GOD IS GOOD!! Now I pray! I can't tell you the feeling I have right now!

 

[Cynthia12]

Oooo, this could be a splash. I want a splash out in back. I am beginning to think the Marans splash might be my choice of splash out there..or..the cochin..love the cochins. Wish I could be sure that I could get a splash out of a cochin. They are really pretty.
I am seeing a nice amount of feathering on your baby here..going to look very nice!

 

[Cynthia12]

I almost threw out the rest of my Call eggs. Left 4 in, had no hope, but do believe in miracles. I just picked one up and saw movement in the aircell that I mistook for an internal pip. I put a small hole in that end because NO WAY was I going to lose a pipped baby to suffocation. It pipped the aircell right in front of my eyes(that was the movement I was seeing). I would never recommend doing what I did but mine are dire circumstances as I lose them one by one. GOD IS GOOD!! Now I pray! I can't tell you the feeling I have right now!

So happy for you! And you are right! God is good!

 

[misbhaven]

WARNING!!! GRAPHIC IMAGES!!!


While I was pulling babies out of the bator, I candled a couple of eggs...when I put my LF eggs into lockdown with the rest, their air cells hadn't drawn down yet, so I had no idea which end should be facing up. One of the three I candled had pipped upside down, and there was dried blood on the spot. When I candled it, there was no movement. So I opened it up just a tad to be able to feel the chick, and it was warm but a bit stiff, and no movement when I poked. I went ahead and opened it all the way, and this is what I found:

She obviously drowned in her own blood. There was blood IN her nostril, as well as on her face.


With the unabsorbed yolk, I am guessing she pipped way to early...which seems to be happening with a LOT of my chicks.


Now for the question I have. This chick's dad is an EE roo. The mama is a Barred Rock or Commercial Black, which looks exactly like a Barred Rock, but it's a cross between a BR and an unknown hatchery breed. I was told that the chicks would come out looking like a BR chick...black, with boys having the yellow dot on their heads. So...how in the WORLD did this one end up yellow???? There are NO other Roos to mount the hens, except a Chocolate Orpington Bantam, which I doubt happened because non of the girls let him anywhere near them.

You may have really cool spots in your incubator I have 2 fairly cheap chinese big yellow ones has a fan but I noticed checking with an instant read Therm. the point and shoot kind AFTER this happen to me that I have cool spots on the out side rails so..around day 14 I move the eggs around..so they all develop the same and the underdeveloped don't get stimulated to hatch by the others...they all seem to hatch right on time and fully developed now...

 

[Hayduke27]

My first chick is out, and it's on a rampage! It's running around playing soccer with the other eggs. How long do I have to let that little demon wreck havoc in there? It hatched about 90 minutes ago...

 

[Cynthia12]

My first chick is out, and it's on a rampage! It's running around playing soccer with the other eggs. How long do I have to let that little demon wreck havoc in there? It hatched about 90 minutes ago...

Little demon..

Let it fluff up. I personally take them out pretty quick and let them dry in the brooder...what? Did I just type that out loud?? If your's has been in there for 90 mins..it's getting pretty dry by now.

And oh yeah, the little demon is looking everywhere for mom!

 

[misbhaven]

Little demon..

Let it fluff up. I personally take them out pretty quick and let them dry in the brooder...what? Did I just type that out loud?? If your's has been in there for 90 mins..it's getting pretty dry by now.

And oh yeah, the little demon is looking everywhere for mom!

I agree I had a mean little FBCM d he was trying to drag his hatch mate out of it's shell yesterday by it feathers(which was screaming) he got a big brooder all to him self for a few hours..

 

[tnspursfan09]

My first two to pip died. Now I have 12 out and more zipping.