Christmas Hatch-A-Long

[gimmie birdies]

I had a young hen lay a first egg today... and it was fertile! I am going to do a MLK day hatch, if anyone is interested. I don't know which eggs I will use, but the dads will be my LO.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Frozen eggs.
Below 28.4°F/-2°C ice crystals will start to form in the egg and permanently damage internal structures. If they spent any time at or below those temps, I think it is a waste of time setting them.
Eggs can considerable time in temperatures close to
freezing without suffering damage.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Ya, like I said don't set the frozen ones. You are welcome.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I think my Christmas eggs may be done. I hatched 18 eggs last week but since then the incubator went to 104.7 and 104.5 twice.

 

[gimmie birdies]

it depends on how long.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah but I don't know how long.

 

[oolyboolu]

Well thursday night i ended up jumping the gun with my new thermostat/diy incubator set up. I shouldve waited at least a full day to stabilize and fine tune it but instead i went ahead and switched my eggs over. BIG MISTAKE. i woke the next morning to find it at 109f pardon my french but **** me what the hell was i thinking?? I knew with this hatch id already lost 9 of the 24 to inconsistant heat and now i screwed up big time. One after one i candled them and no movement. Just.shoot.me.

Until one wiggled! Two!! Holy crap 5 lil buggers managed to survive the literal night of hell i just put them through, including the double yolker. I was crying and saying thank you like a doofus. I wanted to stay and watch them but i was already late for work so i lowered the temp and left. I kicked myself a lot on friday for being so stupid.
I checked tonight and theyre still coming along (day 16). I left 3 other ones that im sure are gone but wasnt all the way sure.

So thats where i am. Learned a hard lesson but i still have lil guys pulling though temps have been stable now as well

Fingers crossed!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If you jump the gun like that in the future, you're better off with it being a little cool than a little hot until it settles down.
When a hen gets off the nest, the eggs cool a bit but they never get hit with a blast furnace.

 

[Altfrizzle]

I think my Christmas eggs may be done. I hatched 18 eggs last week but since then the incubator went to 104.7 and 104.5 twice.

 

[gimmie birdies]

My new hatched babies love quilts and bird beds I make them. When they are little they hop on to them and stretch their legs and for the most part don't poop on them. (The first week any how.) I make little cover sheets so if they do get messed I can change the sheet. I stop using the baby bed after 2 weeks, because they get messy.

Below is a new baby bed, a cover, and a quilt. Will fit 4 chicks on the same bed.

The beds are great for a chick getting used to walking and hopping, and the beds are the just right for newbies to hop up on.
Message me if you want this by X-mas. I will add one more cover sheet. Nikki.