1st attempt at hatching - April 1 hatch date...7 of 8 hatched. PIC Heavy w/ Hatching Videos!

[hondo58]

Hondo:

Congratulations on your successful hatch. Going back to the beginning of this thread and watching the development of the eggs to the hatched chicks was totally engrossing.

I also liked your idea about the ramp in the brooder. I think I'll steal that idea from you if any of my chicks hatch. It was day 10 yesterday and when I candled them 3 were a no-go. But......that means 12 are developing

I'm so excited.

Thanks. The ramp is so much fun. They run up and down it like 3rd graders at recess. Sometimes they get up on top and "fly" down bypassing the ramp. It looks like it is great exercise for them. I'll have to raise up the shelf as they get bigger. Eventually they won't need the ramp and I'll take it out to give them additional space and add a roost for them to get up on. Right now a few of them camp out underneath it.

I'll be watching your eggs for the next 11 days! Good luck!

 

[hondo58]

your first hatch made me cry. It was so amazing. I just love the videos. Birth is always a glorious thing. Now the girls at work are wondering why my eyes are all teary!!!!!

beautiful job. congrats on the new babies.

Thanks. We are just floored by the whole process. Three weeks ago those eggs were sitting in our fridge waiting to become the next batch of French Toast and now they are hopping and chirping all over the place. So much fun! I'm glad you enjoyed the video of the first hatch, it took our breath away when it popped out. You don't get a sense from the video but the bantams are tiny!

 

[hondo58]

The last egg was a quitter. I took it out last night and candled it. It showed no movement and a very large air cell. I then water tested it and again no movement. This last egg was the one that the new chicks were pushing and rolling around and laying on top of before I could remove them. I’m not sure if that had any effect on the fact it died before hatching but given all the others were OK I might lean that way.

I shut down the incubator and cleaned it after relocating the two remaining chicks over to the brooder.

All seven chicks are drinking and eating running up and down the ramp to the top shelf where the water and feed are kept. They go under the shelf to cool off then come out to get warm. If you approach the brooder they all come running out to see you. Brooder temp is 90.5°. Paper towels over pine shavings. (Thanks agian BYC for the paper towel tip)

This first hatch attempt using my home made incubator and our own eggs, which were refrigerated before I set them was a surprise success.
7 of the 8 eggs that I thought would hatch at lockdown made it. (87.5% success rate)

Not to mention that our rooster is under one year as are our hens. It wasn’t until after I set them that I read the young eggs are not the best to set.

Here are the results of my hatch log:

14 eggs selected from refrigerator all potentially fertilized by our young (just under a year old) EE rooster Louie. All eggs from pullets just under one year of age
5 White Plymouth Rocks
4 EEs
3 Bantams
2 Cinnamon Queens


Candling Results

Eggs Hen Day 4 Day 7 Day 14 Day 18

1 Bantam 1 VP VP VP DMM
2 Bantam 2 VP VP VP DMM
3 Bantam 3 VP VP VP DMM
4 CQ 1 VP VP VP NM
5 CQ 2 VP VP VP DMM
6 EE 1 VP VP VP DMM
7 EE 2 VP VP VP DMM
8 EE 3 VP VP VP DMM
9 EE 4 VP VP VP DMM
10 WPR 1 NVP NVP
11 WPR 2 NVP NVP
12 WPR 3 NVP NVP
13 WPR 4 NVP NVP
14 WPR 5 NVP NVP

NVP - No Veining Present
VP - Veining present
DMM - Dark Mass with Movement
NM - No Movement)

Temp and Humidity

Days 1-18
Avg Temp - 99.7°
Avg Humidity - 40%

Lockdown Days 19-21
Avg Temp - 100.0°
Avg Humidity - 65%

Hatch Results

Eggs Hen Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21
1 Bantam 1 Pip Pip Hatch 1
2 Bantam 2 Pip Hatch 4
3 Bantam 3 Pip Hatch 3
4 CQ 1
5 CQ 2 Pip Hatch 2
6 EE 1 Pip Hatch 5
7 EE 2 Pip/Hatch 6
8 EE 3 MNM
9 EE 4 Pip/Hatch 7

(NM = Mass but No Movement)

First pip at 18 days.
First hatch early on Day 20
Last hatch late on Day 21.

