September 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[Duke12]

@baunlee I got them from a lady I met at a dinner party during the Oregon State Fair, we started talking about chickens and on Craigslist I showed her the CCL pullets I was going to buy that week and I had previously mentioned my very sad situation of a new incubator with not one batch of chicks hatched. We exchanged information, she told me she'd contact me because she had been starting to collect her legbars eggs and not even two days later we talked and this Friday I threw em in. Were doing a nice trade of I get to hatch and keep the chicks for a few days and then she raises them up and gives them their shots and I get two pullets if I want. It was more of just a test to see how my incubator works. She had just a very old still air and wanted to see how they compare.

Back to the basics of the question sorry I thought the story was interesting haha. I got them from a lady I met at a fair. My best recommendations if you're wanting some be careful on eBay, I know a lot of people lie and steal pictures from breeders. On here is the second place I'm planning on getting some eggs for my next hatch. Hopefully some BLRWs! Your chart looks interesting best of luck to your hatches!

 

[South OH Chicks]

1 week left on my bcm and easter eggers.

 

[yeye5]

Hello everyone
I decided to join the hatch-along for September.
I don't have an incubator but I do have a very broody silkie on her 2nd clutch.
11 weeks ago she did great on her 1st ever clutch. She got 5 eggs, 4 of which hatched healthy and hearty; the 5th was simply not fertilized.

She started laying when her chicks were 7-8 weeks old, had 3 eggs and a few "fake eggs" (older ones from standard size hens that I marked as old) began sitting!
Interestingly, I came on to hatch-along to ask about an odd egg weight and I've seen and read a bunch on egg weight that I unfortunately don't yet understand.

I haven't candled this clutch, nor had I candled her 1st. I just 1) didn't want to take risks in upsetting Mima (hen) and 2) I didn't trust my ability to accurately interpret the results to make it be helpful or definitively.

Mima is on:
3 of her own eggs, 4 medium sized light brown eggs from (standard size) Henrietta and 3 white eggs from Snow White who is a white leghorn who lays huge eggs.
This morning when I offered food Mima got off the nest so I took the opportunity to pick up and smell the eggs. They all felt heavier than a pre-sat egg, except one of the eggs. I assumed that this close to the hatch date (which is expected as early as this Wednesday or on Thursday).
One of the white eggs was so light, even lighter than a pre-sat egg, or an eating egg.
I believe this is because there are little beautiful peeps inside?

So I'm here to ask and hopefully verify that this is the case? I read back and people are talking about weight LOSS? as a desirable thing?
Is it that the light egg is the only "good" one? Or are the 9 heavier eggs the viable ones and the one too-light egg is the non-viable one? They smell the same, or have no smell to speak of.

Mima has been a great mama-hen in her first clutch. I trust she knows exactly what she's doing this time...(?)
I am asking for feedback and education here. My first priority is this clutch. However, I also always want to learn more and more as we go forward since I know Mima will set again...and I also have a sweet "mini-flock" of an assortment of standard sized hens and their roosters and 4 juvies.
I trust that one or more of them will also decide or feel the urge to brood a clutch in the maybe-near and perfect-time future.

Thanks to all in advance for the help.
And I wish, hope and pray that each of your incubation experiences go sweetly and smoothly, healthy and hearty and joyfully.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

@baunlee I got them from a lady I met at a dinner party during the Oregon State Fair, we started talking about chickens and on Craigslist I showed her the CCL pullets I was going to buy that week and I had previously mentioned my very sad situation of a new incubator with not one batch of chicks hatched. We exchanged information, she told me she'd contact me because she had been starting to collect her legbars eggs and not even two days later we talked and this Friday I threw em in. Were doing a nice trade of I get to hatch and keep the chicks for a few days and then she raises them up and gives them their shots and I get two pullets if I want. It was more of just a test to see how my incubator works. She had just a very old still air and wanted to see how they compare.

Back to the basics of the question sorry I thought the story was interesting haha. I got them from a lady I met at a fair. My best recommendations if you're wanting some be careful on eBay, I know a lot of people lie and steal pictures from breeders. On here is the second place I'm planning on getting some eggs for my next hatch. Hopefully some BLRWs! Your chart looks interesting best of luck to your hatches!

