The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[Cynthia12]

So sad: hatch result 0/4.

 

[charmedchicken]

Everyone decided to hatch last night while we were in town. Mom said one popped out of the shell while she was watching. Here are my final numbers:

Eggs set: 17
same went into lockdown (I didn't candle. This is my first time incubating eggs.)
Eggs hatched: 13

Of the four that didn't hatch, one shrinkwrapped, I think, and didn't make it out though he'd pipped quite far, one DIS, one barely started developing, and one clear. I'm pretty pleased given that I had some temp issues and such at the start.

My condolences to the member who lost the mare. I can't imagine. Best of luck to the foal! He's a cutie.

 

[Grub Digger]

25 is my final count for this hatch.



Dominique + RSL = blonde apparently

 

[PaisyQ]

mixie x mixie


SLW x mixie


Delaware x 1/2 SLW/mixie

Okay, final numbers:
15 set, 13 made it to lockdown, and 12 hatched. Yippee!!!

 

[speney]

Well I haven't had a single one hatch last week I was at my uncles funeral and while I was away I had a temperature spike of 115 degrees I'm still hoping and praying I atleast get 2 to hatch but we will see

 

[flocktastic]

Finally have my numbers!! Had to write it all out before posting!!

i thought some might find this interesting - we had mixed lot of eggs to set and I thought some people might want to hear our results for comparison.
Our mix included some of our own eggs from our flock, some shipped eggs and some eggs picked up from a local gal about an hour and a 15 mins away.

I initially started with 42 in the incubator...
6 exchequer
6 blue and/or black French maran
14 Ameraucauna (8 shipped from Nicole sahwithchicks and 6 from the local lady who also gave me the 6 maran and 6 exchequer)

And then we miraculously had 16 of mixed from our own flock (I've got a barred rock rooster over 3 barred rock hens, 4 black jersey giant hens, 1 black sex link and 1 Easter egger hen)

On day 7 candling, I removed one from our flock's eggs for being infertile and another of ours with a blood ring. (Down to 40)

On day 10, I removed 2 infertile maran eggs (taking it down to 38 eggs in the bator) and wrote question marks on 4 of the local Amercauna eggs that appeared infertile.
My shipped eggs had wonky saddle shaped cells (I'm sure due to USPS NOT following our directions and tossing them in their jeep for delivery instead of calling me upon receipt and then me having to chase the carrier down to rescue the eggs from the bumpy routes around here!)

On day 14 candling, was still unsure of those 4 local Ameraucauna eggs I marked with question marks so I decided to leave them but wasn't hopeful.

Locked down 38 which included the 4 question marks and noticed a few of the shipped eggs saddle cells had mostly corrected by day 18. The rest had not.

I was pleasantly surprised by our numbers for a first incubation and for having eggs from three different environments.

Of the 6 local exchequer, 5 hatched and sadly, 1 would have but it got stuck mid-zip and died. I couldn't see it because it was underneath and to the back of the bator so it makes me sad I could have saved it.
Of the 6 local Ameraucauna, 2 hatched and I was RIGHT about the 4 question marks - either infertile or duds & they never pipped or anything.
Of the 4 local maran that made it to lockdown, 2 hatched, 1 DIS and one is still in question - it's alive right now but for the first day, it kept flopping on its back and sides and acted like it was on deaths doorstep. We discussed culling it and since then, it is suddenly on its feet in the bator. So I'm watching it and now that I've gotten a closer look, one wing is half the size of its other wing (deformity) and he/she keeps flipping to one side like there's an issue in the upper leg on that same side) So...I gave it a bath...and put it in its own safe box in/with a towel in the brooder. My hopes are not high and I know many would cull but I've decided to see what happens. If it passes on its own, so be it...if it just ends up being a special chicken with some mild issues, I'll give it the best life I can. It has a LOT of fight an doesn't seem to want to die. Time will tell.

Of the 8 shipped Ameraucauna, 3 hatched but I had to assist 2 out of 3. The first one I assisted did great - the second assist didn't - it had been shrink wrapped and was having a hard time...was very sticky. Couldn't dry out, we tried bathing and drying but it was just too weak and died shortly after.
The other 5 showed no signs of life and had the worst saddle shaped air cells.

Out of our 14 mixed eggs from our flock that made it to lockdown, ALL 14 HATCHED!!! So I was amazed and pleased with essentially a 100% hatch from our flock!

We have a total of 25 healthy chicks with the questionable 26th in the towel in the brooder but I highly doubt it's long for this world.

Our ending breed totals of the 26 are:

5 exchequer
4 Ameraucauna
3 maran (1 possibly won't make it)
14 barnyard mix

 

[emvickrey]

Well I've had 8 hatch. The last one is struggling to live. It has fluid in it's lungs. I suppose from me misting the eggs. So 8 out of 10 hatched. Seven are doing great.I don't expect the last 2 to hatch since I've been tending to the struggling chick. Opening the bator like I have been doing is not good for any remaining eggs.

 

[Saris]

9 hatched so far, 3 pipped and I'm pretty sure the rest are DIS. We'll see though, they have until tomorrow.

 

[venymae]

11 have hatched! I had one start zipping and was about 3/4 of the way around. Two hours later is hadn't changed. Snagged it out and found it DIS. nothing appeared wrong. Membrane was moist, vessels gone, yolk absorbed. Just died for no apparent reason! I have two more pipped and 4 not doing anything yet. Day 21 for me!

 

[Saris]

Well I've had 8 hatch. The last one is struggling to live. It has fluid in it's lungs. I suppose from me misting the eggs. So 8 out of 10 hatched. Seven are doing great.I don't expect the last 2 to hatch since I've been tending to the struggling chick. Opening the bator like I have been doing is not good for any remaining eggs.

How do you know it has fluid in it's lungs?

I have an Ayam Cemani (the only one I ordered) that I helped out of the shell and suctioned it's face because it looked like it was gagging? He's taking his sweet time getting up and walking around but he is slowly improving. He had leftover shell gunk that I didn't realize was gluing his vent shut but I've since cleaned that off.