Very small air cells on day 16 - Please help me save these babies.

[calichickies]

The one that pipped at 9pm last night and was rocking this morning-
Just Hatched TURBO style- she kicked that egg shell across the bator!! Ha!
Totally unassisted too- awesome!
I'm just a little concerned that she may have some yolk left to absorb-- but it could just be egg gunk I'm seeing too, not sure.
But I don't want to open the bator everyone is doing so well.

That first one to hatch this morning really is calling them out-- I didn't think that was really the case, but now I see it happening right before my eyes.

 

[calichickies]

I think that last one just had egg gunk on her- she looks great!

One more starting to zip!! Yip!

 

[calichickies]

Oh my GOSH!!!!
A Ducked just hatched!!

Wow!! It's a ZOO in there!

 

[Arielle]

Too funny isn't it?

It is ok to quickly pull out a chick if you think it was an umbilicus/ yolk problem. YOu just don't want the other chicks to peck at it if it is exposed. If it was just some of the junk, don't know the technical term, usually in the bottom of the egg, no biggie. I somtimes pinch it off. Pinchng is better than scissors ( long explanation).

I need to put some in lockdown tonight myself.

 

[calichickies]

Yay!!

Another one hatched! And this one zipped in about 20 minutes. Speedy!

Good Luck on your lockdown eggs! yay!

Whatcha got cookin?

 

[Arielle]

IT is amazing how fast they can zip--busy little bees, seems like they are very heal3thy ad about the right water weight-- not sure how to call it, maybe birth weight?

Putting black copper marans into lockdown--today is day 18. Lately I've been not paying attention and they hatch in the incubator, but I"m on top of the timing for this batch.

I did put 2 duck eggs into the hatcher because the air cell is too big and wanted to slow down/stop air cell development. WIll see if that works.

Otherwise I'm coming to the ens of hatching for the year--I keep making a mental picture of a house without chicks in every bathroom. I'm hoping for good weather tonight I want to put two groups outside in new coop for the night. Pray it works.

 

[Arielle]

Any more hatched?

 

[calichickies]

Oh my goodness you're up late
Yes!!
I think we have a total of 9 babies hatched so far, and 6 eggs still in the bator. My head is spinning with numbers - ack!
So 8 chicks and 1 duckling have hatched so far and I expect another 3 or 4 to show up tomorrow.
The 2 with the smallest air cells have not pipped, and I'll be watching them, but I think they might not be viable. Definitely giving them some extra time, but I know the likelihood of them failing.
The others are just crazy popcorn chickens! They are everywhere- I thought I could fit a lot of eggs in the bator, but now that I see what 15 looks like on hatch day, I think my max should be about a dozen!
Sheesh!
Ha ha! But it's so fun.

 

[Arielle]

9 out with 6 to go-- what an awesome number!!

I'm sure a few more have popped out in the last 7 hours!!

I once filled my LG with about 56 eggs, very difficult to keep track of the chicks. Smaller batches are much easier for sure.

 

[calichickies]

OK!!
We have 2 more that hatched out in the night- 1 duck and 1 chick- Yay!!
So there are only 2 ducks to go and the last 2 chicken eggs that had very small air cells.
But guess what?!? They have pipped AND they are rocking!! Wooo Hooo!!
Unbelievable!

I am so happy for those last two little eggs! They have potential- yippee!
Amazing... simply amazing. These guys can come back from such adversity it seems. The H has been SO high during the last day since so many eggs hatched.

Ha! I started with 23 eggs and that was a HUGE number for me. I only took out 3 that never started (non-fertile), and I had 1 full term that never pipped. But out of the remaining 19 eggs - 15 have hatched, and the other 4 have pipped and they are working on it. Wow! I am so impressed with myself! Ha!!

I think looking back now, I would like to keep it to about a dozen. In my bator it just gets so crowded so quick at hatch time. And those ducks are hilarious, flopping around -- they have such a different sound. And the chicks get just crazy, they barrel over everything and bang on the ceiling too. Ha!