I have been turning them 2 or 3 times a day depending. Lately...since I have been getting home so late it has only been twise. Once in the morning, and once the last part of the evening.
I am hoping they hatch in the evening so I will be home. I will be sure to post pictures of each of the crosses after they come out. I was laughing that one of them had the hiccups last night. :)
My homeade bator!
Hey mel,
I just wanted to touch base and say I'm still here watching. It's getting really close now and I just wanted to say how proud I am of you and your sharing of all this info. So far you have had 430 views on this thread alone, so there are a lot of lurking viewers gaining exellent info from you.
Another thing I just have to mention is, when the moment comes for each of these darlings, they will start to peck their way out of their shells. Take note on how they do this. It's quite amazing how they will start pecking at one spot and work their way all the way around the egg and then end up at the starting point. So they must turn their little bodies all the way around inside the egg to achieve this.
This takes conciderable amount of energy on their part and sometimes they will get tired and take a break just to rest. You must fight the urge to help them when this happens. Best thing to do while this is in progress is just watch and take pictures.
Also, if you are at work when some start to hatch don't worry. They will be just fine inside the incubator untill you get home. They're not hungry and won't need water for some time after they hatch.
Cheers,
JB
Thanks Jb! We sure are excited over here in Iowa! Tonight I candled them again and i could see FEATHERS! The things I have seen and learned from this just keep getting better. I think I finally got my video program working...but the video I have is from 2 days ago, and they werent very active. But it does show all the veins really well. I am uploading to a site now and will post the link as soon as I get it running! This one is 15 meg...so for those with dial up it may not work very well...anything smaller just looked like a bunch of fuzz.
Ok...here is the link. I wish I could get this better...but at least you can clearly see the large veins. When I turn the egg you can make the chick out better as it falls also.
So...JB....I head some 'tapping' coming from inside the incubator while I was candling one of the eggs. That couldnt be one of them could it? They still have 5 days left.
Crud....forgot the link!
http://www.freewebs.com/camden-lenaghwedding/
Girl,
Call in sick tomorrow. It is happening...lol. Get your camera ready. Get your box and heat lamp out. Get a towel. And don't forget....leave them alone! Gosh, I'm so eggsited.
JB
I'll stay up for a while with you....lol
Oh, BTW,
I'm not sure how this will affect the hatch, but if you could get video of the whole process that would be great.
JB
Hahaha...FIRST of all...I am off tomorrow. I work an extra hour every day just to get every other Friday off. BUT...I dont think there is any chance they are coming. They are only occupying about half the shell! They definately need a few more days. Maybe I am just crazy. I just checked one of them that 'fell' over when 'someone' kicked the incubator on accident. Anywho...while I had my little fella out I heard ANOTHER tap! Even so...I will watch them ALL weekend...but I am guessing they need a few more days. :) If I am here...it will ALL Be on video! I have 5 cameras!
Bed time,
See you tomorrow,
JB
I cant sleep! I am sitting here singing that song from Rocky when he runs up the stairs! Check out what I found. FIRST...this video of the INSIDE of the egg. But dont worry...this chick did not get hurt.
http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/day08/graphics/embryo_chick.mov
AND I got pictures of the first few days...here is 33 hours old.
72 hours...
Day 4....96 hours
And day 5...unfortunately I couldnt find any good pictures like this beyond day 5
Darn...hit send too soon again!
And a close up of that pic...
NOW...JB...I am going to bed! Nighty night!
Any more tapping? I am dying to find out what is
going on! I am excited, too! And, it is way cool you are
off today. Then, you have the weekend to listen and
watch.
As JB said, don't touch, and let them do their thing.
I have read that it can take 24 hours for the entire brood to
hatch.
I will keep turning them today, and tomorrow...then leave them for the last three days. i am VERY eggcited! Hahaha...Bob the duck is excited too. He is going to be playing mommy.
Too bad we got MORE snow last night. I just got done snoveling in front, and now i need to go start the 4wheeler and plow the drive. I turned the heat light on for the chickens since it is SO cold. But alas...90 degrees and climbing indoors! Our wood heat sure is nice!
We have a wood stove that works like a charm.
I love them. Too bad about your added snow. I know
everyone up north is freezing. We have 34* and was
a heavy mist, then pouring rain, but no sleet or snow.
Plow the drive?
Good Lord Mel,
You're killin us here. Will you just post something?
JB
Sometimes I just crack myself up......(Oops, no pun intended.)
Post something? Come on now...a girls gotta eat! Yes Truest...I plowed the driveway with our snow plow that is mounted to the four wheeler. My dearest hasnt decided to trade in his little celica that sits 2 inches off the ground for something bigger! Our driveway is also the steepest hill I have ever known of...hence the neighbors saying we live up on the mountain. Here is a picture of it going up...but this does NOT do it justice.
Wow...its 2am? I guess no one else is awake anyway. I just checked and turned the eggs again. THey are getting much less active the closer we get. But they are all still doing well. Nothing is really showing up on the camera now that they are getting bigger...and it gets darker and darker inside the shell. I also havent heard anymore tapping tonight...but I did this morning. At least one of them is getting anxious! I think one may be more developed then the others...but that shell is so thick I cant tell. The egg looks more full definately though.
I will update you tomorrow JB! Hope you all have a good night!
