February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[SunHwaKwon]

I didn't see a February thread so I thought I'd start one. I'll be setting some Marans and Marans x BR (sexlinks) and Marans x RIR (Blue Belles) eggs on the 2nd. I have a bunch of hatchery chicks shipping on the 22nd so this way they will all be approximately the same age and I can sell some of my own chicks as well as extras from the order.

Who else will be hatching eggs in February?

 

[orrpeople]

@CuzChickens you may have inadvertently stumbled upon a new product design...
"Dear, why do all your bras have this little pocket?"
"Well, remember how you said 'No more incubators'???"

 

[orrpeople]

Inspiring story from this hatch - i don't know if you will be able to tell from this picture, but that egg was held together with athletic tape. Yes, and quite embarrassingly, I dropped another egg just days before their hatch date. This one was pretty bad. There was a giant crack from the air sack, all the way down to the tip. I held out no hope that it would hatch. But, at lockdown, it was still kicking away, so I carefully peeled back a small amount of the tape and prayed that would be the side it would pip on. Last night, when I went to bed, nothing had happened with it. This morning, it had already hatched!! Amazing!! Never give up, my friends!

 

[Jessimom]

Thanks for all the comments on my sebrights. I hatched them, and tried to handle them, but they never got friendly! Even after I got rid of all but 1 rooster. The girls were all B%&#es! The rooster hated my red feed scoop. Had to fight him every time I went into the pen. He wasn't as big as my boot, but he was quick and could fly! Lol

So I got rid of them all.

they were lovely to look at though. And someone said loud! The girls were very chatty and had their own little language.

Float test - don't bother. It can confirm it's alive, but it can't confirm its dead. Just candle it and look for draw down, movement or veins. By this point, it should be obvious if it's dead.

I also don't float test. On my hatches, if I candle and don't see any movement, I find the air cell and I pip it. If they are alive, they chirp. If they are dead, they don't.

 

[Backyard Hobby]

Expecting these guys to hatch on 2/18. Good luck to everyone!

 

[CuzChickens]

Go chicks!   I love that - let's hope for the best and believe in those little chicks.

I had a chick that was on day 22 and alive, but failed to hatch, and not even internally pipped. I helped her out, and she looked horrible. When she dried off her fuzz was matted in blood and hatching fluids, she couldn't hold her head up, her belly looked weird. She looked like she was on deaths doorstep, and everybody told me she would die. I tucked her in my turtleneck shirt to keep her warm under my chin, and kept on telling her I believed in her. She made it through the first four hours, and she was able to go in with the other chicks briefly. I slept with her that night because they were trampling her. She lived on me for her first 24 hours and I never stopped believing she would pull through. Today she is a bright eyed and bushy tailed 2 week old chick!

 

[theceltichorse]

I agree with the others - give it time. My Thanksgiving hatch - I left the house on day 21 for work - not a SINGLE pip. Came home from work to 8 pips and 1 zip. The majority of the chicks hatched day 22 some on day 23 I also find that in almost every hatch, the first chick will hatch, then it seems like HOURS AND HOURS before the next one tries. That first chick will be a screaming cheerleader for all the other eggs. I find the more I stress about the hatch, the worse the hatch seems to be. I wish you the VERY best, and that they all start pipping at once!

Personally I almost NEVER see eggs wiggle. EVER. I see them peck at the shell, or I see them move when they are zipping. But I have the calmest ever eggs, or I need new glasses, but I see pips long before I see eggs move.




Ok, for my eggs....I had won a backyard mix of eggs on the 24 hour auction that I locked down last night. Sadly 12 of the 36 didn't make it - 1 quietly exploded egg, that didn't stink, or make much of a mess, 1 blood ring, and the rest no development, but I locked down 24 BEAUTIFUL eggs. There are some funky air cells, but I don't coddle them. They either hatch or they don't. We'll see.

I candled the Super Blue eggs I won from the 24 hour auction, as well as some silkie/frilkie eggs I got from Ebay - they were day 11. It's funny, they both came from TN. The Super Blues - I had to pull 1 egg, then I pulled 2 of MY own silkie eggs. But, all the Silkie/Frilkie shipped eggs made it. The shipped eggs all have funky air cells, but that is pretty much expected in my experience.

Happy Hatching everyone!

Thank you! I guess part of my worry is that my first attempt at hatching, only 2 out of 8 hatched. 2nd attempt, none of the 6 eggs hatched. These attempts were with a different incubator that doesn't have the best reviews. Hence my "investing" in my new Brinsea. I am going to totally ignore the incubator! I am going to totally ignore the incubator! Darn it, I AM GOING TO IGNORE THE INCUBATOR!!! Think that'll work (as I am walking over to the blasted incubator to peer in, ONE LAST TIME....)? LOL

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I usually shoot for at least 70% so I can open it if I need to. I like to remove them to dry off once they are walking around so they aren't kicking other eggs. 78% is fine.

 

[orrpeople]

Thanks!  I set more Sunday too, looks like I'm always a day behind you!     

I want some CCLs!!!!  Need yet another pen before I can do that though. 

I do things a little backwards... get eggs, then chicks, then build the pens!!! I work best under pressure (well, it's either that or a solid case of procrastination!)

 

[eldonrgv]

Two hatched so far and a lot of pips and zipping going on. 8 more to go.