Multi breeder hatching thread.... Hatch-Along

[Derrick]

That is great. I had some pips last night and this morning 6 are in the bator. I will see how many are hatching when I get home. The boys are excited as well...

 

[Sazbaby]

So exciting, and yet so frustrating... I want to help!!! lol We are up to 9 chicks now, we've gotten to see several of them actually push out, the girls are loving it! The 3rd egg I was a little worried about last night did end up hatching overnight, much to my relief. I can still see one of the ones that I thought died- it really looks the same and is presumed dead. The chicks are so active in there that they're really knocking the other eggs around quite a bit, makes it hard to keep track of which egg is which and whether or not any others have pipped. Plus, I can't tell which one is the other one that was presumed dead... I'm surprised that after seeing so much rocking in two in particular, I haven't seen any progress... frustrating... Anyhow, the first chick hatched at around 5pm Thursday, it's now 9pm Friday, and I'm trying to decide whether to open the bator and put these eggs under a hen for the night or wait and do it tomorrow night, giving the unhatched eggs (4 of them) another 24 hours to get out of there before opening the bator... That would put the "oldest" chick at a bit over 48 hours and most of them a bit under 48. Any suggestions? Might just wake up extra early and do it when the hen will still have a few hours of darkness left before morning, I dunno... decisions decisions...

 

[Sazbaby]

Well, I broke down and took the 9 chicks out of the bator last night before bed and put them under one of the hens, who seemed to do well and is behaving perfectly today! I put in a paper towel soaked in hot water afterwards and the humidity went back up pretty quickly. The two I suspected were dead were indeed dead, and we're left with 4 eggs that are still sitting in there unpipped tonight. Haven't seen any rocking or anything, and I'm wondering how long to let them sit there. I know some people wait until day 23 to 24 before giving up, but I'm tempted to candle and see if there's any movement/listen for peeping, which I haven't heard since taking the chicks out. So far the hen is totally accepting the chicks, and I put her into a dog crate with food and water to help reduce her stress when the other hens want to come lay eggs in her nest and all, so hopefully at least those 9 will do well. Now if only these last 4 would hatch...

 

[Derrick]

Sounds like you did well with the hatch.

I too had some that pipped and died. Frustrating. I also had some that did not pip at all and when I cracked the eggs open, they were perfectly formed chicks that just died. It is strange the way that happens. I ended up with about 18 chicks or so. I think it is 18. My wife had medical problems this week and that has taken priority. I have had to watch the little ones while trying to take care of the eggs/chicks. I do have another 14 in the other bater set to hatch this coming Friday. There is another 10 that my friend took to his house from the same batch so he could hatch them with his grand daughters.

Here is my now addicted boys with the new chicks below.









They are nice. I have three mystery eggs with feather on the legs, a few BLRW and a lot more of the Wheaton Ameracaunas.

 

[Derrick]

 

[luvinbluechickens]

Really cute. Looks like u have some blue and splash

 

[luvinbluechickens]

Really cute. Looks like u have some blue and splash

 

[Sazbaby]

Awesome! I finally shut of the bator this afternoon, I guess it was technically through the end of day 24, I just didn't want to give up on those last 4 eggs... In the end, out of 17 eggs, I had:
9 healthy chicks
1 apparently non-fertile
1 day 4-7? quitter
2 that pipped and partially zipped, then died
4 fully formed chicks that never pipped- 1 of these had absorbed the yolk and looked like it had broken into the air sac, 2 of them had absorbed the yolk fully, and one looked like it had not fully absorbed the yolk.

So in all, looks like just a little better than 50% hatch for this group.

2 of the last group of four happened to be egg numbers 1 and 2, which at my first candling I found some fine cracks in the shells, I was happy that they were still alive and moving at day 18 and bummed that they didn't make the last stretch.

I'm not sure exactly what I've got yet for physical characteristics, but I believe I have 2 Salmon Faverolle x barred rock, 2 Americauna crossed with either black silkie or a Faverolle cross roo, and 5 that are red sex link crossed with either the black silkie or faverolle cross roo. The first 2 have 5 toes and feathered legs, but the others are hodgepodge, some have a 5th toe, some have 4, some have clean legs, some have feathers. Kind of funny, since both of the potential roos have 5 toes and feathered legs! lol They are awfully cute and soft, and the hen has done great with them so far, my power bill is happy I don't have to run the heat lamp for them!!

Still have the second silkie hen on 6 eggs due to hatch on Friday I think... Yay for chicks!!!

 

[Sazbaby]

Oh yeah, meant to tell you, sorry to hear about the health issues, hope all is better or at least improving... I know how scary and stressful that can make life!!

Also, things I learned from this experience- pull vent plugs close to day 21 to increase air circulation (didn't have trouble maintaining humidity or temp when I did), and when the bator has to be opened, a hot wet paper towel can bump humidity right back up within a few minutes. Worked really well when I opened it to take the chicks out.

 

[Derrick]

I forgot to pull the vent with the hatch. I did crack open all the no goes at the end. It was interesting. Most of them had fully formed dead chicks. I wonder why they died. No defects were detected in them.

I do have a few that are going to possibly hatch this coming weekend. I wonder if the older chicks will pick on the younger chicks....... Not sure how that will go......