Who else was on lockdown 9/5-9/9? (Post your Hatch Round-ups!)

[kyliekobe]

It's day 20 and nothing yet.

. Is this normal? It's my first time, so the wait is killing me! My power actually went off for an hour on day 18. But I figured since it's pretty hot here in hawaii, it wasn't that big of a deal...But now I'm starting to wonder...since I've
got nothing yet. When should I wait till I open the bator and check the eggs?

 

[Mimir]

It's day 23 for me and my broody hens have given up on the unhatched eggs. I tried listening to them but nothing... Oh well 11 out of 20 is not so bad. Here's some pics for you all of my day/2 day old chicks.

Here is one hen who had 3 chicks hatch. They haven't ventured outside yet as far as I know but all chicks are drinking and eating, although the hen seems to be eating most the chick crumbs! She kept ignoring her mixed corn and layers pellets.

These chicks are not too sure of the outside world. They are all eating and drinking fine.

In this picture you can see the third hen with her 2 chicks and one of the other hens chicks going out for a poo...

Mother shows the way!

Outside is fun for the chicks!

 

[FenDruadin]

FINALLY some action. This morning: Four new pips & one partial zip (total: 6/12 pipped, one partially zipped). The crushed egg is still moving, but not pipped. Today is Day 29.

kyliekobe--give your babies time. They may not show any action until Day 21, and the best thing you can do for them is to leave the incubator closed. How is your humidity? (Probably pretty good, right? You're in Hawaii after all! lol) When the power went out, if the temp dropped even by a few degrees it may have slowed them down a bit, so give them extra time. For reference--mine are duck eggs, which typically take 28 days. But we're on Day 29 and only half have pips and very little significant action beyond that (the one that has started--barely--to zip, has been pipped since 9 am yesterday--nearly 24 hours now).

Mimir--those are wonderful pictures. Happy chicks with sweet mamas--makes me wish I were hatching under a broody. Nothing so sweet as a proud mama with babies.

Cetawin--

Your cannonball chick. Great pictures, too! That's good stuff.

How are everyone's babies doing this morning? Any new action on eggs still waiting to hatch?

 

[FenDruadin]

Here is my zipping egg:

She's really active this morning. My kids are standing around the incubator "singing" to her (in cheeps). I think she'll be out within the hour. Believe me, pics will be forthcoming!!

Edited to add: By the way, all the pips so far have been within the concentric circles that represent the candled air cells. One is slightly low, but probably the air cell has expanded since last candling. I think it's cool and interesting that, at least so far, I've been able to see all the pips by having placed the air cell side turned toward the window. Of course, it's possible that one of the six that *haven't* pipped yet might actually be pipped where I can't see it, but I don't really think so.

 

[Mimir]

Hey iamcuriositycat, I can't wait to see your little ducklings! I live next to a river so I see lots of baby ducks, geese and swans but I can never get a close up view because of the protective mothers. Do you plan to handle them a lot so they become friendly adults?

 

[FenDruadin]

Thanks, Mimir!! We have always handled ours a lot as ducklings, and they definitely recognize us and mostly trust us as adults, but none of mine have ever reached my definition of "friendly" as adults. In my book, a friendly animal is like our goats--coming over to nuzzle and beg for cuddles & scratches. The ducks would really prefer not to be handled. Their definition of "cozy" is "close to but not touching."

So, anyway, yeah, we'll handle them a lot, but they won't really be pets. More like entertainment.

Oh, as ducklings they are pretty tame, though--but then they grow out of being tame.

 

[Cetawin]

Yay for your pipping and zipping cat.

Update here:

Cannonball chick is doing great. I was awakened at 5 am by a "new" peep and rushed out of bed to find a splash orpington kicking away the shell.

They are doing well so that is 4 - EEs, 2 Delaware and 1 BBS for me and I have a BBS pipped.

Cannonball chick and the new BBS arrival

 

[Sweetfolly]

My lovely little blue Cochin bantys are doing great! Sticky-chick is exhausting himself trying to preen the last of the crust off of his wee little body, so I've been giving him a little treat of corn-syrup and yogurt every four hours or so, which seems to give him the boost of energy he needs to scoot over to eat and drink, before getting cozy under the lamp for more sleep.

I was a little worried about one of sticky-chicks feet - the toes were glued together, and after I gently unstuck them, it seemed that he still had crooked toes - but this morning, they were all straightened out!

I think it's about time to give up on egg #3. The last time I heard peeping from it was yesterday morning when I noticed the little crack in the shell, and there's been nothing since then

The crack is so tiny that I can't even get tweezers in there to chip a bit of shell off to see if the peep is really expired or not.

Still, two beautiful (at least, I'm sure sticky-chick will be beautiful when he loses the last of his nasty crusted coating) chicks! From eggs shipped in 85 degree weather!

 

[kaffleck]

OMG!!! Just came into the room now and heard cheeping!! #6 chick was totally clear of his/her shell and is now sat between the other 2 eggs making tons of noise! Will try and post a pic later but difficult with the glare from the incubator plastic. 2 more to go, fingers crossed. Kids are well excited!

 

[FenDruadin]

I have a duckling!! And a zipper! And two more pips! And one of the pips is Crushy, the crushed egg duck!!

I'm learning so much. Because I drew a pencilled circle around the air cell each time I candled, I can see where they are pipping in relation to the air cell. And every single one of them--including the crushed egg--have pipped along the left bottom edge of the air cell. The two that have zipped so far (including the one that has hatched) have zipped right, along the edge of the air cell. (Edited to add: And the one that has hatched zipped from left to right, all the way to the right hand edge of the air cell and then pushed the cap off--as though following the outline of the air cell. Cool.)

I really do have pictures coming--it's just that it's a gorgeous day outside and I'm trying to get my new duck runs set up in between checking on (and photographing) the new babies, and I'm afraid I'm going to run out of day--so it may be late this evening before pics are up.

Annarie--I'm so glad to hear Sticky is doing so well! Yay! I'm sorry about #3. Can you give him more time? He might still be working...

kaffleck--that's awesome! Yay!! Isn't that a wonderful sight?? Yay!!