April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[broadleaf81]

Well, day 10/11 and just finished my random sample candling. 36 total eggs in the bator, I candled a random 12 and saw growth/embryo movement in 7. Mostly my darker eggs showing progress. Was careful to wash hands before handling. This is so exciting! Despite a few wide swings in temp I'm seeing some very reassuring signs!

 

[LBKS]

At this point there's not much to worry about unless you have pips in other eggs. Most problems with assisting happen when people assist before they are ready to come out, usually when they've pipped and not made any progress in awhile. However this little guy is ready and trying to come out, but it sounds like he didn't zip all the way, or didn't zip in a clean line and is having trouble pushing off the top. The longer you wait the harder it will be for the little one to recover, just something to consider.

If you are worried about any other pipped eggs, you can do the steamy bathroom trick, or you can raise the humidity shortly before you open the bator by sticking in a wet paper towel via a vent hole, or you can just toss in a moist sponge when you take out the egg. I have never had trouble with shrink wrapping and I have had a few that had problems zipping. Most of the time I just reach in and gently peel the cap off enough to where all the chick has to do is give one big push to come out. Very fast.

In fact, here's a video of one of my eggs that I needed to assist. He was stuck in an odd position, and this is how I helped him: I assist him around 27:00 http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/29891623

Got 'em out and is resting, seems to be doing fine now.

 

[hokankai]

Could you tell why he couldn't get out?

Hooray that he's okay!

 

[Tanichca]

After seeing no movement all day, I opened one of the eggs. Inside was a fully-formed chick... Dead. I don't know why, dont know how, but I'm starting to get burned out on the whole hatching thing. 8 chicks out of 42 eggs is ridiculous.

 

[Partyfowl]

After seeing no movement all day, I opened one of the eggs. Inside was a fully-formed chick... Dead. I don't know why, dont know how, but I'm starting to get burned out on the whole hatching thing. 8 chicks out of 42 eggs is ridiculous.

You'll have good hatches and bad hatches. It happens. This time around I hatched zero! Which is a first for me. My thermos were 2 degrees off. Low heat + high humidity = dead chicks. . And they all had saddle air cells. Everybody has a system that works for them. And even when you think you got it down. S**t still happens. Enjoy your 8 little blessing.

 

[LBKS]

Could you tell why he couldn't get out?

Hooray that he's okay!

He couldn't get enough leverage with the way he was positioned, and the shell he could still reach to peck at was dried to the membrane and harder to break.
Once I broke off the dried shell portion he just pushed one more time and nearly fell out of my hands. Most of the shell that was left was pretty moist so he may have been a bit wedged in there at the end when he tried to push the egg apart.

 

[melina90]

You'll have good hatches and bad hatches. It happens. This time around I hatched zero! Which is a first for me. My thermos were 2 degrees off. Low heat + high humidity = dead chicks.

. And they all had saddle air cells. Everybody has a system that works for them. And even when you think you got it down. S**t still happens. Enjoy your 8 little blessing.

What is a saddle air cell?

 

[MissBroodyHen]

Look my Batam egg. Day 19. I think I have a second external peep also. Few more hours and will be on day 20!

This has been very hard work for me. But 23 eggs in I'm praying for something good!
Had to move all 23 last night during lockdown. As temps would not rise above 94 f
Just praying they will hatch well! Stable humidity at 73 percent right now. Fingers crossed. I will keep you all updated!!

Bag of nerves!!
First hatch!! Aaaaahhhh

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

How do you know when a chick needs to be helped out of its egg? My only egg that has started hatching has been hatching for somewhere between 27 and 28hrs. It frequently peeps and makes noise. And if i stare at the egg closly i can see it trying to push out. But with this being my first hatch i dont really know how long it takes for a chick to hatch. I figured it took a while, but how long is too long?

 

[Marty1876]

I'm a little behind, but I've got 42 goose eggs, 15 turkey eggs, and some Java chickns all due this month, the chickens due tuesday, turkeys a week from tuesday, and all the little goosies due the end of the month.

I hatch a lot!