Setting eggs tomorrow night, 3/29/12, anyone want to hatch with us?

[bluedubloonfarm]

Ours aren't very good layers, but their personalities are adorable and they do make great pets. I'm not much of a bantam person, but silkies have really captured me. We also had heard that they go broody easily which is actually something that I want more of in our flock, so that is a plus.

 

[Cats Cradle]

Hi hatch buddies!

Anyone getting impatient yet? I am and my eggs have only been going about 24 hours, so I'm 2 days behind most of you. I guess it's because there really is nothing to do. I look in several times a day and the turner is going and the temp looks good. I don't have a gauge for the humidity, but I still see water in the trough so I guess it's OK.

So... since there's not much to do I've been thinking about candling. I'm thinking I'd like to give it a try! After this hatch my 'bator will be going to my daughters classroom and it would be really fun to show the kids something like that so I figure I better learn now!

How many of you candle? How often? Any particular days? Any favorite equipment? How hard is it to see much in the brown eggs? (Mine are just the regular brown production red eggs, so they're not super dark. My bantam eggs are much lighter.) What else should I know about candling?

Karen

 

[Cats Cradle]

Ours aren't very good layers, but their personalities are adorable and they do make great pets. I'm not much of a bantam person, but silkies have really captured me. We also had heard that they go broody easily which is actually something that I want more of in our flock, so that is a plus.

I've heard silkies are awesome broodies! I'm getting some buff orpingtons this year for the same reason... adding some broodies to the flock. In the two years we've had the reds I've only had two hens set and hatch eggs. It was so cute to see them with their chicks!

 

[B J Hopkins]

I set 11 Cochin & Cochin mix eggs, 2 Silkie & 18 EE/(Light Brahma mix Roo) eggs on the eveningj of the 27th. So I'm a day ahead. I should be ready to candle on 4/3. I only have one Silkie and she doesn't lay very often so I'm really hoping her eggs are good. Eager to see the chicks. Female is white, Roo is black.

 

[Karen09]

I figured out last night that the turner was on the light switch plug so when the light was on, the turner moved the eggs but when it was off, it did not turn. Ugh! It was only for 1.5 days and we were in and out of the room alot so I am hoping it was enough.

It has only been 3 days so I am going to wait til day 5 to candle and see how they are doing. Should I be really concerned? As far as silkies, I loved them and mine layed 4 to 5 eggs a week but then went broody and sat on eggs, hatched out babies, raised them and then went back to laying for a couple weeks and went broody again. So yes, you do not get many eggs from them cause they are broody so much. I think my golden-laced wyandotte is broody. She hatched out some cayuga ducklings for me last year. If she stays broody, I will probably have her do that again.

 

[MountainChickenMama]

I set 6 barnyard mixed on the 30th, so I will join! This is my 2nd hatch this year ans I am using a Brinsea Mini Advance (new this year). Got 5 out of 5 1st hatch . Good luck everyone!!!

I did candle tonight, but no veining yet

 

[princetonpeeps]

Hi hatch buddies!

Anyone getting impatient yet? I am and my eggs have only been going about 24 hours, so I'm 2 days behind most of you. I guess it's because there really is nothing to do. I look in several times a day and the turner is going and the temp looks good. I don't have a gauge for the humidity, but I still see water in the trough so I guess it's OK.

So... since there's not much to do I've been thinking about candling. I'm thinking I'd like to give it a try! After this hatch my 'bator will be going to my daughters classroom and it would be really fun to show the kids something like that so I figure I better learn now!

How many of you candle? How often? Any particular days? Any favorite equipment? How hard is it to see much in the brown eggs? (Mine are just the regular brown production red eggs, so they're not super dark. My bantam eggs are much lighter.) What else should I know about candling?

Karen

We've only hatched one other time, and waited until day 7-8, and could see movement for sure!!!

Wish I knew how to post the candling video we took, its awesome!

 

[Cats Cradle]

I figured out last night that the turner was on the light switch plug so when the light was on, the turner moved the eggs but when it was off, it did not turn. Ugh! It was only for 1.5 days and we were in and out of the room alot so I am hoping it was enough.

It has only been 3 days so I am going to wait til day 5 to candle and see how they are doing. Should I be really concerned?

Well... I'm not an expert, but I think you'll be OK. The turner was going whenever you were in the room with the light on right? So the eggs were not just in one position the whole time.

I'm sending happy thoughts to your eggs and keeping my fingers crossed with you!!!

Karen

 

[Cats Cradle]

We've only hatched one other time, and waited until day 7-8, and could see movement for sure!!!

Wish I knew how to post the candling video we took, its awesome!

What did you use to candle them? Any tips? If you happen to figure out how to post the video I'd love to see it. Sadly I have no clue how to post a video either, so I'm no help there.

I've been reading up and looking at pictures and I think I'm getting an idea of what to look for. Still not sure how it will work out with my brown shells since I've read you see less. Perhaps this is just one of those "it will make sense when I do it" sort of things.

 

[bluedubloonfarm]

Hi hatch buddies!

Anyone getting impatient yet? I am and my eggs have only been going about 24 hours, so I'm 2 days behind most of you. I guess it's because there really is nothing to do. I look in several times a day and the turner is going and the temp looks good. I don't have a gauge for the humidity, but I still see water in the trough so I guess it's OK.

So... since there's not much to do I've been thinking about candling. I'm thinking I'd like to give it a try! After this hatch my 'bator will be going to my daughters classroom and it would be really fun to show the kids something like that so I figure I better learn now!

How many of you candle? How often? Any particular days? Any favorite equipment? How hard is it to see much in the brown eggs? (Mine are just the regular brown production red eggs, so they're not super dark. My bantam eggs are much lighter.) What else should I know about candling?

Karen

Oh yes, I am already impatient! This is my first hatch this year and first hatch with my genesis hovabator so I am especially excited! I look several times per day too!

I candled yesterday with an led flashlight, I got rid of 3 that were for sure no good, there may some more but the shells are hard to see through, I have one olive egg that when you put the flashlight up to it, it pretty much looks no different than without the flashlight shining in it...lol. Frustrating. But I'm almost positive that one is fertile. I'll look again tomorrow or a few more days to weed out the rest of the possibly infertile ones.