November 2016 Hatch-a-long!!

[Faraday40]

I decided to leave them in the incubator until morning. Have just been woken up by a huge earthquake in the South Island (we are in the other island of NZ) so had to get up and check them. They are sound asleep so will leave them. It is half past midnight and there have been another three big quakes, so I think I will stay up now and do the ironing!

Oh no! Stay safe.

When it's all over, you can deal with the chicks...... and post some pics.

Has your BR gone broody before? I always do the opposite with our broody. If my DD is hatching for some project (& she needs to know which chicks came from which parents) we'll separate the eggs in cartons inside the incubator & then give them leg bands after hatching. If at the same time, we have a broody volunteer, she'll get a couple eggs, but also all the incubator chicks as they hatch. The bird feels so happy to have been sitting on 2-3 eggs but broods about 25 chicks. (I set up a heating pad for overflow chicks, but having the mama hen there really helps the chicks develop their chicken skills quickly. Also, she can intro them to the flock at just a few days old. No problems with integration.)

 

[tequl]

I am wondering about this egg what do you guys think ..... Also the other eggs I can see into look great and the 6 bcm eggs I have no clue lol

 

[KIWI CHICK]

Oh no! Stay safe.

When it's all over, you can deal with the chicks...... and post some pics.

Has your BR gone broody before? I always do the opposite with our broody. If my DD is hatching for some project (& she needs to know which chicks came from which parents) we'll separate the eggs in cartons inside the incubator & then give them leg bands after hatching. If at the same time, we have a broody volunteer, she'll get a couple eggs, but also all the incubator chicks as they hatch. The bird feels so happy to have been sitting on 2-3 eggs but broods about 25 chicks. (I set up a heating pad for overflow chicks, but having the mama hen there really helps the chicks develop their chicken skills quickly. Also, she can intro them to the flock at just a few days old. No problems with integration.)

Haha, yes I had the same plans for my barred Rock. She was going to be Mum to whoever hatched in the incubator as well as whoever she hatched. Not now though! It is now 3.15 am and the Civil Defence are warning 2 metre tsunamis are hitting Kaikoura in the South Island. My sister lives near the ocean in the Bay of Plenty and I don't know whether I should ring her and tell her to get to higher ground! And in the incubator we have chicks hatching like popcorn! 5 so far and one pipping. What a night!
Funny thing is, I put Barred Rock cross eggs in the incubator (Artemis Fowle my BR rooster died), but all the chicks so far are yellow!

 

[Faraday40]

I am wondering about this egg what do you guys think ..... Also the other eggs I can see into look great and the 6 bcm eggs I have no clue lol

Could be a blood ring - which is technically bacteria, not blood. Unless it smells, you can let it stay in for a couple days & then recheck. A blood ring goes around the whole egg. Any development will be halted, so you'll see a bigger difference between a good & bad egg then. (I don't like to toss until I'm absolutely sure.)
Yucky I know, but you can see the embryo. This egg was opened at 10 days, but the embryo died at just a few days old. If left inside the incubator, a bacteria-filled egg can explode & ruin the others. I used to keep all the eggs in the incubator- until one exploded on day 20 with an incubator filled with piped eggs. Killed about 1/2, so I learned my lesson.

 

[yeye5]

It sounds like it's been quite busy here since I checked in last! My heart goes out to each person who had a loss! I also send big hoorays and congratulations to all who have hatched so far!
I had a bit of an issue, seems resolved, with Mima's eggs. She had started with,7 two of which I thought were questionable. Those 2 ended broken. Since that's not something she's ever done, I suspect the eggs weren't viable.
Once those were out the egg breaking stopped.
All that is to simply say she is now on 5eggs, day 10.
She's a great little mom! I have high hopes!

 

[Cerise1924]

My 4 Welsh Harlequin eggs went into lockdown yesterday, and 3/4 have pipped!

It was quite stressful due to the fact I couldn't raise my humidity in my RCOM 20 pro. After filling the waterwell, spraying it twice, adding loads of sponges and even putting a shallow dish of HOT water, the humidity didn't change from 45%! I presume that the humidity reader is broken, but I still didn't want to take the chance, so I moved them to my second incubator, an RCOM 10 pro.

Wishing you many cute little ducklings!

 

[Cynthia12]

Hi everyone! I just (yesterday) put some eggs in the incubator. Expecting chicks Dec 2 - hopefully. I have 16 BCM (shipped) to try to get some hens for my beautiful local BCM roo (Northern California). Of the 16, 4 look like pullets eggs, so I doubt they will do much. I also have 5 of our own: 4 "olive eggers" BCM/EE crosses, and 1 RIR/BCM cross.So, 21 total. Hovabator 1588 incubator. This is my first crack at incubation, and I told my husband that I have put together a recipe for attempting to hatch these based on articles and comments from BYC (you all!). Ill be waiting until day 7 to candle...when did one week ever seem SO long?! The picture is my roo "Charlemagne" who needs some BCM hens in his flock!

w

 

[Cynthia12]

Wow he is beautiful!

 

[Faraday40]

It sounds like it's been quite busy here since I checked in last! My heart goes out to each person who had a loss! I also send big hoorays and congratulations to all who have hatched so far!
I had a bit of an issue, seems resolved, with Mima's eggs. She had started with,7 two of which I thought were questionable. Those 2 ended broken. Since that's not something she's ever done, I suspect the eggs weren't viable.
Once those were out the egg breaking stopped.
All that is to simply say she is now on 5eggs, day 10.
She's a great little mom! I have high hopes!

Did your hen push the eggs out or eat them?

My little Bantam Orpington always hatches 7 chicks - no matter the number I give her.
When I gave her 8-10 LF eggs, not all developed & she hatched 7 chicks. Once the bad egg was pushed out, & the other time she had sticky egg on her feathers which she cleaned up herself.
When I gave her 5 eggs, she stole 2 extras from other nests & hatched 7 chicks. That was a surprise!
When I gave her 7 eggs, she hatched all 7 chicks.

 

[DancingWthDucks]

Did your hen push the eggs out or eat them?

My little Bantam Orpington always hatches 7 chicks - no matter the number I give her.
When I gave her 8-10 LF eggs, not all developed & she hatched 7 chicks. Once the bad egg was pushed out, & the other time she had sticky egg on her feathers which she cleaned up herself.
When I gave her 5 eggs, she stole 2 extras from other nests & hatched 7 chicks.  That was a surprise!
When I gave her 7 eggs, she hatched all 7 chicks.

I wonder why she does that.... At least you are always guaranteed to get 7 chicks!