The Old Folks Home

[Amberjem]

you could sing to it and encourage it that might make you feel better as you wait too

sorry I know your probably worried and everything right now sometimes a lil humor and smiles can help

 

[Amberjem]

So maybe I should put the egg on a damp cloth in the incubator?

it's not in the incubator now?

 

[ozexpat]

@Double Kindness sorry its been going rough for you. What day are you on now?

 

[Double Kindness]

I am on days 23 on my eggs. I have a feeling all is not as calibrated as I thought the egg is in the incubator. I haven't touched it yet, I only lifted a corner to stick a damp cloth in the incubator.

I think I'm going to make myself some coffee and you tube some stuff. Ideas? I don't want to jeopardize my other eggs in the incubator.

 

[casportpony]

With chickens I like to give them 24 hour from *external* pip before I help. Not saying that you should help, just that that's what I do.

-Kathy

Note that I am a hatching/incubating novice!

 

[Double Kindness]

So I was thinking a warm damp microfiber cloth and helping crack the shell with tweezers?

 

[superchemicalgirl]

With chickens I like to give them 24 hour from *external* pip before I help. Not saying that you should help, just that that's what I do.

-Kathy

Note that I am a hatching/incubating novice!

I'm in this camp, too. I had a couple dead in shell last hatch and only one had externally pipped and then died shortly thereafter.

If you don't have any more external pips working their way out, I would go for it. I turn the shower on in the bathroom, with the fan off, and turn it all the way to hot to get the bathroom nice and steamy. Then I go in for the egg. Go in quickly, and if you want, while you're going in quickly deposit a hot damp sponge in there to help raise the humidity quickly.

Run the egg to the bathroom, and run the sink faucet to a comfortable warm temp. Start removing chunks of the shell, while leaving the membrane intact, if possible. I dip my fingers in the water to keep them damp. When you've got most, if not all, of the shell off, start tearing (gently) at the membrane near the chicks head. If you see blood, stop. Lightly wrap chickie in a damp washcloth and return to incubator.


I had a panic moment this morning when reading Kathy's post about the protein in the food. I've always used the chick and game bird starter, which is slightly higher protein than plain chick food (22% versus 18%). Once the store accidentally sold me the 28% protein crumbles as chick food and it looked identical to the chick and game bird starter (Blue Seal recently reformulated all their foods. The bags look different, the names are different...). I did end up using it without issues, but I was raising turkeys with chicks at that time, too. Anyway, I ran downstairs, and checked the bag and it was what I normally use. I also took a look at the Poly-Vi-Sol and the Electrolytes and Vitamins supplement I've been putting in their water. Lots of b vitamins, but no manganese. BF is going to stop after work and see if he can purchase the lower 18% protein bag and a manganese supplement.

 

[ronott1]

I'm in this camp, too. I had a couple dead in shell last hatch and only one had externally pipped and then died shortly thereafter.

If you don't have any more external pips working their way out, I would go for it. I turn the shower on in the bathroom, with the fan off, and turn it all the way to hot to get the bathroom nice and steamy. Then I go in for the egg. Go in quickly, and if you want, while you're going in quickly deposit a hot damp sponge in there to help raise the humidity quickly.

Run the egg to the bathroom, and run the sink faucet to a comfortable warm temp. Start removing chunks of the shell, while leaving the membrane intact, if possible. I dip my fingers in the water to keep them damp. When you've got most, if not all, of the shell off, start tearing (gently) at the membrane near the chicks head. If you see blood, stop. Lightly wrap chickie in a damp washcloth and return to incubator.


I had a panic moment this morning when reading Kathy's post about the protein in the food. I've always used the chick and game bird starter, which is slightly higher protein than plain chick food (22% versus 18%). Once the store accidentally sold me the 28% protein crumbles as chick food and it looked identical to the chick and game bird starter (Blue Seal recently reformulated all their foods. The bags look different, the names are different...). I did end up using it without issues, but I was raising turkeys with chicks at that time, too. Anyway, I ran downstairs, and checked the bag and it was what I normally use. I also took a look at the Poly-Vi-Sol and the Electrolytes and Vitamins supplement I've been putting in their water. Lots of b vitamins, but no manganese. BF is going to stop after work and see if he can purchase the lower 18% protein bag and a manganese supplement.

Yes do this!

The highest protein I use is 20%. The newly formulated purina flock raiser has a nice protein profile now. I use it from hatch to first egg--roosters and breeders only get it. Layers move on to the new layeena.

For the just hatched chicks, I use a large mortar and pestle to grind the crumbles smaller. I do this for the first week or so.

Too much protein is not a good thing. Somehow people with "heritage" breeds are convinced that their chickens are different from other chickens and that they do better with high protein. When egg production is lower than expected, they do not consider that the too high protein might be a cause. There is a reason why layer is 15 to 17%.

 

[Double Kindness]

I have only the medicated chick starter from manna pro until we go pick up my 1000lb order of gluten-free organic non gmo chick starter from a local mill (finally!!)
Which I hope we can do this weekend.

I have the rest of my flocks on feather fixer atm, but I don't like it and they really don't care for it.

I figure I can cut the protein % in chick starter to feed the rest of my flocks with greens and boss? Storage is an issue, but I seem to go through a lot of feed (squirrels).

Ok, the room I have the incubators in is next to the bathroom which doesn't have a fan anyways, but also has a steam shower.

So I get the bathroom steamy, get a warm damp cloth, grab the egg quickly and toss the damp cloth in the bator and shut it, bring egg in another warm damp cloth and pick the shell off it if I can right?

I don’t want to mess up! I just made a cup of coffee and await your reply while I get the bathroom steamy.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

We only have a choice between 18, 22, and 28% at the feed store here for baby birds. I don't like Purina foods, I had really bad luck once with it and wasn't treated well when I brought it to their attention (it was covered in grain mites). BF will see if they have the 18% in stock and we'll switch to it if they do since these birds are definitely predisposed to the leg issues. I have used the 22% (or 28% once) without issues for 5 years and many hatches, though (except I raise ducklings on the really low protein layer pellets after a week of the crumbles). So I'm thinking it's the breed. But I will do what I can to hopefully "save" the last one from having the same issue.