The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Ravynscroft]

Egg 1 & 2 are bloodrings... 3 & 4 are too hard for me to see... and no idea what is going on with egg 5...

 

[Ravynscroft]

NM, 5 is bloodring too... 3 & 4 might be quitters...

 

[Junibutt]

Also, you will see the egg better if you candle from the air sac end. Seems like you are candling from the pointy end.

 

[NikkiCole5]

I can't figure out how to post video but look at the babies lil head!

 

[HugHess]

X3

Cedar oil is bad.

 

[Dustystrail]

Hmm I know I have been asking a lot of questions but what is everyone's thoughts on cedar bedding, I know a lot of people say NO lol, but that's all I have right now so I wondering what people say. My bedding consists of cedar shavings and puppy pads right now but my ducklings keep eating the filling of the pads and I assume it would be safer to just use cedar maybe because of that?
This is what I have...

I have used cedar with adults in the coop a few times after treating for mites and have seen no effects on them.If it was what I had on hand I would use it and keep a close eye on the chicks.
Do you have a paper shredder? I have used shredded paper in a pinch before. Not the best but it worked in a pinch. Cross cut shredded paper should be better but my shredder doesn't do that.
Pine is about half the price of cedar here so there are usually no questions as to which one I buy.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: For newly hatched chicks, I have used paper towels on the bottom of the brooder. Sand is also a possibility.

 

[gevshiba]

I candled only my questionable eggs today (despite promising myself not to). Out of the 4 with large air sacs, 1 was clear and 2 quitters so I guess I got some natural selection and won't have to worry about them anymore.

The 2 eggs I had which were only developing in half the egg, I had placed them upright in the Brinsea and now they are perfectly spread all over the egg.

So after 3 less eggs, I am down to 53. Still not bad at this moment since I started at 78.
Home eggs score 28 out of 32 still going
Shipped eggs score 25 out of 44 still going.

Ok, every time you bring up the embryo in half the egg, I feel compelled to check mine! I only check one that I knew was in half. Mine have stayed on their sides the entire time. The get turned 6 times a day. The embryo is also in the entre shell now. It looks really good. Checked one of my friends eggs while I was in there and it looked great. Now if I can just hatch them and get them sold, I'll be happy!

 

[Junibutt]

Ok, every time you bring up the embryo in half the egg, I feel compelled to check mine! I only check one that I knew was in half. Mine have stayed on their sides the entire time. The get turned 6 times a day. The embryo is also in the entre shell now. It looks really good. Checked one of my friends eggs while I was in there and it looked great. Now if I can just hatch them and get them sold, I'll be happy!

I am glad yours is working out as well. It was just freaky to see when I first noticed it.

7 more days to go!!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

DH is late getting home from work - so the incubator may have found itself totally full again after last weekend's disaster caused it to sit empty maintaining temperature for the last 5 days.

Now I really gotta sell a slew of chicks on Sunday or when our re-ship from Welp arrives next week, we'll be out of brooder room. And I gotta have a few days were DH thinks we are low on chicks to make up for the completely full incubator

I think Happy Chooks has also said she does vac her chicks, but I don't think she ever said why. I've done a lot of reading on the subject and most of the articles I've read say that it stops the tumors cause by Merak's from forming. It seems like a bad thing to me. It's one of the things that are looked for in deceased birds when determining the cause of death in a necropsy.

In the end it's a personal choice.

No, I do not vaccinate my birds. From what I have read, it does not prevent them from getting the disease, it just hides the symptoms. The birds will still be carriers in your flock, but you won't know it because you never see the symptoms. I've chosen to breed for resistance, and so far, I've not had any Mareks in my flocks.

Hmm I know I have been asking a lot of questions but what is everyone's thoughts on cedar bedding, I know a lot of people say NO lol, but that's all I have right now so I wondering what people say. My bedding consists of cedar shavings and puppy pads right now but my ducklings keep eating the filling of the pads and I assume it would be safer to just use cedar maybe because of that?
This is what I have...

Can you get ABM horse bedding pellets? They are compacted sawdust. It looks like wood pellets and is great for brooders. Cedar is not good for birds, as they have sensitive respiratory systems.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/tractor-supply-coreg;-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb

I have 9 Black Copper Marans and 5 Olive Egger I just candled. 2 of the Marans and 1 Olive are clear or half clear.
Question; The rest look to be progressing normally but have a open space on both ends. Is this normal? I have been diligent about keeping them turned the proper side up as they were given to me since the eggs are very round.

Sounds fine.

I can't figure out how to post video but look at the babies lil head!

Great picture!