Day 21 - what now?

  • 9 Replies
  • 2698 Views
*

pandora

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: West Berks
  • 88
Day 21 - what now?
« on: August 22, 2008, 19:55 »
Sorry in advance for the long post. I am having my first go with an incubator (having become slightly chick obsessed! I have had 2 broodies successfully hatch eggs earlier in the summer.)

I had a Covatutto 16, and set 16 eggs in it. After candling 5 were discarded and the rest were developing. Then disaster struck. On day 18 the incubator blew it's circuit board and stopped working. It was the last day of turning eggs, and it was working at 1pm, but by 7pm it had broken. I don't know how long it was off for, the eggs were cold but I wrapped warm towels round the incubator and managed to borrow a Hova-bator off my friend and whacked them in that. I put plenty of water in and by 10pm the temperature had risen to 37C and the humidity was at about 60%, which is where it has been more of less for the last couple of days. I took the view that I didn't want to tinker about with it too much.

Today was the day I was expecting chicks, but there has been nothing at all. No chicks, no rocking eggs, no cheeping sounds. I daren't open the incubator, and even if I did I wouldn't really know what to check for anyway. Is it likely my chicks have died, or is it not unusual for things to take longer in the incubator? My 2 broody clutches both hatched on day 21 precisely, even the ones hatched by the hen who temporarily sat on the wrong nest for half a day! Is there anything in particular I should be doing, or do I just wait and hope they get on with hatching?

*

Vember

  • Guest
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2008, 20:59 »
Really is a tricky one pandora

I would be tempted to get one of the eggs out and make a small hole in the air cell end and see if you can hear anything then

Sarah

*

sheridal

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Biggleswade, Beds
  • 159
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2008, 07:49 »
Any news yet? I hope all turned out well

*

pandora

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: West Berks
  • 88
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2008, 12:50 »
2 hatched in the last 2 hours. One looking well, one looking not so well :( Am hoping that the remaining eggs have at least a few more hatches.

*

Kate and her Ducks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Shropshire
  • 5318
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2008, 12:58 »
Congratulations on the two that hatched and I hope that the poorly one makes it.

Good luck with the rest :lol:

Pics are the law :shock:
Be like a duck. Calm on the surface but always paddling like the dickens underneath.

*

pandora

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: West Berks
  • 88
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #5 on: August 25, 2008, 10:16 »
Still only 2. I'm so disappointed. I turned them religiously 3 times a day every day for 18 days and was all ready to up the humidity and leave it till they hatched. At candling on day 16 I had 11 moving well developed chicks. I had hoped for more than just 2. I have one white silkie and one buff pekin. I've called them Fat and Slim - fat chance and slim hope of any of them hatching but these 2 did.

I'll contact the company who sold me the incubator and tried and get a replacement under warranty, but that won't cover the eggs and chicks I lost, and I reckon it is too late in the year for me to have another go at incubating. Hopefully I'll have better luck next year.

*

Vember

  • Guest
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #6 on: August 25, 2008, 11:00 »
Pandora

So Sorry the others didn't hatch

But 2 is better than none


Let us know how they get on :D

*

pandora

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: West Berks
  • 88
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #7 on: August 25, 2008, 12:27 »
I don't think they are doing very well :( One has it's umbilical cord still attached, which has dried up, but is looking sore round were it joins the body. This one is doing well otherwise, and has been devouring chick crumb. The other one, the silkie, is having trouble walking. It gets about, but it's legs are a bit splayed and it walks very wide legged, iyswim.

Aahhh, it wasn't like this with my broodies. I bought silkie eggs because I heard they made good broodies and enjoyed my two lots of chicks hatched by hens so much I thought I might do it a little bit more next year. My 2 lovely broodies are Mrs Blue and Mrs Partridge, both large fowl Wyandottes.

Mrs Blue with her chicks. They are called Harry Garner (don't ask!) who is a lavender araucana, as yet unsexed, Mummy's Boy who is a cuckoo maran cock, and the maran hen is not named yet.

*

Vember

  • Guest
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2008, 12:35 »
I would wash the area get it dry and then put a little bit of Germolene on it, been told Germolene is ok to use :)

The umbilical cord still being attached can be due to incorrect humidity  :?

Broodie are so much easier aren't they   :D

Lovely pics by the way


Sarah :)

*

Kate and her Ducks

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Shropshire
  • 5318
Day 21 - what now?
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2008, 19:42 »
I envy everyone with broodies, they seem like the way to go.

I had a couple of problems with ducklings still having a lot of the yolk sac not absorbed at the umbilicus (in fact I'm starting to think that there are not many incy problems I haven't had :oops: ) but they generally absorbed over the first 36 hours. I just kept them clean and dry but a bit of germoline would be fine to prevent infection.

One thing I did wonder is that most books etc I've read suggest turning a minimum of 5 times a day. My automated incy turned ever 3 hours although this could be adjusted.


 

Page created in 0.21 seconds with 38 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |