DIary of a novice, shipped egg, broody hatch

[appps]

I hope you don't end up with too many losses!!
I've learnt quite a bit from this thread already, thanks for doing this diary thing 
I understand not everyone can do this but I think the first time i'll give hatching a go, i'll use some of my own eggs from my hens + roo.. I'm not brave enough to buy eggs on the first time, cause I might make mistakes.

I think that is far wiser than shipped from the other side of the country first try lol , especially if using an incubator but we only have room for 3 more at the moment so figured I'd risk it to get the breed I wanted . It's been quite fun so far even with our less than great results on the incubated ones, am quietly confident that penny is doing a much better jab than me though lol

 

[appps]

Well its now been a full week so thought I better update.

I recandled the eggs in the incubator. Egg 1 with the crack looked exactly the same and when I would tip it the air bubble would just slide around all over the egg. This is I believe called a detached air cell and common problem with shipped eggs. Between that, the crack and lack of any change I finally decided it was time to delegate it to the bin.

Egg 2 still looked icky with its blood ring so it also got delegated to the bin.

Egg 3 to be honest looks just like it did the first time we candled but as the eggs are a little brown and I dont know what Im doing

I have left it in the incubator. I will leave it till I know it should have something really obvious (like a black shadow you cant miss).

The 8 eggs under penny are still a mystery as Ive decided to put off candling them a bit longer. Im finding it a lot harder to see veins etc that I expected and so I am also going to leave those until I know there will be a black lump up one end that I cant miss. I can then compare eggs against each other and any that are obviously different I will be more confident to remove. Im thinking perhaps around Wednesday which will be day 12.

I found this image on http://www.thehatchbay.kbo.co.ke/Day+123A+Image+Processing


I think even I wont be able to miss it if there is development by then

Ill also then compare what I find under Penny to my one in the incubator and decide if it replaces a bad one under her or goes in the bin.

 

[cwrite]

That's a bit disappointing, but hopefully the eggs under Penny will show more obvious development. I am starting to think I should candle too, but might wait until day 14 just so that I only have to wait a week for the fluffballs. I keep telling myself not to be disappointed if some don't make it. After all I only need one girl, any more are a bonus. Holding thumbs for you.

 

[appps]

That's a bit disappointing, but hopefully the eggs under Penny will show more obvious development.  I am starting to think I should candle too, but might wait until day 14 just so that I only have to wait a week for the fluffballs.  I keep telling myself not to be disappointed if some don't make it.  After all I only need one girl, any more are a bonus.  Holding thumbs for you.

Yeah I really was looking forward to hatching something from the incubator so the kids could see, won't see much when it happens under the broody

I have had a lot of trouble getting the incubator where it should be and if I ever did it again would borrow it and set up a week before putting eggs in. It's very inaccurate in temp and humidity so that wasn't good for the eggs while I got that sorted. Hubby finally remembered to ask its owner how they went using it and apparently they never had anything hatch as it "cooked the eggs". It would have been good to know and work out its quirks before adding eggs but like they say a mistake is just a lesson learnt

I'm a little more difficult to please than you. Not only do I want three girls, I want one in each colour lol. Not sure what the odds of that out of 8 eggs is but suspect I've more chance of winning the lottery lol

 

[appps]

Slight change of plans. Was just rereading the hatching 101 thread and found a warning about candling when I had planned. There is a note that says not to candle between day 11-14 as it interrupts the movement of the embryo to the length axis of the egg.

As these guys are already high risk enough after shipping I won't let my curiosity reduce their chances further so will hang out a bit longer for the next look.

 

[appps]

Okay so call me hopeless lol

Was dark out and ds hadn't locked the chooks up yet so I thought stuff it, it's day 10, last chance till next week I'm gonna go take a peek under penny while we lock them up. Turns out ten is the magic number!!

While I still couldn't make out much in the way of veining in the brown eggs there was a most definates little baby bird in five of her 8 eggs!

Two others were blank as far as I could see but I've taken them and put in the incubator for now rather than just throwing, just in case but I don't think anything will come of them. The sixth one was a bit of an unsure what to think. It didn't have a definates black bub in it but is wasn't clear like the others either so for now have just marked with a little x and left with her and we will revisit it day 17.

Compared to what we just saw under penny not much doubt my last of the original three in the incubator is a dud too. I'll give all three to day 17 but will then chuck them.

Very exciting!!!

 

[maddogdodge]

Yay! Glad you've definitely got some babies happening

Hope everything goes smoothly from here on!

 

[cwrite]

That's awesome! Only 11 more days for you.

 

[appps]

That's awesome!  Only 11 more days for you.   

Hadn't thought of it like that, wow we are half way already!

 

[appps]

And now we are 2/3 of the way there, day 14!! Only 3 more days til l candle for the last time and discard the no-goods before they start getting ready to hatch. All quite exciting

The kids have been busily building a chicken ramp today so that the bubs will be able to get back into their cupboard when Penny brings them back out into the big wide world. Its a 170mm drop to the ground which might be just a bit too much for a few day old chick when it comes time to got back to bed.

We went to Bunnings and raided their off-cuts bin and for the grand total of $1.00 got all the bits to build it