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

[chickadoodles]

My first chick is out!

 

[Tessaturtle]

This is way cool..does this mean the comb and wattles will be white too??

one of my quitters (between Day 14 and 18) looked like an albino when I opened up the egg. Tiny, but perfectly formed, all white Feathered body. Noneof the parents are white.

 

[Amywilliams]

The black one has a California white mother the rooster to all of them are salmon faverolle. The leg feathers on the black one are white

 

[MavisMama]

Whoo hoooo we have 2 so far this morning!!!! The first will be named Evvel, which is Turkish (Sultan) for " the first". The second will be either Eve for Easter Eve or something that means little sister... This is so awesome!!!!'

 

[MavisMama]

Question - the directions say to take the red plastic plugs out to allow more air in the incubator after hatching - with 1 hatched, 1 in process & 4 more not started, I took out 1! Help!!

 

[Amywilliams]

Question - the directions say to take the red plastic plugs out to allow more air in the incubator after hatching - with 1 hatched, 1 in process & 4 more not started, I took out 1! Help!!

Mine have been out, I still have 5 more eggs doing nothing. Just watched the humidity

 

[MavisMama]

Ok, good. So far the humidity is perfect. The first one is very active & there are now 2 more hatching.
Congratulations!! And thanks so much for responding. This first time parent thing is scary!

 

[Amywilliams]

Ok, good. So far the humidity is perfect. The first one is very active & there are now 2 more hatching.
Congratulations!! And thanks so much for responding. This first time parent thing is scary!

Thank you and congrats to you as well. This is my second time. The first time I had 5 out of 12 eggs go into lock down and only 4 of those hatched and they were shipped eggs. It is a scary thing lol

 

[Tessaturtle]

Even though today is hatch day, ourd started early with the first one hatching on the night of day 19. We now have 11 in the brooder, about 8 in the incubator (they are still hatching so every time I leave the room another seems to hatch) and more eggs due to hatch! Here's some of the brooder babies.

 

[swampducks]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-using-the-dry-incubation-method

I used this link above for the directions that I used. It seemed legit... It is on this website and I thought it was credible. It directly conflicts what you are telling me but my chicks died after pipping so you must be correct. If it is not accurate, and it seems its not, maybe someone that is a moderator can research a little bit and have it taken down. In the bottom 3rd of the post, the directions clearly state to put in one plug at day 18 and the other at day 20.

This is pretty much the method I follow and I've got at least 12 chicks running about. I use a foam incubator. I don't add any water till lock down, the humidity in my room is only about 45% though. When I add the water the hygrometer reading is about 60-62%. I don't have a hygrometer that goes inside, it's just one of those tiny cheapo room ones that I think came with table top humidifier. I just straddle it across one of the vent plug holes. I leave one vent plug in and one out till about 14 days then I pull the other one.

I've never gotten much better than a 50% hatch rate, but I don't candle and pull the clears. I KNOW there must be some clears in there. I'll try to check all the eggs when it's done and see.

Can someone tell me how to officially calculate hatch rate? If you candle and remove them if they are clear or have stopped developing for whatever reason, do you still count those?