Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[CluckNDoodle]

There's a good assisted hatch thread around here somewhere - it would be useful to bone up on the anatomy and structure of the membrane, and the orientation of the chick relative to the air cell.

These are both great articles on assisted hatching:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/step-by-step-guide-to-assisted-hatching.64660/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[julskinka]

You always have the option of being completely hands off and letting nature take it's course. Many people hatch this way and there's nothing wrong with that. It's whatever you're more comfortable with!

Andrea's exactly right! I didn't mean to infer anyone should be doing this. Just if you want to and are interested, we're here to help! I'm a tinkerer by nature, but that's just me. It's perfectly ok to just let them go and accept what happens. Everyone has to do what works best for them.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm a tinkerer by nature, but that's just me.

Hehe, I'm so excited to be hatching with other chicken nerds this month!

 

[aliciaplus3]

I was looking at eggs to add to the incubator this eve and my DH asked me if we could Not set anymore this week?
My answer? if I don't add anymore then I will not have any young layers again next fall and remember how bad that felt when we were feeding 80plus chickens and gettting 7 eggs a day while molting was going on??
he decided I can set a "few" more.
oh and he wanted to know what the 100 plus birds already running around in brooders were?? lol
oh just projects! mostly kid projects but not my main laying flock that needs replenished.... oh and what about the number of birds that will be offered at farmers market?
Ok I MIGHT have a hatching addiction. but it's not a Problem!
Right???

 

[Mvan42]

My cats would kill them if they had the chance. They are excellent mousers. I have to be careful.

mine likes mice but not chicks..

 

[Mvan42]

I think others have answered this pretty well, but basically if you're seeing a blood ring after around D10, it's probably because it quit before that point and you just missed it. Later losses, D10-18 - which I do find to be rarer - will look like the growth has stalled out, a lack of movement, or the embryo just sort of turns into a dark blob mass.

I always do eggtopsies. Does anyone else here?

Yes I am always wondering what/when they didn't make it.

 

[julskinka]

Hehe, I'm so excited to be hatching with other chicken nerds this month!

 

[julskinka]

mine likes mice but not chicks..

Good! I'm not actually sure that mine would have any idea what to do with a chick, but I don't want to risk it. They like hanging out with them when they're 6 weeks or older (one of my cats goes out and dust bathes with the chickens, it's a riot), but when they're little I see the ears perk up in a way that makes me wary.

 

[gmjarvi]

It would be useful to bone up on the anatomy and structure of the membrane, and the orientation of the chick relative to the air cell.

Good point! I mentioned earlier that I am a biologist...more specifically I am an owl biologist! So of course I just have a trusty ornithology textbook laying around. My work has never required me to be hands-on with eggs, mostly just monitoring wild owls. I've got some basics down about eggs, but there's bound to be more in here.

 

[gmjarvi]

he decided I can set a "few" more.

Sometimes I let my husband think he's the one making decisions about the chickens, too .

Teasing!