I also lay the eggs on their sides, haven't used a carton yet. I know some folks do it no problem but the idea scares me. I wouldn't want to be the chick that has to bust out that way. And now bouncing over to look for an October thread to post my latest hatch! :weee
Bummer. :hugs Don't give up! My first hatch was 0% too. My second, I got 6 little fluffy butts out of 24 eggs! A bad ratio, but seeing that first fluffybutt is worth it!
Holy turtle fudge. Skip a couple days on this thread and miss 6 mobile pages of posts. :P Congrats to all the new chicky parents! I have one lonely little quail egg due today (or tomorrow..or the day after..lol), 32 more due early next week along with 9 chicken eggs. :woot
JammieMax and those...
So sorry familypendragon. :hugs There seems to be a window of time within their first couple weeks of life when it's common for chicks to drop dead. And I swear it always seems to happen to the favorites. :(
I can't say for sure but I saw a thread here before about purple eggs and folks theorized they were caused by certain hens that had a tendency to lay eggs with a "powdery, white" bloom, over a dark brown egg. Same as how that white effect turns a brown egg pink. Again, I really have no idea, though.
I use plain old wood shavings (larger pieces, not the very fine stuff - and don't use cedar) in my brooders and have never had an issue. And chick grit is not necessary. The feed manufactured for chicks is ground fine enough that grit is not needed.
I'm so excited, and anxious!
So in my wonky homemade incubator with the 85-112 fluctuations, we added a bi-metal thermostat and a CPU fan and the temp seems to be holding between 98-99.5!! Eggs aren't even here yet and I'm anxious already! I so hope the temp holds this time around, so I get more...
:woot Good luck!! Yes, do post lots of pics!
I'm determined to hatch Seramas. My first try was 0/15, so I've gone the route of buying cockerels and pullets to try breeding my own. :fl
Nice find!! Good luck!!
:hugs My temp spiked to 110 on day 21. I did eggtopsies later and sadly it killed 7 fully developed babies, but 2 made it and are happy, healthy chicks now! There is hope!
Adorable babies, everyone! So excited to receive all my new eggs in the mail and start cookin'! :ya
Yes! There most certainly is! My last hatched yesterday and I have two empty bators. I'm going crazy without going in to check on anything every couple hours. :P Must. Have. More. Eggs!
Glad you got them back! I know that sinking gut when you find out what happened. We rehomed a little dog once that we'd raised from birth, to a supposed good family. The first day they had him, they threw him out like trash. We searched the roads for weeks trying to find him, thinking he'd...
I made one of these homemade styro-bators and can't help exactly yet because I have the hardest time keeping the temp regulated at all, but can say I put a dimmer on a 3-way bulb, thinking I could just adjust as necessary. The problem with that is by the time I adjust it, it's too late...it's...