 

[hondo58]

As a side note....Elkie our bantam hen has just gone broody and is sitting on one of the White Plymouth Rock eggs. Since we were 0 for 5 on those eggs at the beginning I'm going to let her ride it out.

 

[lamoka]

Thanks for a great thread awesome pics, and congrats on a great hatch with your homemade incubator. This thread made me get my hatching equipment out and ready to go I am blaming you when my wife finds out!! lol

 

[hondo58]

Thanks for a great thread awesome pics, and congrats on a great hatch with your homemade incubator. This thread made me get my hatching equipment out and ready to go I am blaming you when my wife finds out!! lol

As soon as the chicks are hatched you will be golden! Good luck!

 

[startingaflock]

Just a side note about using the paper towel over the shavings. I haven't tried paper towel but what I use is those puppy training pads. They are the perfect size for the bottom of my brooder. Then I just roll them half way up, set the other one down and continue rolling as I finish laying the new one out.

The last egg was a quitter. I took it out last night and candled it. It showed no movement and a very large air cell. I then water tested it and again no movement. This last egg was the one that the new chicks were pushing and rolling around and laying on top of before I could remove them. I’m not sure if that had any effect on the fact it died before hatching but given all the others were OK I might lean that way.

I shut down the incubator and cleaned it after relocating the two remaining chicks over to the brooder.

All seven chicks are drinking and eating running up and down the ramp to the top shelf where the water and feed are kept. They go under the shelf to cool off then come out to get warm. If you approach the brooder they all come running out to see you. Brooder temp is 90.5°. Paper towels over pine shavings. (Thanks agian BYC for the paper towel tip)

This first hatch attempt using my home made incubator and our own eggs, which were refrigerated before I set them was a surprise success.
7 of the 8 eggs that I thought would hatch at lockdown made it. (87.5% success rate)

Not to mention that our rooster is under one year as are our hens. It wasn’t until after I set them that I read the young eggs are not the best to set.

Here are the results of my hatch log:

14 eggs selected from refrigerator all potentially fertilized by our young (just under a year old) EE rooster Louie. All eggs from pullets just under one year of age
5 White Plymouth Rocks
4 EEs
3 Bantams
2 Cinnamon Queens


Candling Results

Eggs Hen Day 4 Day 7 Day 14 Day 18

1 Bantam 1 VP VP VP DMM
2 Bantam 2 VP VP VP DMM
3 Bantam 3 VP VP VP DMM
4 CQ 1 VP VP VP NM
5 CQ 2 VP VP VP DMM
6 EE 1 VP VP VP DMM
7 EE 2 VP VP VP DMM
8 EE 3 VP VP VP DMM
9 EE 4 VP VP VP DMM
10 WPR 1 NVP NVP
11 WPR 2 NVP NVP
12 WPR 3 NVP NVP
13 WPR 4 NVP NVP
14 WPR 5 NVP NVP

NVP - No Veining Present
VP - Veining present
DMM - Dark Mass with Movement
NM - No Movement)

Temp and Humidity

Days 1-18
Avg Temp - 99.7°
Avg Humidity - 40%

Lockdown Days 19-21
Avg Temp - 100.0°
Avg Humidity - 65%

Hatch Results

Eggs Hen Day 18 Day 19 Day 20 Day 21
1 Bantam 1 Pip Pip Hatch 1
2 Bantam 2 Pip Hatch 4
3 Bantam 3 Pip Hatch 3
4 CQ 1
5 CQ 2 Pip Hatch 2
6 EE 1 Pip Hatch 5
7 EE 2 Pip/Hatch 6
8 EE 3 MNM
9 EE 4 Pip/Hatch 7

(NM = Mass but No Movement)

First pip at 18 days.
First hatch early on Day 20
Last hatch late on Day 21.

 

[hondo58]

Just a side note about using the paper towel over the shavings. I haven't tried paper towel but what I use is those puppy training pads. They are the perfect size for the bottom of my brooder. Then I just roll them half way up, set the other one down and continue rolling as I finish laying the new one out.

Great idea on the puppy training pads.

 

[hondo58]

Here are some more photos. I may try and get a video of the chicks going up and down the ramp.







​

 

[mondotomhead]

Oh, that little brown one is just so cute

Hondo, how do you feel now when you crack those other eggs for french toast and know what they could be