🍃August Hatch-a-Long🍃

[Oldhallchicks]

Ok...so I think my second hen is going broody. She’s been spending more time than usual in the coop, and just standing on the ramp. I’ve found her a few times sitting in the nest box, and she’s not laying as often.

stuck a couple of her eggs in there (I’ve been scrambling them for the chickens since we can’t eat them right now bc they’re having lice treatment).

It would be amazing if she was broody and I could give her the duck eggs to hatch and brood, so maybe it’s wishful thinking!

is there anything else I can do to nudge her or encourage broody behaviour if she’s thinking about it anyway?

 

[HappyClucker7]

You could hand a curtain over the nest box entrance and put some golf balls into the nest.

 

[chickiebaby1]

So far I’ve had 5 out of 7 hatch with one more pipped! All little white (maybe Splash) showgirls and regular silkies. I can’t believe how good these did with me not knowing their exact setting date. Thanks to all of you lovely people and all that I have learned it made it easier to tell about where they were in the incubation process. Just 2 more to go!!!!

 

[TheBajan]

So I have good news, bad news, and a question. Let's start with the good news... right now I have 7 hatched and doing fine. 6 more have externally pipped. Here are a couple of pics.

Now for the bad news. I dropped an egg last night and it cracked. It began leaking very watery yolk everywhere. I cleaned it, candled it and put it back but judging by the watery consistency, I think it was already DIS. Either way, it's showing no signs of life.

And now the question.... the egg I've been most concerned about is #3. You can see it in the picture next to the chick at the front. This is my largest egg with an original weight of 76g and only 7% weight loss. Before lock-down I drew the air sac so I could keep an eye on everyone's pipping action. When I candled it today, I could no longer see the air sac at all but I could feel movement. I got concerned that it was going to drown and decided to give it a tiny air vent in the area I had drawn the air sac. You can see that in the picture. Jump ahead to just now. I have a new picture of it's current status. It's clearly not yet ready to hatch but it appears to have completely filled the shell and the membrane is pulling away from the shell (shrink-wrapping). I am able to peak down between the membrane and the side of the shell and I can see the beak so I know it's getting air. My question is, what am I looking at? It's clearly a malpositioned chick and it's clearly being shrink-wrapped. What part of the chick am i seeing in this view? I know it's not ready to hatch so I'm just going to keep the membrane moist and try to keep other chicks from disturbing it but I also know it's going to need my assistance. Thought?

 

[Paterino Del Galaxia]

I mean it won't use electricity or gas continuously in the actual egg incubation. What I meant by absolute is that you won't use gas or electricity during the egg incubation not the source of the boiling water and this is what makes it efficient, and a good backup incubator for emergencies and such. I hope that clears the communication barrier.

How do people get boiling water without electricity or gas? A fire outside?

t

 

[Hucklekree]

3 out of their shells! 3 Sulmtalers so far woot!!

 

[FortCluck]

I mean it won't use electricity or gas continuously in the actual egg incubation. What I meant by absolute is that you won't use gas or electricity during the egg incubation not the source of the boiling water and this is what makes it efficient, and a good backup incubator for emergencies and such. I hope that clears the communication barrier.

t

When we lose power we have no water... our whole house is electric. This wouldn’t help me.

 

[CindyinSD]

How do people get boiling water without electricity or gas? A fire outside?

You can also build this kind from bricks, but this is (imo) the best vid I've seen about the (slightly easier) cement block version.

 

[Birdie2019]

Hatching 8 MF Cochin Bantam eggs. Day 9 begins around 2pm today. I started with 7 eggs, then added another the day after that at the same time. All 8 are fertile and I candled at day 5. I could NOT wait!
Also, anyone use HatchaBatch? It’s very very helpful.

 

[FortCluck]

You can also build this kind from bricks, but this is (imo) the best vid I've seen about the (slightly easier) cement block version.

Sounds awesome. I want to make one now