M
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This message was edited Aug 28, 2008 12:07 AM
My goodness! I would love to have some flat land...but the hills are really nice to look over too. I am hoping to get an earth mover up here next year to make a flat spot for my round pen, and then we will level off the top of our 'mountain' to make way for our main house. We built the guest house first...so we are living here until we could get the main designed and built.
removed for space issues
This message was edited Aug 28, 2008 12:08 AM
How many days left? remember, they need the last
few days to orient themselves in the shell before
pipping. I'm sure you've read this, just checking..:-)
I am as anxious as any here! Can't wait!
Ok, plow the drive. Sorry, you move snow like we
move dirt down here. We have a steep drive, too.
Our grade looks very similar to your's.
It's really bad at the entrance, for about 30 feet it's
almost 40* incline. The rest is a gradual incline to
the top. I will never try to leave if it is iced over.
We would slide clear through it over the road, and into
the ditch, into a fence. If we didn't get plastered by
a car before that! LOL.
Will check back often to see how your eggs are doing.
Too funny. At least oure switches to go back up as you leave the drive. We tell people who are leaving that if you start to slide just go with it! If you try to slow down or stop you will just go off the road. If we get any ice at all or more then one inch of snow I have to have my other half park at the neighbors and then I pick him up in my truck. we have to do 4 wheel low most of the time...and there was one day in December when I slid all the way back down after not making it. Pretty sad.
As for the eggs...they are doing well. 2 days ago they were only taking up about half the shell...then last night I couldnt make anything out! They filled the shells overnight! I turned them for the last time last night, and now i will just sit and wait. I did want to get out my stethoscope and see if I coudl hear their hearts...but not sure how to do it since the shell isnt flat! Either way...I will let you know if that works out or not. :)
Maybe you could make a 'gummy cup' of some sort
to funnel the heartbeat sound. Is the day supposed to
be Monday Tuesday or Wednesday? Some say if the
temperature is on the warm side, they pip early, and
likewise on the cool side-but a day or so late. Let me
know if they come right on the expected day, and I
will note your temp. Some incubators come preset
to 99 degrees, but I understand a degree in either
direction is not bad.
Sliding down the drive must have been an experience-
not knowing where you'll end up. 4 wheel low sounds
good to me...
They are due Tuesday. I took JB's master idea of using a thermostat from a hot water heater. It turns on when the temp drops to 88, and then warms up to 110...roughly. At first I didnt think this major fluctuation would work...but they are obviously doing great, so I am convinced!
I saw an incubator that maintained 99, but with no fan or turner for $70. I made mine for a total cost of about $25...and I can upgrade with a larger foam box and reuse everything else.
you r still ages away from tues day her its tuesday in 2 hours i was getting a little confused at first when you said tuesday is 2 days away but time difference confuses me alot i hve been watching this thread for a while now and thought i would say hello.hello. i hope everytthing goes well with your baby chicks
Hello, Luckycharm_1 . Mcamden has done a great job,
huh? I am nearly as excited as she is.
'Hello'! Too funny. Yes, time differences can be confusing. I remember when I went to Italy several years ago, and I had a hard time adjusting to the time. It is only Monday here! Tomorrow we should have some new chicks! We are very excited, and hopefully at least some of them wait until I get home to come out of their shells!
Oh my...you are all too sweet! This is my first shot at hatching eggs...so we will see how it goes. My family always said that I had the animal thumb...I have a green one on one hand..and the other is whatever color goes with animals! Hahaha...we will see how well I did tomorrow!
It's a furry thumb! LOL. My family says I am the
animal one, too. I sure hope they haven't all
finished thier thing, and dried before you get home.
If I could, I would come up there and babysit for you.
I will keep an eye on them tonight to see what happens...but I am fairly certain they are all coming tomorrow. My prediction is that every one of them will hatch! One of the 6 eggs was put in 4 days after the rest...so in case I miss these 5...I will have one due on Saturday when we will be home all day. The next batch will be planned much better so they are due on a saturday instead of during the week. :)
You might want to keep in mind, that chicks at
different ages in the brooder will often peck terribly
at one another. Keep close watch on your little guy
that comes on Saturday. He may have to be brooded
seperately? I am not sure-
Hi Mel,
You may want to take the fan out today. The chicks will be way too young for high speed Carnival rides. HeHe...
JB
Hi, mccamden, hope you get to see your chicks right away. I will be watching too.
If you have to brood the chick separate, make sure it can see the others. We did that with our new flock this past spring when we put them outside alongside the older chickens. We strung fencing between the pens and used another shed to house them in at nite. When we opened the gate to let them roam together, we had no trouble with the older ones pecking the chicks.
You would only have to use a 100watt bulb with a reflector and a shoebox for shelter to brood a lone chick. We did this with 50 chicks (without the shoebox, but a carton cut down on one side), and all of them lived. Of course we had them in the garage and had heat there too. But this was in April and it still gets mighty cold here sometimes then.
Dont worry JB...I brought in a piece of the 1/2 inch wire mesh like what is on the floor. I am going to remove the can of water tonight and install the wire across the box to block them off from the fan, and the lightbulb. I will probably just pull the cardboard fan blade off instead of disconnecting the whole thing. I will also seperate the loan egg tonight so then dont cause troubles with him when these others hatch.
We are doing the same thing with the brooder. I am doing one box with the wire mesh to keep them seperated. Since we are doing another round starting on Saturday we will have several chicks in the house until it gets warm. We have heat lamps to use, and a have a large oval stock tank that we will use when they move out to the garage. I am so excited! What happened to the girl in Australia who was incubating her eggs? I havent seen anything from her, and they should have hatched a while ago.