11th Annual Easter Hatch a Long 2020

[Pensmaster]

Such fear
A snowstorm hit today, it'll continue all through tomorrow too. It really caught me off-guard, I was not expecting snow so late in the season. The weather had been so nice before now too.

So far the power has flickered a bit, and that made the temperature in my incubator drop some. I piled blankets on top, leaving the vent clear and plugged it into a battery pack. So hopefully these last two days will go well and I'll see some little ones hatch.
Tempterature is back to normal and the humidity is a little high ~75%, but it's not bad, still within the recommended rate in my machine's manual.

I am also worried about my broody hen and my shipment of chicks.
The broody hen is still with her clutch of eggs, thankfully despite the snow it's not too cold out and I'd insulated the nesting box beforehand. She's also a very winter hardy bird, but I still worry it's not quite enough.
For the shipment, the last I heard was they departed the origin facility at 1AM. Finger crossed they arrive safe and healthy.

Last fall power company turned power off due to the high winds and fire safety. Four days without power. Had generators running, for the house of course.
The eggs had nothing to do with running the generators nope not all.
Hope your power stays on and chicks stay warm in their shipping.

 

[MROO]

In lockdown, now, waiting for the weekend. I've still got three going, but I'm not too sure about one of them. Still, at this late stage, I'll let it go the last couple of days without pulling it. I guess I'll know, soon enough, right? I was REALLY good about leaving them alone, this time. With all the nastiness going on, and even with washing my hands a bazillion times, I was afraid to keep touching my little egglets, so I didn't candle as often as I usually do. So ... this time it'll be a surprise. Actually, it'll be a bigger surprise than usual, because I added a few extras two days later. We'll just have to see how things go ...
I HATE the waiting game, especially since "lockdown" applies to both eggs and hoomans, this time!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Well I was going to actually take the egg I was questioning out to take a closer look but just like that I have 3 external pips so no more opening to peek!

 

[Mvan42]

They may still be good. I’ve had some go to day 23 before.

Candle since it was dark quickly when I removed the last two from the incubator that has hatched. Only one is still alive and moving...

 

[kelseyk]

Such fear
A snowstorm hit today, it'll continue all through tomorrow too. It really caught me off-guard, I was not expecting snow so late in the season. The weather had been so nice before now too.

So far the power has flickered a bit, and that made the temperature in my incubator drop some. I piled blankets on top, leaving the vent clear and plugged it into a battery pack. So hopefully these last two days will go well and I'll see some little ones hatch.
Tempterature is back to normal and the humidity is a little high ~75%, but it's not bad, still within the recommended rate in my machine's manual.

I am also worried about my broody hen and my shipment of chicks.
The broody hen is still with her clutch of eggs, thankfully despite the snow it's not too cold out and I'd insulated the nesting box beforehand. She's also a very winter hardy bird, but I still worry it's not quite enough.
For the shipment, the last I heard was they departed the origin facility at 1AM. Finger crossed they arrive safe and healthy.

We are supposed to get snow Saturday/Sunday and then it is supposed to stay cold all next week. We had temps in the 70's all this week....definitely not looking forward to this next cold snap! My heat plate for my rooster shed got lost in shipment too, so sad for my roosters. I'll have to put a bunch of straw in there shelter for them I guess.

 

[Uff Da]

I have ha

I decided to take a peek, and I was right, it is malpositioned.
View attachment 2082439
https://thepoultrysite.com/articles/investigating-hatchery-practice-examining-the-hatch-debris

I have had one of these in every hatch I have ever done. Maybe I will make a greater effort to incubate my eggs vertically.

 

[Uff Da]

Such fear
A snowstorm hit today, it'll continue all through tomorrow too. It really caught me off-guard, I was not expecting snow so late in the season. The weather had been so nice before now too.

So far the power has flickered a bit, and that made the temperature in my incubator drop some. I piled blankets on top, leaving the vent clear and plugged it into a battery pack. So hopefully these last two days will go well and I'll see some little ones hatch.
Tempterature is back to normal and the humidity is a little high ~75%, but it's not bad, still within the recommended rate in my machine's manual.

I am also worried about my broody hen and my shipment of chicks.
The broody hen is still with her clutch of eggs, thankfully despite the snow it's not too cold out and I'd insulated the nesting box beforehand. She's also a very winter hardy bird, but I still worry it's not quite enough.
For the shipment, the last I heard was they departed the origin facility at 1AM. Finger crossed they arrive safe and healthy.

We're supposed to get up to 12 inches of snow this weekend. And I just moved 5-week-olds outside with no heat.

 

[Missy020219]

How do you guys know if a chick is dead inside of the egg? Are there still veins if its dead?

 

[CindyinSD]

We're supposed to get up to 12 inches of snow this weekend. And I just moved 5-week-olds outside with no heat.

I bet they'll be fine. I did that with mine too, tho I did give them a wrapped heating pad. Got down to -12 Fahrenheit a week or two later and them in a tarp-wrapped tractor. In flippin late March. AND it was only supposed to hit +1°. But they were and are fine. are tough. Even . Amazing.

They still have the heating pad, but one hurt herself (her leg) somehow and seems to be improving, so I haven't taken it away, for her sake.

 

[kelseyk]

Got my old farm innovators incubator out of the garage sale pile and moved my Govee Thermometer/Hydrometer from my new Hovabator to it. Now crossing my fingers my hatch goes okay early this next week. I currently have the temp setting set to 105 and it is still only reading 99.5 on my Govee, and I have watched my humidity drop from 72% to 60% in an hour. Really thinking I might order an inexpensive still air Hovabator to use as a hatcher instead. With the temp that far off, I can just see it going kaput mid lockdown....and trying to keep humidity up is going to be an all day thing. What would you do?