March 2017! Hatch with us!

[WVduckchick]

Oh my sweetness!! I soooo would love even one of my hens to become broody!

It's highly contagious once one gets it!

 

[orrpeople]

I did the humidity calibration test last night and it looks like my hygrometer is right on. Darn, I was hoping it was way off to explain my problems with the last hatch.

Here's the test:

1/2 C. salt mixed with 1/4 C. water in a coffee cup, placed with the hygrometer beside it in a zip lock freezer bag. After 10-12 hours at constant room temperature, it should read between 73-75% humidity.

 

[Mylied]

Hey. My showgirl, Adore, has gone broody now too. Can I give her some of my silkie's eggs that are due in a week or will that confuse her not sitting for 3 weeks? I can give her some other eggs if that's the case.

 

[HenLeia]

Surprisingly, this one lets me pet her (which she never did before she went broody last year!) She will vehemently defend her chicks, but she seems to trust me, and only me. Since its a little slow this morning, and who doesn't love chick pics, I'll share some of my favorite shots from last summer:

Wonderful! So cute, I'm so going to try hatching with a broody if one of my girls will do it.

 

[HenLeia]

My third chick looking at the 3 still peeping in their shells. This certainly has been a prolonged hatch, today is day 24. Her color is still somewhat confusing but at least there is no light spot on her(? )head.

 

[HenLeia]

I floated all the eggs since I'm horrible candling. Three peeped as soon as I picked them up, but all floated.

 

[lilwildrabbit]

So today will be day 24? The humidity you ran seems to be spot on with what I ran, and got a 90% hatch rate so that obviously isn't the problem as long as you know your hygrometer is accurate. So the only question at this point would be the temperature? If you ran lower than you thought you were running that would obviously delay the hatch. So if you're 100% sure your thermometer is accurate, and all the eggs had movement at lockdown then I'm at a loss with you. I have read on many sites to give them till day 25 just incase you do have late bloomers. But I would definitely check, and recheck your hygrometer, and thermometer to make sure they are reading true. Also perhaps you've already said this but what incubator are you using? I hope you get some surprises in the next two days.

Yea I'm sure I have 2 thrermometers both within a half a degree and humidity is only 2 point difference that's what has me lost I just hatched some eggs that were a month old the last hatch and I got about 25% hatch rate great for old eggs from the fridge but those were fresh pulled from the nest box daily and set to the side standing up till I put them in air sack was a little larger but I upped the humidity at lockdown. Like I said only thins different was I had to place the bantam eggs in because my hen abandoned the nest ice cold eggs they hatched! All but one and I was sure it was no good. Matter of fact they started popping out about 12 hours after I put them in

 

[Mylied]

I floated all the eggs since I'm horrible candling. Three peeped as soon as I picked them up, but all floated.

Guess they just need more time. Keep your humidity up and maybe you'll have chicks in a day or two.

 

[Mylied]

Surprisingly, this one lets me pet her (which she never did before she went broody last year!) She will vehemently defend her chicks, but she seems to trust me, and only me. Since its a little slow this morning, and who doesn't love chick pics, I'll share some of my favorite shots from last summer:

So cute! I love pics of mama hens with their chicks.

 

[HenLeia]

Here are the earlier 2, do the light spots in their heads mean they are boys?