The 8th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: I SO need me some turkeys!

Must. Find. Hatching. Eggs.

Quote: X 2

I would also wait to wash the chick. Just watch it doesn't get stuck in place in the meantime, which is unlikely.

I decided not to do a test hatch. I'm just working on making sure I don't have any temp spikes so the EHAL goes well for me.

I won't be either.

Same here.
I'm still selecting the chickens...lol.

Quote: You did really well to get the chick out.

I started with 3 thermometers and got a fourth. They were very close in temps but not accurate. I believe it's why I lost my December 2015 hatch. I'd been incubating that fall but I had just been very lucky. I calibrate all of my thermometers every time before I begin a period of hatching. It makes a difference having accurate temps. And humidity.My one hygrometer is 18 out...

It could be a possibility why the chick may not have fully absorbed the yolk sac.

I concur with Ron on calibrating our measuring instruments. It's the one thing we can control and it can make the difference between a great hatch and a dead hatch. I speak from experience on that one.

 

[brucifer]

I SO need me some turkeys!

Must. Find. Hatching. Eggs.

**********

I wish I had room for turkeys. My neighbor has them, and they are a kick to watch. One they named Houdini they never could get to stay in its pen, and she has since flown the coop and bred with the local wild turkey population. Another they have dubbed their watch turkey. No one steps a foot onto their property without being confronted by the watch turkey. He's really a sweet bird if you spread your arms wide and stand your ground, but if he gets his bluff in, it's all over. lol

 

[emvickrey]

I bought some Gold laced English Orp eggs and I'm waiting for them to get here. I'm so eggcited. Definitely gonna put them in the Brinsea. If they're gonna hatch that's where it will happen at. I have a Hovobator and a cabinet my daughter gave me. I don't know the brand but I haven't used it yet. I plan to for this hatch a long if I collect enough eggs.

I read somewhere that eggs that are rounder will most likely hatch pullets and longer eggs most likely cockerels. Anybody know if this has any merit? I really don't want a bunch of boys i have to try to rehome.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: My grew up with turkeys on the farm and I always had a pet one.

They were the hatchery meat kind and now that I've seen all the lovely turkeys on here...

Loving it!

I'm not sure I really have room at the moment...but I'm pretty certain I'll be able to make something work here.
Your neighbours turkeys sound like a blast!

 

[cforrester]

Today is day 7 and all looks well! Yay! Have 18 in....4 are from my Ameracauna and didn't see any veining or anything so thinking they may be infertile. She just started laying again not long ago. 13 look great and lots of movement. 1 has good, healthy looking veining but couldn't see the embryo....so maybe it was floating around more in the center? Going to check those 5 again in a few days and make the final decision. But all is going well with the incubator so I'm getting excited about the hatch-a-long!

Fingers crossed the candling goes well
It's always so exciting taking that first peek into them

 

[brucifer]

I read somewhere that eggs that are rounder will most likely hatch pullets and longer eggs most likely cockerels. Anybody know if this has any merit? I really don't want a bunch of boys i have to try to rehome.

*************

I recently read a study that found that there is a statistically-significant correlation between the roundness of a chicken egg tending to being female. One thing the study didn't address though is at what point the researchers considered an egg round.

Anyway, I've never attemtped to verify or replicated the study. However, it would be easy enough to do. I always record basic data on each eggshell before setting eggs. It would be easy enough to add an R for round, and an O for oblong on each respective egg and then track the results. Knowing my luck, the round ones and the oblong ones would all turn out to be cockerels.

 

[CuzChickens]

Well, I the hatch is over. My last chick I thought was stuck, because she was pipped but had not moved in 12 hours and all the books say 8 is when they should start zipping. I tried to help her out and she had just pipped because she was situated where she could not internally pip in the air cell so she had pipped outside but was not done absorbing the yolk sac. I thought she would surely die, and though I was doing my best to think positive and believe in her I was just certain she was gone. I got up at 2:00 a.m. and she was still alive, with her foot stuck in the now dried hatching gunk. I left her alone, afraid to touch her because her abdomen was still very distended. This morning her umbilical cord had dried up so I figured I could snip it and get it and the shell it was attached to out of the way without making a blood bath. She still barely opens her eyes, but she is scooting around the incubator without lifting her head and barely fluffing up, so I am starting to have hopes for her. Does anybody have any advice on other things I can do? And yes, I read Sally's help out article, man I wish I had found that 2 months ago.
Last night right after I ''helped'' her.

You might need to click on the picture, but see how distended her abdomen is?

This morning

A few minutes ago

 

[chickendreams24]

Well, I the hatch is over. My last chick I thought was stuck, because she was pipped but had not moved in 12 hours and all the books say 8 is when they should start zipping. I tried to help her out and she had just pipped because she was situated where she could not internally pip in the air cell so she had pipped outside but was not done absorbing the yolk sac. I thought she would surely die, and though I was doing my best to think positive and believe in her I was just certain she was gone. I got up at 2:00 a.m. and she was still alive, with her foot stuck in the now dried hatching gunk. I left her alone, afraid to touch her because her abdomen was still very distended. This morning her umbilical cord had dried up so I figured I could snip it and get it and the shell it was attached to out of the way without making a blood bath. She still barely opens her eyes, but she is scooting around the incubator without lifting her head and barely fluffing up, so I am starting to have hopes for her. Does anybody have any advice on other things I can do? And yes, I read Sally's help out article, man I wish I had found that 2 months ago.
Last night right after I ''helped'' her.

You might need to click on the picture, but see how distended her abdomen is?

This morning

A few minutes ago

In my experience the best thing for chicks like this is just rest in a warm safe place I usually leave them in the incubator in a container. I have an OEGB named Crocket BC she spent her first 36-48 hours in a country crock dish. Her belly was so distended that she couldn't stand and if she managed to sit up she fell over. She was also an assisted hatch we had humidity issues BC we didn't have a spare hygrometer and the one in the bator is extremely off.

If she doesn't perk up within a day you may want to consider what to do next but for now I would suggest just leaving her to sleep and use a bit of that yolk. I bet she perks up. Unless there is something more wrong with her.

What is she did you know?

 

[chickendreams24]

Little number five is still in the bator while little numbers 1-4 are in the brooder. Poor little number 5 is screaming her head off and very unhappy about being alone. I would take her out and hold her but I'm still trying to keep her in warm wet paper towels and she would be cold for sure in our house. We keep it at 63-64 in here during the day cooler at night. Poor little thing. Very strong cheeps though. Will probably move her this evening.

 

[emvickrey]

I'm going to give it a shot. I have a couple of hens that seem to always lay long eggs. This spring all the girls laying are laying huge eggs. Way bigger than last year. One hen always lays a large round egg. She's a standard size hen and lays the largest eggs.