Who is setting eggs today - 4/14?

[Avonshire]

SIMZ--it is me again! I am in the same situation. It has been about 24 hours now and I am thinking it is dead. What did you use for picking at the shell. Where did you do this?

 

[Rachel96]

Avonshire - this is actually my first hatch with chicken eggs in about nine years (over half my life, so it's a hazy memory) but I've hatched quails much more recently than that so I'm just going to go with my observations of quails, which may or may not be wrong. Anyway, I noticed that all of my quail chicks (3 of them) hatched with feet like that. 2 straightened up within half an hour of hatching but the other didn't for several days - I was very worried that it would be like that forever. Anyway I just spent time with it several times a day, straightening out her toes and holding them like that for a bit to get her used to it - they weren't stiff or anything, just curled. I've heard of some people splinting the toes straight but never tried it. Anyway Twinkle-Toes's toes straightened up after a bit - you'll noticed once they do that the legs with straighten up too, rather than walking on the outside of the ankle.

Simz - mine are due on Wednesday. But still it'll be good to have someone to talk to about it all... I'm afraid everyone else will probably desert the thread now that their chicks have hatched!

Yes, the egg was laid on my lap. It wasn't all that gross and more of a surprise than anything else. I'd had a feeling she might be ready to lay as she kept going into the makeshift nesting box come sleeping house, but didn't sit down and didn't start clucking at all. When I felt something drop onto my skirt, my first thought was, "Oh, no, she's done a massive poo and now I have to clean it up...". It was a pleasant surprise to look and find an egg instead! I've never held an egg that fresh before - it was dry (surprisingly - I'd have thought it would be wet) and very warm.

Anyway, does anyone have any opinions on the cheeping egg? I was wondering whether it's normal for an egg to cheep on Day 19? I went and listened a little later but no more cheeping... maybe it was asleep. I was a little worried that I'd hurt the chick when I candled it and put it back in the incubator, and that's why it was cheeping? I've heard eggs cheeping on hatch day before but never this early. Maybe chickens are different to quails in that regard? Maybe the egg will hatch early?

from Rachel.

 

[Rachel96]

It's just gone Day 20 for me (my incubator keeps count) and I already have one chick! It hatched only minutes ago... my incubator's not so good with the peering-in-through-the-top capacity so I didn't realise until I heard cheeping and convinced myself to lift the lid and peep in! So exciting!... but I'm wondering why they're hatching so early? A couple more have pipped, not sure how many as I didn't look closely. Yay!

 

[Rachel96]

It's certainly got a good set of lungs, I can say that much!

It's wandering around, knocking other eggs around. It's still quite wet though so I've put an egg carton in the incubator and put the baby in until it dries... I don't want to move it to the brooder until it's dried a little more.

The temperature in the incubator has suddenly skyrocketed, though. Not sure why.

But how can I concentrate on writing a speech on the Channel Tunnel in French when I have babies being born on the other side of the room?!!!?!?!

 

[Rachel96]

My lone little chick, waiting for a friend.

It's not drying out very well, but I think that's because of the humidity in there.

The egg at the top left has been pipped for at least five hours (maybe more) and I haven't seen any movement in all that time, so I'm afraid it might be dead.

 

[Rachel96]

Here's Early Bird, all fluffy now and in the brooder. She (just calling it 'she' for now as I don't know) is now about seven hours old. None more have hatched yet. They're not actually due until tomorrow (Wednesday), though, so I'm not too worried. I can't think why this one was so early, though. Oh, well, I suppose humans can be a little early or late so maybe chickens are the same, too! Early Bird does seem a little lonely, though...

 

[Avonshire]

Rachel96--I was going to suggest putting your little one in the brooder because that will help it fluff up--I had to do the same. I had one chick hatch on Sunday and now it is Tuesday and none of the others have hatched. I have another one that pipped and it is going on 36 hours since pipping. I tried to help it out last night by zipping for it but I did not get all the way around--it started to bleed. I will probably help it zip the rest of the way. Let me say though that it was totally not moving or making sounds and I totally thought it was dead--especially at 24 hours past pip but it was still hanging in there so I am thinking it is fine! The patience required for all this is so hard!! Love your little chickie! n fact I love all the little chickie pictures! So sweet!

 

[SIMZ]

Rachel - what a sweetie! I don't think it's incredibly unusual for them to hatch on day 19. The rest should be coming along shortly for you. As for how you're going to write a speech I have no idea!!!!!

Talk about bad timing for speech writing! LOL

 

[SIMZ]

SIMZ--it is me again! I am in the same situation. It has been about 24 hours now and I am thinking it is dead. What did you use for picking at the shell. Where did you do this?

Here is a video on youtube called "Helping a Baby Chick Hatch Out of an Egg". Watch that - it's what I did.

Again, everything I've read says you shouldn't help them. I had to help another one last night who was obviously stuck to the shell. It turned into an all night ordeal with me helping some and sleeping for a while. Then I'd wake up and check him and help him again. UGH! He's out there now running around with half the shell stuck to his leg - I see my interventions are not yet complete. Only because I know it's my fault for not making sure that turner was on.................

So, carefully do what the video says and see what happens.

 

[Avonshire]

SIMZ--I tried helping last night but it started to bleed. So I put it back in the incubator. It was alive and chirping this morning but STILL stuck in its shell. I will finish zipping for it and then see. We are going on 36+ hours now! Thanks for the video. It was very helpful!!