Incubating 2020

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Colleen Kinzie
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Colleen Kinzie » Fri May 22, 2020 7:04 pm

So I hatched 15 of 22 eggs
Kept humidity at 50 or as close as I could at lockdown until pips
Humidity spiked to over 80 when chicks started to hatch
I’m left with 7 eggs that I’m pretty sure aren’t going to hatch
When I break them open I’m sure it will be the same as last time with humidity at 70 at lockdown
Quite a few dead chicks with yoke sacks still but didn’t pip
Room humidity was around 50-55 during complete incubation
Any ideas what I’m doing wrong
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Killerbunny
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Killerbunny » Fri May 22, 2020 7:05 pm

Well 15/22 isn't that bad although we all want to hatch everything.
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Colleen Kinzie
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Colleen Kinzie » Fri May 22, 2020 9:55 pm

Ok Yes I guess you’re right. Lol😁
I was hoping to only have a few eggs left not hatched. Like. 2 or 3
I’m going to break them open tomorrow and see what I find
Hopefully I can learn something🥴
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Killerbunny
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Killerbunny » Sat May 23, 2020 6:08 am

Yes, not a pleasant job but necessary.
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:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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KimChick
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by KimChick » Sat May 23, 2020 12:07 pm

Update:
14 chicks in brooder; 3 more ready for brooder anytime but...
In the very early a.m., DH saved a chick that was shrink wrapped. I'll post a photo soon. It is alive, walking around with some pieces of shell on its back.
The first shrink wrapped, pipped, half-zipped chick didn't make it.
5 eggs left, not pipped, but had life present at candling.
Of the original 25, one was a dud; that one doesn't count. So far 18/24 have hatched - 75%. 17/24 hatched on their own - 71% (not good).
The only explanation I can come up with re: shrink wrapped, is that it happened during the 15-20 secs that I removed 7 chicks twice (with hours in between). And maybe when I propped open the lid to wet a sponge 2 or 3 times. And the eggs were on the opening side. Otherwise, I have no idea why 2 chicks would have gotten dry in the shell.
This year's hatch was a different experience than the previous two years, for sure.
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Colleen Kinzie
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Colleen Kinzie » Sat May 23, 2020 12:36 pm

Sorry for posting in your post @KimChick
But I’m learning from it!!!!!
I cracked open 7 remaining eggs
6 chicks fully formed but didn’t pip
2 of the 6 had like a liquid inside the membrane with the chick
1 was at small end of shell
Not sure why the others didn’t pip?
Any suggestions?
I took pics if that would help
Thanks again
Ps. The 2 with liquid- is it a possibility they drown at time of high humidity when so many others were hatching??
Or. Not enough humidity after other chicks hatched and dried off because I didn’t add any water after hatch started???
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KimChick
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by KimChick » Sat May 23, 2020 1:29 pm

No worries, Colleen; I'm still learning, too. And this was my 4th time.
I should have left the first 2 groups of chicks in the incubator longer because I'm pretty sure that the 2 shrink wrapped chicks had pipped. Opening the incubator at that point was a big no-no.
Also, next time I use the incubator, I will strategically place the sponge where I can dampen it through the vent hole. I use a sponge to add humidity during lockdown because it's easier to wet than adding to the troughs. And the humidity is replenished quickly.
Re: the chick with shell on its back - I read that I can take it out and cover its back with a warm, wet paper towel (or cloth) and that would loosen the shells from the feathers after about a minute. Then put the chick back into the Incubator.
And... from these chicks in the incubator, I have heard them chirring as well as chirping. Interesting.
I also have 5 eggs that haven't pipped, one of which was a "?" anyway.
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by KimChick » Sat May 23, 2020 3:03 pm

Here is the rescued little chick with shells on its back.
20200523_112819[1].jpg
I have just removed the shells but found, when I put it back into the incubator, that I missed removing some shell membrane on its right side.
Holding the chick with a warm damp cloth on the shells didn't work; I had to cup the warm, damp cloth wrapped chick in one hand and pour warm water over it to loosen the dried shells. Then quickly wrapped it in a paper towel, still cupped in my hands, and into the incubator.
It is now chirping very loudly, wings out, walking around.
I do hope it lives to chirp another day!
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Jaye
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by Jaye » Sat May 23, 2020 5:48 pm

Oh dear. It sounds like it's chilled. Maybe if it continues to chirp loudly, you could use a hair dryer it help it dry? Just make sure you're not blowing hot, but warm. If your hair dryer doesn't have heat settings, maybe you can blow from a greater distance.
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KimChick
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Re: Incubating 2020

Post by KimChick » Sat May 23, 2020 8:42 pm

The chick seems to be doing fine. All 4 of them are napping right now. Here is a photo of the chick with the piece of membrane that I missed. It looks like its fluffing out a lot better now. Tomorrow morning I'll put these last four in with the fourteen others. I'm thinking that the piece of membrane will fall off when it grows the hard feathers.
20200523_190751[1].jpg
I removed the 5 eggs that were still in the incubator. 3 were well formed but either the yoke was not fully absorbed or it was surrounded by goo; 1 stopped developing very early on, and the last one was just egg.
From now on, when I document the incubation process, I'm going to do so on a regular size piece of paper instead of on the calendar that I print out from Word. Stuff like this that happened this year needs more space than that of the calendar square for the day.

Oh, and around June 1st is hatch day for the 2 eggs under my broody hen.
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