The 9th Annual BYC Easter Hatchalong!

[Yorkshire Coop]

Taken from the link I posted about making an air safety hole if you need to.

It is in this phase of hatching that many chicks die resulting in late ‘dead in shell’. It is a time of great stress and physiological change within the chick’s body. The heart is pumping rapidly due to exertion and trying to compensate for changing blood gases. It is my opinion that inadequate moisture loss during incubation causes the chick and its supporting cardio-vascular system to be overloaded in fluid. With the heart having to pump faster and harder to compensate the chick goes into heart failure. The tissues in the body become swollen with excess fluid (oedema) and the chick weakens. The space for manoeuvring into its hatching position becomes even tighter and the chick’s body is simply too weak to withstand the vital changes required. It is now clear why monitoring egg weight loss is so important!

I also incubate exotic and rare species of birds and every chick is vital. Therefore if I am concerned in any way about the chick or external pipping is delayed then I intervene. Using a sterilised tiny sharp drill bit I carefully enter the air cell at the centre and very top of the egg. I check using the candler that the chick is not directly below the proposed point of entry. By twisting the drill bit by hand the egg shell is gradually eroded away and a hole approx. 2-3mm diameter is made. This safety hole provides access to fresh air and needs to be no larger or premature drying of the membrane will occur. I have called this artificial external pipping. This safety hole has saved the lives of many healthy chicks over the years. I can recall instances of baby parrots successfully external pipping then going into rotation within the egg until their body occluded the external pip area and then died! Very annoying and upsetting to be so close to a successful hatching!

 

[Cynthia12]

the same one ? have not used mine yet now I am a bit worried
had not used yet was about to turn it on now look at what @Cynthia12 posted

It works, but you have to watch the temps. Remember, don't count on the bators readings! This is actually somethong I don't count on with any bator that has their own readings. I had some hatch in this bator you have. I just kept having to tweek the temps. Maybe I got a lemon? Maybe yours will hold temps better. Put it in a room where you know the room temp doesn't change much.

 

[pennyJo1960]

It works, but you have to watch the temps. Remember, don't count on the bators readings! This is actually somethong I don't count on with any bator that has their own readings. I had some hatch in this bator you have. I just kept having to tweek the temps. Maybe I got a lemon? Maybe yours will hold temps better. Put it in a room where you know the room temp doesn't change much.

good to know I question the preset humidity at 60 drops 2 below a alarm goes off
took a piece of flannel covered the top

 

[Cynthia12]

Sounds good, I remember that alarm.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Well, my Ameraucanas finally started laying... way too close to the deadline to set anything. Yeah, thanks, birdies. <<grumble>>

Maybe I'll stick the one I did get in the incubator anyway. I highly doubt it is fertile, and it's too small for optimal hatch conditions... but y'know. It'd be worth a try.

Of course you should!

 

[lomine]

I couldn’t wait any longer so I set my eggs today. There are 42 total. It’s a mix of BCM, Wellsummer, Barnvelders, Leghorn, and EE. My rooster is an Ameraucana so any that hatch would be OE or EE.

 

[ronott1]

I couldn’t wait any longer so I set my eggs today. There are 42 total. It’s a mix of BCM, Wellsummer, Barnvelders, Leghorn, and EE. My rooster is an Ameraucana so any that hatch would be OE or EE.
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Very nice and full incubator! You set all the eggs!

swap out the eggs close to the turner motor every couple of days with ones further away from it. It is not as big of an issue with fan forced incubators but the egg near the motor can get too warm

 

[Duckies Girls]

Hey y'all I set 24 Cayuga and Cayuga x Buff eggs this past Sunday. I didn't even realize they are scheduled to hatch on Easter until my mom pointed it out! I'm so proud of my girls this year for laying these wonderfully dark eggs!

 

[ronott1]

Hey y'all I set 24 Cayuga and Cayuga x Buff eggs this past Sunday. I didn't even realize they are scheduled to hatch on Easter until my mom pointed it out! I'm so proud of my girls this year for laying these wonderfully dark eggs!
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I hope they hatch well for you!

 

[pennyJo1960]

setting tomorrow is better for me as I am collecting today the last of the ones I want to put in