Be careful if she is vaccinating them and the rest of your flock is not vaccinated.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Hello everyone
I decided to join the hatch-along for September.
I don't have an incubator but I do have a very broody silkie on her 2nd clutch.
11 weeks ago she did great on her 1st ever clutch. She got 5 eggs, 4 of which hatched healthy and hearty; the 5th was simply not fertilized.

She started laying when her chicks were 7-8 weeks old, had 3 eggs and a few "fake eggs" (older ones from standard size hens that I marked as old) began sitting!
Interestingly, I came on to hatch-along to ask about an odd egg weight and I've seen and read a bunch on egg weight that I unfortunately don't yet understand.

I haven't candled this clutch, nor had I candled her 1st. I just 1) didn't want to take risks in upsetting Mima (hen) and 2) I didn't trust my ability to accurately interpret the results to make it be helpful or definitively.

Mima is on:
3 of her own eggs, 4 medium sized light brown eggs from (standard size) Henrietta and 3 white eggs from Snow White who is a white leghorn who lays huge eggs.
This morning when I offered food Mima got off the nest so I took the opportunity to pick up and smell the eggs. They all felt heavier than a pre-sat egg, except one of the eggs. I assumed that this close to the hatch date (which is expected as early as this Wednesday or on Thursday).
One of the white eggs was so light, even lighter than a pre-sat egg, or an eating egg.
I believe this is because there are little beautiful peeps inside?

So I'm here to ask and hopefully verify that this is the case? I read back and people are talking about weight LOSS? as a desirable thing?
Is it that the light egg is the only "good" one? Or are the 9 heavier eggs the viable ones and the one too-light egg is the non-viable one? They smell the same, or have no smell to speak of.

Mima has been a great mama-hen in her first clutch. I trust she knows exactly what she's doing this time...(?)
I am asking for feedback and education here. My first priority is this clutch. However, I also always want to learn more and more as we go forward since I know Mima will set again...and I also have a sweet "mini-flock" of an assortment of standard sized hens and their roosters and 4 juvies.
I trust that one or more of them will also decide or feel the urge to brood a clutch in the maybe-near and perfect-time future.

Thanks to all in advance for the help.
And I wish, hope and pray that each of your incubation experiences go sweetly and smoothly, healthy and hearty and joyfully.

The eggs need to lose moisture as they incubate - that is the only way to make room for a growing chick. It needs to be just the right amount though so you check throughout incubation to see if you need to adjust the humidity. Most (I think) measure by checking the air cell size, others measure it by weighing the egg.

 

[Duke12]

Be careful if she is vaccinating them and the rest of your flock is not vaccinated.

I'm sure I could ask her not to vaccinate mine if I want, and just keep mine separate when she takes hers. I'll have to check Wilco if my current pullets got them or not. I hadn't thought of that yet, thanks

 

[SunHwaKwon]

1 week left on my bcm and easter eggers.

Same here with my speckled Sussex and guinea eggs

 

[Joplus]

Hello everyone
I decided to join the hatch-along for September.
I don't have an incubator but I do have a very broody silkie on her 2nd clutch.
11 weeks ago she did great on her 1st ever clutch. She got 5 eggs, 4 of which hatched healthy and hearty; the 5th was simply not fertilized.

She started laying when her chicks were 7-8 weeks old, had 3 eggs and a few "fake eggs" (older ones from standard size hens that I marked as old) began sitting!
Interestingly, I came on to hatch-along to ask about an odd egg weight and I've seen and read a bunch on egg weight that I unfortunately don't yet understand.

I haven't candled this clutch, nor had I candled her 1st. I just 1) didn't want to take risks in upsetting Mima (hen) and 2) I didn't trust my ability to accurately interpret the results to make it be helpful or definitively.

Mima is on:
3 of her own eggs, 4 medium sized light brown eggs from (standard size) Henrietta and 3 white eggs from Snow White who is a white leghorn who lays huge eggs.
This morning when I offered food Mima got off the nest so I took the opportunity to pick up and smell the eggs. They all felt heavier than a pre-sat egg, except one of the eggs. I assumed that this close to the hatch date (which is expected as early as this Wednesday or on Thursday).
One of the white eggs was so light, even lighter than a pre-sat egg, or an eating egg.
I believe this is because there are little beautiful peeps inside?

