Set 3/9/12 HATCH ALONG! - Page 21

Oh, he's gorgeous!

Hello everyone!  I'm so excited to jump in on this thread and follow along!  Let me catch you up on my story...I have 11 hens/1roo and I've been very busy at work lately and let a hen brood a bunch of eggs.  I have no clue when she started laying on them, though.  I went online to teach myself how to candle them and found 8 of them to be fully black (or close to it) with the little air bubble at the large end (very cool!!)  I did that a few days ago and I went and candled them again today in a dark closet with my 3 yr. old and 1 yr. old girls.  We heard some squeaking and I thought a mouse was in the closet with us.  Then I realized that it was a peep inside the egg I was holding!!!  Now I'm really excited, but worried about my total beginner-ness. I'm worried about two things: 1- that I handled them so much so late in incubation.  How important is it that they don't move during the last 3 days? Did I create a problem? 2- Should I leave them with the hen when/if they hatch?  I'd like to take them once they hatch and brood them indoors like I do other chicks to protect from predators (my chickens free range but have an indoor coop.)  What would you say is the problem with this?  Lastly, how close is it to hatching if I heard the little chick in there?  I could hear her pecking at the egg already, but no pips in the egg yet.  Thanks for any advice!! :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by live2shine 

Hello everyone!  I'm so excited to jump in on this thread and follow along!  Let me catch you up on my story...I have 11 hens/1roo and I've been very busy at work lately and let a hen brood a bunch of eggs.  I have no clue when she started laying on them, though.  I went online to teach myself how to candle them and found 8 of them to be fully black (or close to it) with the little air bubble at the large end (very cool!!)  I did that a few days ago and I went and candled them again today in a dark closet with my 3 yr. old and 1 yr. old girls.  We heard some squeaking and I thought a mouse was in the closet with us.  Then I realized that it was a peep inside the egg I was holding!!!  Now I'm really excited, but worried about my total beginner-ness. I'm worried about two things: 1- that I handled them so much so late in incubation.  How important is it that they don't move during the last 3 days? Did I create a problem? 2- Should I leave them with the hen when/if they hatch?  I'd like to take them once they hatch and brood them indoors like I do other chicks to protect from predators (my chickens free range but have an indoor coop.)  What would you say is the problem with this?  Lastly, how close is it to hatching if I heard the little chick in there?  I could hear her pecking at the egg already, but no pips in the egg yet.  Thanks for any advice!! :)

It will probably hatch anytime.  It's up to you if you want to brood them yourself after they hatch or let the hen do it.  I like watching a hen raise her chicks, she will protect them. They would grow up with the flock , so no worries about integrating them in later. 

Not sure if I posted that all 5 eggs pipped by 6 pm today.

The first one hatched at 10:30 pm.  Another one is zipping.  It is so cute to hear the firstborn chirp and encourage the next chick.

It might take awhile, so I should get some sleep.  Can't wait to look in my incubator tomorrow morning and read about everyone's hatches!

Tomorrow is HATCHDAY.....Yeah!

I've now got 2 pips and babies peeping away. 

Doesn't matter how many I hatch... It's always the same!

Set on 3/10, hatch date is today. I set them at 3AM, as I am always around in the (very) early hours of the day. So today is day 21, still early, and I only am starting to get pips now. Think my temperature may have been a tiny bit low. They are good incubators, and my thermometer is good, I just think I may have turned it down for fear of it being too high when it probably was fine at 100F over the top of the egg. Ah well, next time.

No pips, peeps, wiggles or chicks in my bator, anyone else set 3/9 with still no activity? I'm excited for everyone who has results but also getting very concerned about my hatch.  The wait is horrid, I had no idea.  I've worn out batteries in one flashlight already just looking for pips. 

Hazelrah, I'm with ya, I set on 3/9 and 3/10 so I have both in the hatching bator.  Nothing yet.  Back at work this morning so I wont know if there is any activity until I get home later this evening.  COME ON ALREADY! 

All 5 of my little Easter Eggers hatched.  "Eggstatic" for such a great hatch rate!  The first one @ 10:30pm last night.  Second one @ 1:30am.  Third one arouond 3am.  And the last 2 were "zip-racing" @ 5:30am.  Everyone accounted for when I got up (again) at 7am!  I DID sleep, but I took a lot of peaks throughout the night.

  I confess, these were local eggs in my wonderful, new circulating-air Hova Bator.  (What I'm saying is, "I had it easy".)  I know some of you are dealing with fluctuating temps and incubating shipped eggs.  It can be so frustrating, but the experience is educational, if nothing else.  Never give up!   I hope ALL of you see some hatching today.

The chicks are in the bator resting.  I want them to dry off and fluff up before moving them to the brooder..........which reminds me, I need to put food and water in there in case they want it.  They'll most likely sleep most of today, though.  I will post a picture of them all once they are in the brooder.  Here is the first one that hatched, waiting for siblings:

 The two together hatched yesterday and the other one hatched monday...mille fluer d'uccles :)