The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[sillycmoy]

My incubator is spiking. I want to cry! It was fine at 2pm when I hand turned, just got wondering with my humidity was because I've been fight it. I can't get it up past 25%, not sure why, the last hatch was perfect, but I didn't have 40 eggs in there either. I added a sponge today, but that can't be why its spiking to 102. I just opened it up to let all the hot air out really fast, and I guess I will just have to watch it.

 

[Happy Chooks]

My incubator is spiking. I want to cry! It was fine at 2pm when I hand turned, just got wondering with my humidity was because I've been fight it. I can't get it up past 25%, not sure why, the last hatch was perfect, but I didn't have 40 eggs in there either. I added a sponge today, but that can't be why its spiking to 102. I just opened it up to let all the hot air out really fast, and I guess I will just have to watch it.

Is your incubator a still air or with a fan? 102 isn't a big deal, don't worry about it. Did your outside temperature change dramatically? I've had to adjust mine because we went from daytime temps of 50's to 75 today.

 

[mollybuck]

My incubator is spiking.  I want to cry!  It was fine at 2pm when I hand turned, just got wondering with my humidity was because I've been fight it.  I can't get it up past 25%, not sure why, the last hatch was perfect, but I didn't have 40 eggs in there either.  I added a sponge today, but that can't be why its spiking to 102.  I just opened it up to let all the hot air out really fast, and I guess I will just have to watch it. 

I wouldn't freak out just yet. It doesn't seem like it was high for long. I had that happen twice last year and it seemed like I had a few quitters each time...but I still had a lot of chicks hatch.

 

[wolftracks]

First hatch this year I had a lot of duds and some that quit, but got one FBCM and one OE to hatch. My second hatch should have happened Friday. NUTTIN! The Easter hatch is the next one, but I'm not even getting quail to hatch and that's weird. I think I'm going to set eggs twice a week and play around. I have to figure out what's going on and why I went from 100% hatches to zip. This make 3 years and I'm not going down this year.

 

[jbenson]

DH said we could stop at TSC on the way home from the in-laws today to buy some friends for my one remaining chick (the one that has developed wry neck that I am treating in hopes that it both survives and is a girl), and THEY WERE TOTALLY SOLD OUT! I have never heard of such a thing. 3 little ducklings in a bin and nothing else. I was so disappointed.

So, came home, let everyone out to run around a bit, filled feeders and waterers and worked a bit digging the berry bushes out of the giant pile of mulch they have been cozy in all winter, then took a bit to say hi to my flock and give them some love. Fog (the d'Uccle roo who decided to fight me this last week) was his usual calm self, even when I had to take his smallest lady to check the progress of her injured food (all better by the way which made me very happy).

Candling this evening the d'Uccles in the 'bator. Have some Ameraucana/Araucana eggs and a couple from one of my fav hens who is the resident broody in the d'Uccle pen to keep the d'Uccle eggs from getting too cold (she's a cochin/polish/whatever else mutt, but she's so beautiful and sweet) that I can set in open spots left by anything that isn't developing. My sweet girl has decided to lay the last two days now that it's warm enough she feels free to roam more. I would love to have some offspring from her crossed with Fog. I imagine the pattern of the feathers would be glorious.

 

[Cynthia12]

http://fox4kc.com/2014/04/03/live-pictures-decorah-eagle-cam/

 

[Cynthia12]

If anyone had photos they could share of their broody quarantines it would help a lot to have some ideas for my broody silkie!

Thanks!

I have partial photos..I guess I could share them, and expalain, that this end is this part, and this end it that part.

 

[amyfitz100]

I need some help with what I saw when candling tonight. It's Day 8, because I was out of town this weekend. This is my first time incubating and have had some trouble stabilizing the temp and humidity, especially since our outside temp has gone from one extreme to the other, then back again.

Out of 40 eggs set, 24 had embryos and most were moving, 8 were questionable (most too dark to see), 6 looked like maybe blood rings, and I think 2 were clear.

Is this a clear?

And is this a blood ring?

Is this a quitter?

And does this look about right for air cell size or do I need to adjust humidity? It got down pretty low.

And I should leave them in or go ahead and take the ones with rings out? Thanks so much for all the help!!!

 

[ronott1]

I am finishing up the fourth hatch this year for UofA Blues and Crele Pene x UofA Blues Olive eggers. The UofA Blues hatch over two days! the first two hatched Friday afternoon. This afternoon, Sunday and day 23, four eggs were left after the last pipped egg hatched. I candled them and found one still alive, so I poked a hole in the big end of the egg. An hour ago I saw that it was zipping a bit below the half way point of the eggs, so I set it onto the bottom of the incubator.

The chick is almost out now!

The pip in the big end is all the help usually give them.

This is a local pickup. egg turner was on the entire time. incubation was about 40% humidity on average and temperature was 99.5 to 99.9. The UofA eggs are bigger than a lot of blue egg layers and they are nice and round so even an upside down chick can hatch in them.

Now to hope for the chick to be ok when it hatches!

 

[Cynthia12]

Is it too late to join?! I had set my eggs on the correct date, but at about 6am since I worked that day.
Set 7 black copper Marans and 9 BLR Wyandotte eggs, candled them yesterday and only had 3 duds. I am so looking forward to this!!