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

[SoManyHats]

Go with the turkey eggs. Incubation is longer so the amount of time at the higher humidity will be a smaller percentage of the hatch time. It does not hurt to have high humidity during lockdown once during incubation.

They are all chicken eggs except for that one turkey egg. The batch in one incubator will be on day 8, the other will be on day 3. Does it even matter? Will it be detrimental for either…or both? Thanks for your help.

 

[dmrussell]

This is my first time and I have only a few trying to hatch. It's been a long time and two are pipped, one with beak out, and another halfway unzipped as of this morning. Nothing since. Maybe they're sleeping? Should I help?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

This is my first time and I have only a few trying to hatch. It's been a long time and two are pipped, one with beak out, and another halfway unzipped as of this morning. Nothing since. Maybe they're sleeping? Should I help?

When talking about pips a long time is what they need. 12-24 hours is generally normally for an egg to go from pip to zip. As for the zipper, if you can, play sounds of chicks chirping beside the incubator, (I use youtube video on my phone) and watch him. Usually that gets them motivated and zipping right a long.

 

[bamadude]

@chickiebaby1
Glad you were able to get some use out of the 9300.

 

[JDchicks]

Your welcome!

Cut back to twice a day with the poly vi sol without iron but keep giving it to the chick until the symptoms are gone.

Will do.

 

[venymae]

Well, this morning my two zippers were still half-hatched. One had managed to get her head out, but not her bottom, and then immediately got her back and head glued to the towel lining the bottom of the bator.

The other guy was still in his shell - and was pretty much super glued in there. Humidity was around 80% all night.
Used a syringe to moisten the chick glued to the floor, just keep putting water over her. While she was softening/soaking I took the other guy out and used the syringe again to moisten the membrane around the egg, putting a little inside the egg (away from beak) and wrapped him in a sopping wet papertowel and back in the bator. It was slow slow slow work getting them unglued. Once I managed to peel the first girl off the floor, I ran her little body under warm water until she kicked off her shell. She had lots of goo binding her legs, so I continued to rinse until most of it was off, and I cut a bit of the last lump off. Then back in the bator.
The second guy was much harder. Lots of warm water slowly trickled over and over again. Test a membrane, peel a little back, etc. When I finally got him to kick out of his shell, I found his wing had been glued to his head (he also had a lot of goo in the bottom of his shell). Getting his wing unglued was the hardest part, because I didn't want to get water up his nose, and I didn't want to pull his eyelid off! Slow slow slow slow. Finally came free and after rinsing off all the gook, back in the bator he went. They are both very active now, running round the bator and peeping to wake the dead.

Neither ever appeared weak - just very very stuck!
So there was my first assist story. I hope I never have to do it again!!!

 

[ronott1]

Well, this morning my two zippers were still half-hatched. One had managed to get her head out, but not her bottom, and then immediately got her back and head glued to the towel lining the bottom of the bator.

The other guy was still in his shell - and was pretty much super glued in there. Humidity was around 80% all night.
Used a syringe to moisten the chick glued to the floor, just keep putting water over her. While she was softening/soaking I took the other guy out and used the syringe again to moisten the membrane around the egg, putting a little inside the egg (away from beak) and wrapped him in a sopping wet papertowel and back in the bator. It was slow slow slow work getting them unglued. Once I managed to peel the first girl off the floor, I ran her little body under warm water until she kicked off her shell. She had lots of goo binding her legs, so I continued to rinse until most of it was off, and I cut a bit of the last lump off. Then back in the bator.
The second guy was much harder. Lots of warm water slowly trickled over and over again. Test a membrane, peel a little back, etc. When I finally got him to kick out of his shell, I found his wing had been glued to his head (he also had a lot of goo in the bottom of his shell). Getting his wing unglued was the hardest part, because I didn't want to get water up his nose, and I didn't want to pull his eyelid off! Slow slow slow slow. Finally came free and after rinsing off all the gook, back in the bator he went. They are both very active now, running round the bator and peeping to wake the dead.

Neither ever appeared weak - just very very stuck!
So there was my first assist story. I hope I never have to do it again!!!

For the next hatch, use a brinsea spot check to verify the temperature in the incubator.
incubate at 35 to 40% humidity
Make sure that turning is at least three times a day or that the turners are working correctly.
Use the cool down cycle from day 8 to 18. Brinsea.com has instructions and some studies on their site about using it
Keep humidity closer to 65% at lockdown.

The sticky chicks are an indication that the yolk leaked out. Normal moisture in an egg will not make that amber goo. Amber comes from the yellow yolk.

 

[chicken pickin]

For the next hatch, use a brinsea spot check to verify the temperature in the incubator.
incubate at 35 to 40% humidity
Make sure that turning is at least three times a day or that the turners are working correctly.
Use the cool down cycle from day 8 to 18. Brinsea.com has instructions and some studies on their site about using it
Keep humidity closer to 65% at lockdown.

The sticky chicks are an indication that the yolk leaked out. Normal moisture in an egg will not make that amber goo. Amber comes from the yellow yolk.

It that leaked yolk that causes the sticky or glued chick something the temp or humidity causes? Or is it just the way a chick hatches on occasion?

 

[dmrussell]

It's been over 24 hours since first one pipped, which is the one in the middle of unzipping. I can't tell if there's movement or chirping, we have other baby chicks in the room and the table the incubator is on wobbles a bit.

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

Total Hatch: 18

Set 20
Shipped 18
Amish store eggs 2
All shipped eggs were fertile and made it to lock down. Other two eggs were not.
18/20=90% total hatch rate
18/18=100% Fertile hatch rate

One little chick is very week and i don't think it will make it. But this is the best hatch I have ever done and my first time with shipped eggs.

Group Shot