Topic of the Week - Hatching Eggs

[AmyLynn2374]

So it internally pipped yesterday around 2-3pm when should I start to help?

While malpositioned can take longer, I start an assist after 24 hours. Many times I can't complete because the veining toward the bottom is still active, but I at least start it and go as far as I can.

 

[rainee63]

I candled the eggs I set up last Saturday. Saw veins and that little back eye dot in all but one. It was clear. Does that mean it never was fertilized? I left it in the incubator. Thought I might give it a few days then look again.

 

[guinealeghorn]

you can hit the subscribe button at the top and it will keep it under your subscriptions for future viewing.

Thanks! I'll do that next time!

 

[madchuck]

this is an update on the broodies.We did lock the others out leaving the 2 girls in peace.On wed afternoon 5 april the 4 blue eggs had hatched an poss 1 of theirs. Thursday think another 4 hatched.Frid morn we noticed 1 more was hatching.Frid eve I helped the little 1 out - it was very dry and exhausted- pretty sure it will die overnight. 10 eggs remain and were all cool so am guessing they wont hatch. That should make 9 poss 10 [if the last lives] chicks.Maybe they will stay still enough to count tomorrow.

 

[jwells84]

I had to worm my chickens the withdrawal period is a few days. I know I shouldn't eat those eggs but can I incubate them?

 

[rainee63]

While malpositioned can take longer, I start an assist after 24 hours. Many times I can't complete because the veining toward the bottom is still active, but I at least start it and go as far as I can.

I have 2 pipped eggs in my incubator. One I can see the membrane making 'breathing' movements. One is still. Is the still one ok? It's little beak is sticking out, but no movement.

 

[Jenny1967]

After attempting to intervene in the hatching of eggs and caring for the baby chicks with the proper electrolytes and food and heat, with the loss of three that refused to eat or drink, I decided to let nature take its course and leave the chicks with the broody hen. I took my mother-laws advice and fed the hen and chicks boiled eggs. The chicks too off with mama carrying them on her back as they got older to protect from the flock. She did an amazing job on her own!

 

[casportpony]

I had to worm my chickens the withdrawal period is a few days. I know I shouldn't eat those eggs but can I incubate them?

Many people do!

 

[BuckMtn]

For chickens I consider normal hatching process from external pip to zip roughly 24 hours.
I do assist. If there's no progress by 24 hours I will start an assist, but to be honest, many times I don't go very far because they still have veining, which is most likely why they haven't progressed on their own. My fear is having them get that far and quit, so it does ease my mind knowing there's a reason. Many times after I start an assist, the chick finishes it themselves when it is ready.
Malepositions I just keep a close eye on and it. How quick I am to help depends on just where the pip is. I'm more likely to assist a malpo that is in the pointed end than one in the middle, (that might still be in the air cell due to the significant amount it draws down at hatch) or one that is high but on the flip side of the air cell. I will however make sure that malpo pips are all the way through membrane and beak is at the pip to insure clear breathing while they have time to do their thing.
I remove my chicks to the brooder as they become active in the incubator. I keep the temps under the light at 100 for the first couple days and there is no drafts where my incubator is. I try to make sure I have at least two hatchers before I move the first ones to brooder so they aren't lonely in the big open space. My brooder is a couple feet from the incubator, so the other chicks still hear the peeping and I also play chick peeping videos at the incubator for motivation of the others. They have electrolyte enhanced water and food in the brooder at all times.

Add, for two and a half years I used an old lg 9200 model (with fan). Anyone familiar with these knows how touchy the control is. If I could get the bator to settle above 99.5 and under 101, that's where it stayed. I started noticing something. I'm not sure where it fits into scientific reality, but it seemed like the early hatchers, those that hatched out day 19/20, seemed to take much longer to progress from pip to zip than did hatches that hatched the latter part of day 20 into 21. The more on time hatchers seemed to progress within 12 hours give or take, whereas the early hatchers pushed 18-24 hours or better.

Thanks for the info, I am still self-debating between an incubator or getting a broody hen. I currently have 23 two week olds in the brooder so plenty of time to learn and think about.

 

[kachong]

I had a brooder set up right next to the incubator, so I held him under the heat lamp for an hour until he dried and put him in the brooder and re-positioned a few eggs (pip was towards ground). I ended up just removing the chicks after they hatched and putting them in the brooder after making sure they are mostly dry and hatched.

Does opening and removing the hatched out chicks from the incubator not risk the other eggs from shrink wrapping?