So I'm here to ask and hopefully verify that this is the case? I read back and people are talking about weight LOSS? as a desirable thing?
Is it that the light egg is the only "good" one? Or are the 9 heavier eggs the viable ones and the one too-light egg is the non-viable one? They smell the same, or have no smell to speak of.

Mima has been a great mama-hen in her first clutch. I trust she knows exactly what she's doing this time...(?)
I am asking for feedback and education here. My first priority is this clutch. However, I also always want to learn more and more as we go forward since I know Mima will set again...and I also have a sweet "mini-flock" of an assortment of standard sized hens and their roosters and 4 juvies.
I trust that one or more of them will also decide or feel the urge to brood a clutch in the maybe-near and perfect-time future.

Thanks to all in advance for the help.
And I wish, hope and pray that each of your incubation experiences go sweetly and smoothly, healthy and hearty and joyfully.

Welcome! Go Mima, I'm totally rooting for her and her clutch! I have no idea how the broody hen thing works on the other hand. Happy hatching

 

[stormyhorses98]

Well all is looking pretty good at least so far 25 of the 39 are where they should be and there is about 9 that were infertile so I would say we are doing pretty good! Only 1 week to go!!!

 

[harmesonfarm]

Hello everyone
I decided to join the hatch-along for September.
I don't have an incubator but I do have a very broody silkie on her 2nd clutch.
11 weeks ago she did great on her 1st ever clutch. She got 5 eggs, 4 of which hatched healthy and hearty; the 5th was simply not fertilized.

She started laying when her chicks were 7-8 weeks old, had 3 eggs and a few "fake eggs" (older ones from standard size hens that I marked as old) began sitting!
Interestingly, I came on to hatch-along to ask about an odd egg weight and I've seen and read a bunch on egg weight that I unfortunately don't yet understand.

I haven't candled this clutch, nor had I candled her 1st. I just 1) didn't want to take risks in upsetting Mima (hen) and 2) I didn't trust my ability to accurately interpret the results to make it be helpful or definitively.

Mima is on:
3 of her own eggs, 4 medium sized light brown eggs from (standard size) Henrietta and 3 white eggs from Snow White who is a white leghorn who lays huge eggs.
This morning when I offered food Mima got off the nest so I took the opportunity to pick up and smell the eggs. They all felt heavier than a pre-sat egg, except one of the eggs. I assumed that this close to the hatch date (which is expected as early as this Wednesday or on Thursday).
One of the white eggs was so light, even lighter than a pre-sat egg, or an eating egg.
I believe this is because there are little beautiful peeps inside?

So I'm here to ask and hopefully verify that this is the case? I read back and people are talking about weight LOSS? as a desirable thing?
Is it that the light egg is the only "good" one? Or are the 9 heavier eggs the viable ones and the one too-light egg is the non-viable one? They smell the same, or have no smell to speak of.

Mima has been a great mama-hen in her first clutch. I trust she knows exactly what she's doing this time...(?)
I am asking for feedback and education here. My first priority is this clutch. However, I also always want to learn more and more as we go forward since I know Mima will set again...and I also have a sweet "mini-flock" of an assortment of standard sized hens and their roosters and 4 juvies.
I trust that one or more of them will also decide or feel the urge to brood a clutch in the maybe-near and perfect-time future.

Thanks to all in advance for the help.
And I wish, hope and pray that each of your incubation experiences go sweetly and smoothly, healthy and hearty and joyfully.

This is my first hatch, so i'm not sure what the eggs should feel like closer to the hatch date...but i'm weighing mine throughout, you want about 13% moisture loss in total for the whole 21 days, and 11-12% by day 18.

Because you haven't checked prior or throughout the developing stages, i'm not really sure which it could be. I'm almost leaning towards the heavier ones?
the only thing i would think to do is to check them very quickly by candling to make sure there is development and proper air cells.
This article has a great reference photo to air cells that i found helpful : https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

This article is more focused on broody's in particular and the hatching : https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks

I hope a good hatch for you and your lovely mima hen! Sorry I can't be much more help...I will be weighing again tonight and candling, but so far i haven't noticed too big of a difference between the good eggs and the "thought to be bad" ones we will be confirming tonight.

good luck!! hope you find the answers and help your looking for. Please keep us updated as to how your hatch goes, i'd love to hear what the answer is in the end!