URGENT Help!!!

[MaureenHall]

do you want to borrow and indoor rabbit cage mo?

Thanks Mike and Jennie, but I'm starting on Plan C today Run divider is sort of up, just needs the wire mesh stapling to it and a gate making. I'm going to block the gateway till Becci can help me with that on Friday, move the chicks into the dog cage for a couple of hours before bedtime then they'll go into the big coop with the ex-batts. Give the chicks coop a good scrub and preventative louse and red mite treatment, make a divided door section for the bottom part then move Precious and her eggs into there late evening. The spare incubator will be switched on just in case she's not happy about the move but it's then fingers crossed The Wellies and the big chicks can move into the new coop at the weekend when the smell of the Creocote should be almost gone (it still stinks!!)

[di]

Well,we've woken up to a slightly pipped & fairly fidgety egg!...although I'm so pleased we've got it,I hate incubators!Keep telling myself to wait half an hour to look again,but in reality every two minutes,when the light comes on,I'm up staring in the window.Thankfully I'm out at 11:00!
BTW...after my carpy day yesterday I decided to buy a lottery scratchcard on the way home from sorting the chooks....hoping it would signal the way today's going to go...scratched it & utterly fed up there were only two £2's(the most I ever win),but then realised there were three £40's!!!!!Now I've got to carry on convincing myself it's a good omen!

[Glutton4...]

Wow! A few more scratchcards like that and you'll be able to buy some hatching eggs on eBay!!!

[di]

Wow! A few more scratchcards like that and you'll be able to buy some hatching eggs on eBay!!!

You really want to spend such a sunny lovely day sat on the norty step????

How am I supposed to ignore the incy when it keeps cheeping?Every now & then the little crack gets a gentle push,but it's still just a teensy hole!

[MaureenHall]

You really want to spend such a sunny lovely day sat on the norty step????

How am I supposed to ignore the incy when it keeps cheeping?Every now & then the little crack gets a gentle push,but it's still just a teensy hole!

ah yes, but a teensy hole will become a bigger hole!! Whoohoo a rescued chick on its way

[Nicos]

Finally back on line..looks like my internet prob is sorted!!!!

OMG Di-you don't have it easy do you with the babbies????...makes a change from me!!!!

Sorry to hear of yet more excitement...and well done for coping so well- and as said earlier- well done to all the Grapes who clearly rallied round!

so...how's it going today????

[Bramble-Poultry]

good for you di - all you need now is another one with a few more zeros!!!

It certainly is a good omen - so fingers crossed for baby

[di]

Not sure I'm coping well Nicos!No matter how hard I try to not keep checking on the incubator,I'm up every couple of minutes...panicking the hole's no bigger than last time!...I know it takes them a while,but doesn't help the stress levels!
Don't worry,I've absolutely no intention of helping yet,far too scared,but when do you know it's time to lend a hand?How long do you leave it without any progress?
Also humidity has dropped a little & is only at 50...should I add some more warm water or is that more of an issue before they've pipped?
BP,I dream of a few more zeros,chook haven on my doorstep...and I'd pay someone to stress over the hatching for me!...it is Wednesday,so who knows?
Just given a jump...staring thinking nothing was happening & a little beak suddenly popped out!

[MaureenHall]

That little chickie knows what to do Di, let it do its own thing xxxx

[Polly Fouracre]

I do hope everything goes well! I have chipped off a little of the shell when things have taken too long and, when it's obvious the chick is too tired and weak to hatch itself, I have torn the membrane if it is totally dry, just a millimetre at a time. I stop at once if I see damp membrane. You can encourage the chick by tapping on the shell with your fingernail and "peeping" at it.
Good luck!!

[Bramble-Poultry]

keep the humidity a little higher than that di or the membrane will dry out and chiccky will struggle, but 50 also isn;t low enough to really worry about - so DON'T PANIC!

Leave it be for a while, see how it progresses over the day. Too exciting!!!!!!

[Polly Fouracre]

Forgot to say. When the chicks are hatched, wait until dark then put then one at a time under your broody's wing. She won't know how many she hatched and would accept them. If you are worried about that, watch carefully at first light to see if she chucks them out. I'll bet she won't!

[Pumpkin Becki]

I missed all the excitement last night Di, but am on tenterhooks now. Will Dandelion accept the extra chicks as her own now, or do you think you will have to hand rear them?

Got everything crossed for a happy outcome (and well done on the scratchie, what a result)!

[Nicos]

Will Dandelion accept the extra chicks as her own now, or do you think you will have to hand rear them?

Da da daaahhh......

...sounds like the end of the 2 Ronnies series with the detectives!!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ysf7teC5J8

" Come back this time next week for the next installment "

[Pumpkin Becki]

Da da daaahhh......

" Come back this time next week for the next installment "

Brilliant!! Now I read it back, it does sound like that doesn't it - what a cliffhanger!!