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

[Whoops]

bekkandblue,

My dogs do agility, too, so I smile whenever I see your avatar.

This morning, I got out all the chick stuff and washed it. Feeders and brooders, waterers and various little dishes, all lined up, drying in the sun. Hoping hoping hoping I will have a use for it all. Candling seems promising, but the proof is in the hatch. These will be my own chickens' first chicks (if they hatch). I need to go to the feed store and get some chick starter, but I am afraid there will be little chirpy temptations there.

 

[Sandiejo13]

Ok, so I didn't set my eggs on the 14th.... but did set my first ever batch on the 19th of Mar. 41 eggs....Candled them today (day 9) . It took a bit to figure out what I was looking at...but found that I only had 10 eggs not viable for sure, with a few more in question... but it was soooo cool to see the movement inside!!! Will check again on day 14 and see how the questionable ones are doing.... I am totally amazed I have this many eggs with movement. Wasn't sure just how "randy" my rooster were..... I have 49 hens with 3 roosters.... mix of breeds... I have Astralorps, Sex-link, New Hampshire Reds and Leg horn hens.... with 2 Astralorp and 1 Sex-link roosters... It will be interesting to see what the chicks look like!

Just wanted to share my excitement!!

 

[Cynthia12]

So disappointed. The eggs I won during the NYD hatch a long, aren't good, but two. I've opened the clear ones now, a couple were pretty stinky.

The other two have high air sacs..real high, hoping they are alive, I know I just see air sacs..so will leave them and cross my fingers. None of the ones that I opened had even started.

 

[bantambury]

oh do i give her eggs?? its so tempting...i love broodies, but im not sure what eggs i would give her...

 

[Peep-Chicken]

oh do i give her eggs?? its so tempting...i love broodies, but im not sure what eggs i would give her...

Great picture! If it where me, I would give her some eggs... Or hatch the chicks and slip them under her.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

oh do i give her eggs?? its so tempting...i love broodies, but im not sure what eggs i would give her...

What is she crossed with?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Ok, so I didn't set my eggs on the 14th.... but did set my first ever batch on the 19th of Mar. 41 eggs....Candled them today (day 9) . It took a bit to figure out what I was looking at...but found that I only had 10 eggs not viable for sure, with a few more in question... but it was soooo cool to see the movement inside!!! Will check again on day 14 and see how the questionable ones are doing.... I am totally amazed I have this many eggs with movement. Wasn't sure just how "randy" my rooster were..... I have 49 hens with 3 roosters.... mix of breeds... I have Astralorps, Sex-link, New Hampshire Reds and Leg horn hens.... with 2 Astralorp and 1 Sex-link roosters... It will be interesting to see what the chicks look like!

Just wanted to share my excitement!!

Congratulations! Your first ever hatch is very special!

So disappointed. The eggs I won during the NYD hatch a long, aren't good, but two. I've opened the clear ones now, a couple were pretty stinky.

The other two have high air sacs..real high, hoping they are alive, I know I just see air sacs..so will leave them and cross my fingers. None of the ones that I opened had even started.

Bummer.

oh do i give her eggs?? its so tempting...i love broodies, but im not sure what eggs i would give her...

She looks pretty darn serious about it. Sounds like you don't want to risk any eggs you have set to hatch. I'd let her sit on fake eggs and slip some Easter hatch chicks under her.

 

[domesticzoo]

When is Easter? Because on Monday I put the eggs under lock down. I am flying without a net this HAL. I pray I get some chicks!

 

[SandraBH]

I read that the incubator temperature may need to be fiddled with as the chicks develop because they're putting off their own heat.
Mine is doing the same...even with my house heated it dropped the last two nights to 97° and went up to 102° during the afternoon. I'm afraid to walk away and have it go above 102°

 

[Cynthia12]

We've come a long way Baby!