# Finally new babies!!!



## georgiagirl98 (Jun 30, 2013)

This year i got an incubator and set about 20 eggs, and yesterday they finally started to hatch! Im so excited, right now there is 2 dry chicks and 3 damp ones that just hatched. 

So far every one did fine hatching but now there is a little chick with a quarter sized place with no shell but it still has the papery stuff under the shell. And it has a tiny hole where its beak is. It's still moving but its been a few hours now since it started hatching and it has a little blood on the inside and the papery stuff went from see through but now its white. 

Was it just not ready to hatch yet? This is my first time incubating and i looked for some stuff about it online and thought i would try here too. Do any of yall know if its normal?


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## 4-HGoatGirl (Jul 5, 2013)

It sounds like the chick is ready hatch. From the sounds of it the chick might be stuck in its membrane and could possibly need help out of the shell (or the membrane will dry and basically glue the chick to the inside of the egg, which it die from). Make sure there is a good amount of moisture in the incubator, so you can prevent this. 

Majority of my small farm is chickens, so I've seen blood, goo, membrane, cracks, hatchings, and deaths a load of times. Anyways, best of luck with hatching.


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## OwnedByTheGoats (Mar 7, 2013)

Yeah, I am not experienced but I would help it out of there ASAP.


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## georgiagirl98 (Jun 30, 2013)

Ok i opened it up a little more and pulled off some of its shell a while ago and i came back to look and its almost all the way out. Maybe he will be ok now. 

Thanks for the replies  i was too scared i would hurt it because I've read all this stuff like "don't touch it, let it do it by itself" kind of stuff but i don't think it could have made it out alone. 
I mean mama hens peck at eggs while they are hatching to help them out so i didnt think it was a big deal as some people make it.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

You really have to be careful helping them out. Like peel back a piece and make sure they're not still in their thick gooey membrane. That needs to dry and separate off before you help them. If you help too early you risk having them bleed to death. We always have a pair of vet clamps around in case this Happens though. I'm constantly watching the hatch. If they haven't made any improvement and start being less active I help out. My flock are purebred, and each chick lost is $5 down the drain. I'd rather help. Lol 

Congrats on the babies!!


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## georgiagirl98 (Jun 30, 2013)

Thank you guys for helping! 

Mjs500doo thats cool what breed do you raise?

Today i have 12/20 that hatched and i candled the other 8. 6 was infertile but that was my fault because i separated the hens i didnt want eggs from and collected the eggs i liked for a few days then i put them back in and collected some of those eggs too and didnt think about that being an issue. so ill have to remember that next time. 

It has been really fun and a great learning experience. I can't wait to put more in!  
I ended up with 4 Dominique's (ill try for more next time they are my favorite), a hopefully a Dominique (or maybe just black) turken cross, 2 yellow buff crosses, 4 white leghorn crosses, and a really cool looking brown striped one that im guessing Is a Rhode Island Red Cross. 

Those are just guesses i have no idea on most of them haha i kinda like the suprise and figuring out what hen they came from and what they will look like when they are older.


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## mjs500doo (Nov 24, 2012)

I raise purebred Ameraucana, as well as Orpington (blue, black, splash), Black Copper Maran, Cochins, and EEs for spring time customers.


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## georgiagirl98 (Jun 30, 2013)

Wow!


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