Setting 41 on 6-15, 7-8, 7-31, and 8-23 feel free to join in at any time

[RubyNala97]

NT, I set one set tonight and I'm setting one tomorrow. How about you?? Sorry if you said it and I missed it!

Can you tell me where you got the ideal of 11.5% loss at day 18?
I only weighed 6 on day 14, and they range from 10.79-15.67 (the middle 4 are close to 12%). But again, that's day 14. I was aiming for 10% on day 14, 13% on day 18, so I'm curious as to how you decided on 11.5, if you don't mind. My air cells look fine, so I did not make any adjustments. And that's what pisses me off about weighing! Lol

I think because 13% is for day 21. So 1.5% more loss between day 18 & hatch?

 

[scflock]

I do think that there's a good reason layers are called pullets...I have no idea of the science behind it, but if they're too immature they can't produce eggs that can be viable to hatch date, or they struggle surviving the first couple of days after hatch. Certainly what they're fed plays an important part in that, but their immaturity probably plays a significant role too. I have as many 3 yr-olds as 1 yr-olds, so there's something to be seen in my next setting given all the eggs will be from birds older than 1 year this time.

I hope that's what it is. My pullets have been laying for a couple of months now, but the eggs are only about 3/4 size of the 1.5 year olds I have. I set again this past Sunday, and 14 or 15 of those eggs were from the older hens, and much darker, so hopefully I will have better results this time. I really have thought about you during these last 2 hatches, because I have had all of the same problems that I was ranting at you about, with similar hatch rates

That's ok, do as I say, don't do as I do

 

[NTBugtraq]

Can you tell me where you got the ideal of 11.5% loss at day 18?
I only weighed 6 on day 14, and they range from 10.79-15.67 (the middle 4 are close to 12%). But again, that's day 14. I was aiming for 10% on day 14, 13% on day 18, so I'm curious as to how you decided on 11.5, if you don't mind. My air cells look fine, so I did not make any adjustments. And that's what pisses me off about weighing! Lol

Well, I thought the goal was approximately 13% of the egg weight by hatch date...so 13/21*18 = 11.14%...but since we don't weigh after lockdown, its simpler to just target 11.5% by day 18. Your deviations (as with mine) are just fine. Different shell densities or porosity, non-ideal storage of the eggs prior to incubation, lots of things cause differences. Anyway, weight loss is not a rule, but more a guideline.

I'd love to be able to draw air sac progress, but my eggs are too dark for that.

Quote:
That's what I'm going with.

 

[NTBugtraq]

Lolz, so I went out before sunrise to collect my cockerels for processing...couldn't see a darn thing...and couldn't find my hat-brim LED light...so I just started grabbing big birds...;-] I have 2 BCM cockerels in there that I had to make sure I didn't take for processing...anyway, low and behold, I ended up with 10 birds in my transport crate...none of which had feathered legs.

While I am driving to the processors, I realize, I only had 9 birds booked in, so who was this mysterious #10? I get there, double check...no feathered legs...woot, bonus bird!

Then an hour ago the processor calls; "Sorry, but our scales have broken down, your chickens will not be available today."...dang it, tomorrow is the beginning of a long weekend and more than a few folks were going to pick up on their way up to the cottage...

At least that means I can have a drink now, and not have to wait until, say, 7:00pm...

Oh, btw, its raining in the Janoel which is still at 80% humidity. The Brinsea is at 77%, but there's no visible water accumulation.

 

[WVduckchick]

I sure hope you are around this evening. I need my humidity pump and I don't know how to prime it. Help??

 

[WVduckchick]

Oh never mind. I panicked, but I figured it out

 

[rossfam06]

 

[NTBugtraq]

Day 20 Update: (Day 20 ends at ~6:00pm tonight)

So far I have 20 chicks hatched, and another 8 eggs with pips. Interestingly all of the pips are in the Janoel, while the Brinsea has hatched 4 more eggs than the Janoel. Finally, and just as interesting, I have hatched precisely half of the viable lockdown eggs. I will be leaving the chicks in the bator until 6:00pm to make sure they're good and dry. Pictures later today.

 

[FridayYet]

Looking forward to the pics!

 

[WVduckchick]