Too Early for Feb Hatch-A-Long Thread??

[Pyxis]

I've got babies! Two Liege Fighters are out, and the rest are either pipped or zipping. Technically it is day 21 now, but just barely! They're little early birds.

 

[PioneerChicks]

18 chicks in the brooder! 11 Orpington bantams, 5 for sure silkies (a few have vaulted skulls), and 2 I am not sure about, but I'm guessing that one is a buff/blue silkie mix and the other is a buff silkie/spangled OEGB mix.

Two chicks have splayed legs. One is almost done with treatment but I only just started on the other. I'm addition to that, most chicks hatched a day before Hatchday so I must have set the temp a bit high. I'll know for next time!

There are five eggs left in the incubator. I think hatch day was on Tuesday so they are a few days late. Since last night I have been hearing a chick peep loudly but have seen no progress on the eggs. Please don't judge but tomorrow I might do a bit of assisted hatching. Yes, I have read several threads about the risks and people's opinions on this, but I'm willing to give it a try. I mean, what can I lose? The chick will die anyway if I don't do anything, but I might be able to save it if I try. I understand that it might be a special needs chick, and that I shouldn't breed it, but that's okay. I agree with the "only the strongest survive" rule, but we are humans and can do more than the average mother hen, so why not use our advantage? Any advice?

 

[smfarman]

I have 6 in the incubator with a hatch date of 2/22 and don't know if any are viable. On day 13 tried candleing them and can't see through the shells. I have 6 more eggs coming in on the 27th so I excited to see some new chicks

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

18 chicks in the brooder! 11 Orpington bantams, 5 for sure silkies (a few have vaulted skulls), and 2 I am not sure about, but I'm guessing that one is a buff/blue silkie mix and the other is a buff silkie/spangled OEGB mix.

Two chicks have splayed legs. One is almost done with treatment but I only just started on the other. I'm addition to that, most chicks hatched a day before Hatchday so I must have set the temp a bit high. I'll know for next time!

There are five eggs left in the incubator. I think hatch day was on Tuesday so they are a few days late. Since last night I have been hearing a chick peep loudly but have seen no progress on the eggs. Please don't judge but tomorrow I might do a bit of assisted hatching. Yes, I have read several threads about the risks and people's opinions on this, but I'm willing to give it a try. I mean, what can I lose? The chick will die anyway if I don't do anything, but I might be able to save it if I try. I understand that it might be a special needs chick, and that I shouldn't breed it, but that's okay. I agree with the "only the strongest survive" rule, but we are humans and can do more than the average mother hen, so why not use our advantage? Any advice?

I lost one because I didn't assist. It's hard to know. I would at least make a saftey hole

 

[FortCluck]

Ancona ducks can lay green eggs. Did they have any of those?

He doesn't know the breeds he has. So I'm not sure

 

[CluckNDoodle]

There are five eggs left in the incubator. I think hatch day was on Tuesday so they are a few days late. Since last night I have been hearing a chick peep loudly but have seen no progress on the eggs. Please don't judge but tomorrow I might do a bit of assisted hatching. Yes, I have read several threads about the risks and people's opinions on this, but I'm willing to give it a try. I mean, what can I lose? The chick will die anyway if I don't do anything, but I might be able to save it if I try. I understand that it might be a special needs chick, and that I shouldn't breed it, but that's okay. I agree with the "only the strongest survive" rule, but we are humans and can do more than the average mother hen, so why not use our advantage? Any advice?

No judgement here! As far as I'm concerned we're not leaving it to nature but taking them and putting them in man made incubators and adjusting temps and humidity accordingly and that doesn't even include the travel that eggs often go through to get into our incubators. So you can very well have a perfectly genetically healthy peep after assisting.

I agree with @Magnolia Ducks, if you're wanting to assist and they're already 3 days late then I would step in sooner than later.

 

[Pyxis]

18 chicks in the brooder! 11 Orpington bantams, 5 for sure silkies (a few have vaulted skulls), and 2 I am not sure about, but I'm guessing that one is a buff/blue silkie mix and the other is a buff silkie/spangled OEGB mix.

Two chicks have splayed legs. One is almost done with treatment but I only just started on the other. I'm addition to that, most chicks hatched a day before Hatchday so I must have set the temp a bit high. I'll know for next time!

There are five eggs left in the incubator. I think hatch day was on Tuesday so they are a few days late. Since last night I have been hearing a chick peep loudly but have seen no progress on the eggs. Please don't judge but tomorrow I might do a bit of assisted hatching. Yes, I have read several threads about the risks and people's opinions on this, but I'm willing to give it a try. I mean, what can I lose? The chick will die anyway if I don't do anything, but I might be able to save it if I try. I understand that it might be a special needs chick, and that I shouldn't breed it, but that's okay. I agree with the "only the strongest survive" rule, but we are humans and can do more than the average mother hen, so why not use our advantage? Any advice?

You won't get judgement from me! I'm assisting a Liege Fighter right now. Foot over head malposition, poor thing. It's touch and go at the moment.

Incubating in itself is already not natural, so I've never understood the argument of not helping because it's 'not natural'.

There's an article I wrote linked in my signature if you've never done this before and want to give it a read for guidance.

 

[abpatchy]

Day 19... just got to share that I heard some chirping coming from the eggs.
OMG!!! I am sooo excited!!!

 

[Mylied]

So 39ish hours later and the duckling is still farting around in his egg. I've decided he's a boy since he's so stubborn. I told him this morning to quit his bs and get out of the egg. He just said peep peep peep. I may be losing it.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So 39ish hours later and the duckling is still farting around in his egg. I've decided he's a boy since he's so stubborn. I told him this morning to quit his bs and get out of the egg. He just said peep peep peep. I may be losing it.

Did you open the air cell to see if he's absorbed all of the blood vessels? He may be stuck if it's been that long.