FEBRUARY Hatch-A-Long 2015:Please Read First Post To Join H-A-L

[Robbo]

Eek, today is day 4 in the incubator here. I have 10 set in there and out of the 10 I candled the light ones which was about 6 of them. 2 of them were a bit darker so all I could see was a dark mass which I presumed to be the yolk. But in 4 I completely saw some very well to start veining! I am so excited. This is my first time hatching anything. My broody is on day 5 with her eggs and I have not candled yet.

I am still working on getting a good enough candler to see in the dark eggs. I purchased a 20$ "egg candler" from out tractor store and it doesn't even phase the shell. I will be taking it back and looking for a well to do flashlight.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Here are my questionables. Egg 1: not completely clear, has that dark area, but it moves as I move the egg. Not sure what to do with it. Egg2: This is a darker shelled IA Blue egg, and has a dark area that doesn't move, but I'm not sure if I can see any veining. It's only day 6 tho'. Egg3: Also IA Blue egg, same dark area as egg2. Might see veining in the picture... not as easy as the Jaer eggs! The other 4 Jaer eggs all have good veining and movement. A lot can happen in 15 days I know but it's still COOL! I'll give the questionables more time. Unless one or more is obviously not going to happen - to an experienced viewer, then I can swap in another Jaer! I have one picked out and everything.

#1 has no development. The yolk is clearly visible, and the white has that characteristic infertile glow. Even after a few days the disc should be consolidating and the yolk beginning to spread. The other eggs I would definitely keep around. I can see veining on a couple, and without a stronger light, you really can't tell with the dark eggs. I use an obscenely high powered LED flashlight to candle my eggs. (My husband moonlights as a bouncer at a local club, and he bought it for work - I pirate it anytime I have eggs cooking) It doesn't get hot, and can get through those darker eggs. Looking good so far!!!

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Today is day 7 candling day. I figured I would candle when my hen got off her nest to eat and bathe, but was called for jury duty and probably won't catch her when she is occupied. Picking up yet more birds this afternoon, so I'm going to have to either wait until tomorrow or battle an angry, very broody bird in the evening. I am really missing my incubator right now - incubators don't bite, and are always happy to let you candle the eggs they are incubating.. I'm dying to see how they are coming along!

 

[Purpletie3]

Today is day 7 candling day. I figured I would candle when my hen got off her nest to eat and bathe, but was called for jury duty and probably won't catch her when she is occupied. Picking up yet more birds this afternoon, so I'm going to have to either wait until tomorrow or battle an angry, very broody bird in the evening. I am really missing my incubator right now - incubators don't bite, and are always happy to let you candle the eggs they are incubating.. I'm dying to see how they are coming

My incubator doesn't bite but I can't wait to hatch under a broody! Hopefully, your civic duty won't get you too far off track with your candling. Are those your ducks that you have incubating?

 

[Purpletie3]

Quandry time. Since I'm new to the hatching of eggs, and my little incubator, I figured I'd have some duds of the 7 I set last week, so I have some nice backup NJ eggs I was really excited to swap in after candling. Only I think all 7 are developing. 5 for sure, even saw one little NJ-to-be dancing around already, or it didn't appreciate being blinded by the light. So can backup eggs last for 3 weeks on the counter in a carton? Seriously figured I'd be lucky if one or two of the eggs in there did anything! I'll post pictures of the couple question marks later when I can have the room darker. They have shade on one side, and I think veining, but nothing like 4 of the NJ eggs that are really easy to tell!

I better get on making that home made incubator before I have a breakdown over the eggs sitting on the counter!!

I was asking the same question to a long time breeder. She had set eggs that were a couple weeks old and they hatched but, your viability starts to decrease. You can always try it as an experiment to see...

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

My incubator doesn't bite but I can't wait to hatch under a broody!  Hopefully, your civic duty won't get you too far off track with your candling. Are those your ducks that you have incubating?

Yes! She laid 11, but one had several fine cracks so I culled it on baseline candle (bummer because it was fertile). If I end up getting picked as a juror, the trial is expected to run for 6 to 8 weeks, so as much as I love my incubator, I'm really happy to have a broody doing the job this time around!

 

[Purpletie3]

Yes! She laid 11, but one had several fine cracks so I culled it on baseline candle (bummer because it was fertile). If I end up getting picked as a juror, the trial is expected to run for 6 to 8 weeks, so as much as I love my incubator, I'm really happy to have a broody doing the job this time around!

Did that egg freeze? You have to be experiencing that same cold weather as we are...

 

[heyheypaula]

So, I am on day 19 now of lockdown. My humidity was a tiny bit low this morning so I cracked the incubator open and sprayed some water in there (maybe a bit too much) and the humidity jumped to 90% so I opened the vent all of the way and now the temp is too low (95) because of how cold my house is! I always try so hard to not mess with the eggs or touch anything during lockdown but I just can't help it I guess, haha. What do you all think? Are my eggs going to be okay? I feel like a spike in temp is worse, right? I also have to leave for the day very soon and that is making me even more anxious!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

Eek, today is day 4 in the incubator here. I have 10 set in there and out of the 10 I candled the light ones which was about 6 of them. 2 of them were a bit darker so all I could see was a dark mass which I presumed to be the yolk. But in 4 I completely saw some very well to start veining! I am so excited. This is my first time hatching anything. My broody is on day 5 with her eggs and I have not candled yet. 

I am still working on getting a good enough candler to see in the dark eggs. I purchased a 20$ "egg candler" from out tractor store and it doesn't even phase the shell. I will be taking it back and looking for a well to do flashlight. 

My best performing candling light is my flashlight app on my cell phone. Hope this will save you some money. It still doesn't do dark eggs, I can see a little in the blue & greens, but it would never work on a wellies or Maran egg.

 

[ChickyChickens]

OKay!!! 17/20 eggs hatched this weekend!!! They are SOOO cute!! Sadly i had to cull one (IT WAS EN EE) cause it had deformed legs!!!