The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[campingshaws]

Too me, it looks like it originally pipped and then changed position and I almost think the second pip looks malepositioned. That's what worries me with that one. I just read something about chicks that pip and then change position and make a second pip and I can't remember what it was I read, I just remember it wasn't a real good thing.

My last hatch I had one just like that die overnight. Afterwards I helped three others, but had 11 chicks die right before or after pipping. I now think my humidity was too high. Just chiming in with my limited experience. I don't really have any advice.

 

[Razadia]

So, just went and checked the temp again. It's holding steady. I decided to candle and turn while I was at it. Everyone looks good so far.

With that in mind, don't forget like I did that at this point the chicks are creating at lot of their own heat. So sometimes the temp will spike really bad. You just have to adjust as it happens. Give them a bit of time to cool down, put the lid back, and move on. Don't fiddle with it constantly! You'll just drive yourself nuts.

We're in the final stretch! Just a few more days to go!

 

[bantambury]

So, just went and checked the temp again. It's holding steady. I decided to candle and turn while I was at it. Everyone looks good so far.

With that in mind, don't forget like I did that at this point the chicks are creating at lot of their own heat. So sometimes the temp will spike really bad. You just have to adjust as it happens. Give them a bit of time to cool down, put the lid back, and move on. Don't fiddle with it constantly! You'll just drive yourself nuts.

We're in the final stretch! Just a few more days to go!

i feel the same way...my humidity goes between 48 and 60 and i kept it at 50 this entire time. i looked earlier and i saw my temp was 96

these babies are throwing stuff off....LOL

JUST A FEW MORE DAYS
when we go on lockdown on the 1st, do i raise humidity to 70?...or when even is lockdown? LOL

 

[Razadia]

Quote: Depends on when you set. I set on the 13th, so my hatch day is Friday. I'm not going into lockdown until day 19, which is Wednesday for me. For those that set on the 14th, Wednesday will be day 18. For those that set on the 12th, day 18 is tomorrow. For those that set on the 15th, day 18 is Thursday.

I hope that helps someone. I gave myself a headache figuring it out.

ETA: I forgot about those that set on the 16th. Their day 18 is Friday.

 

[vandamma72]

Still air or circulated incubator?  If it's still air, it can be a bit low in the morning (but 90 is pretty low for still air), but should warm up within a couple of hours.  Still air should be 101.5 and circulated 99.5.

Humidity isn't a huge deal until the last few days. 33% is fine for humidity.

At least 12 hours, sometimes longer.  What breed is it?  Some breeds are lazy hatchers.  The membrane looks fine, so I'd leave it.

If your humidity is too high, it will not hurt to open the incubator and let some out.  It's when you mess with it when humidity is normal that it can cause issues for those hatching.  I use high humidity (from too many hatching at once) as an opportunity to grab chicks.  I don't do it while anyone is zipping though.

I'd go with A.  Just keep an eye on her if she's not separated from the flock.  Some broodies don't (or can't if they are low on the pecking order) protect their babies.

Okay thank you very much! It is a circulated incubator so hopefully they are fine!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Steps for deciding when to lockdown.
1. When are the eggs supposed to hatch? The answer here should be an exact time. If you set at 9 am on March 13 and these are average chicken eggs then the hatch time is 9 am April 3rd.

2. Count back 72 hours from the estimated hatch time. If the estimated hatch time is 9 am on April the 3rd, the lockdown should start close to 9 am on March 31st.

3 Consider all that is going on in your life around the lockdown start time and start lockdown on you own terms close to that time. A few hours early or late should not make a huge difference.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Just taught myself one of those hard life lessons, was doing my candling and took out one that looked like an early quitter.....it wasn't

From now on they can stay in there unless I'm 1000% positive its a dud. Just sick to my stomach, poor little thing.

I'm so sorry. Most of us have done it a time or two.

I think my hen may be undecided about going broody. She has been "brooding" several golfballs that last few nights. Except I don't think she is actually brooding them. She will sit there all night and deposit her egg in the morning. She will then forage with the flock until around 3 in the afternoon. At that point she returns to the nest box and sits there till the next morning. She has kept this pattern for three days now. The other hens drop their eggs in the nest throughout the morning and early afternoon. She won't return to the nest until long after they are done.

I know she is still laying because she is the only one who lays a small white egg. The rest lay either blue/green or brown eggs. Could she be in the middle of broody debate with herself?

She is not broody if she is still laying eggs. She may be thinking about it though.

So, just went and checked the temp again. It's holding steady. I decided to candle and turn while I was at it. Everyone looks good so far. 

With that in mind, don't forget like I did that at this point the chicks are creating at lot of their own heat. So sometimes the temp will spike really bad. You just have to adjust as it happens. Give them a bit of time to cool down, put the lid back, and move on. [COLOR=FF0000]Don't fiddle with it constantly! [/COLOR]You'll just drive yourself nuts.

[COLOR=FF0000]We're in the final stretch! Just a few more days to go![/COLOR]

Good advise!

 

[WalnutHill]

So sorry to hear that.

I did that last year. I had a turkey egg that looked like a quitter so I took it and decided to do an eggtopsie only to find the poor little thing with nice bright red veining a little eye ball and tiny beating heart. I cried over that poor baby.

It happens to many of us at one time or another try not to beat yourself up over it. I know only pull what I am certain are clears and quiters.

On day 10 I dropped an egg on top of anther egg for this hatch, cracked it really good so I put wax on the cracks, the baby didn't make it.

I hardly candle eggs. Ive done it only once this hatch and don't plan to do it again.

I candled at 10 days, then passed the flashlight to see the air cells and if there was too much free space at lockdown. That's it.

I have two turkey eggs I cracked with a stupid mistake, and have sealed them with nail polish. I expect to be pulling them in a couple of days but I thought I'd try.

I will have 70 turkey eggs in the incubator at once...so many lovely little feathered dinosaurs!

 

[Amyloumomof2]

What should the humidity be pushed to at lockdown?

 

[bamadude]

It sounds like you have an awful lot of "grandchicks" out and about. I hope all the hatches go well.

What breeds did you send out to everyone?

Rir's. Non standard ameraucanas.
Balling on a budget mix.....brahmas, legbars, isbars, polish, silkie, houdan, several Marans