4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Bettacreek]

I have some tuxedo button eggs coming. If they show up on Saturday, I can have them in for an xmas hatch. The week after that, then they'll join the NYD hatch. However, I have the feeling that they'll come early next week, lol.

 

[crissycriss]

Ditto, I knew about the first, but the second?  Wow.  And what's really bad is, I've always been very careful about not posting pictures of myself on the internet because it creeps me out that it's so public, yet my family have posted pictures of me on facebook multiple times, and it's like the cat is out of the bag   I really like my anonymity and privacy (otherwise I woulda gone into acting or something, right, LOL)
You HAVE to set them all for the NYD hatch, 'cause I think I guessed high.........

x2 lol i did too!!

 

[Razadia]

There are a lot of debates on this issue, so I experimented. I incubated a batch of washed eggs and a batch of unwashed eggs. Both had a very high hatch rates, and it fact, the washed eggs was just a little bit higher. So I don't think it matters. I have even washed a broody hen's eggs before and reiceved a 100% hatch rate. I also have drity eggs, so I usually wash them. Run them under water that is WARMER than the eggs, this helps push stuff out. Don't soak them for any longer than 1 minute. Don't use soap or other chemical agents. Take a wash cloth and scrub them gently, don't push too hard otherwise you may push bacteria into the pores of the eggs but I have scrubbed hard in the past as well and the eggs still hatch. When I sell eggs on craigslist, I always wash them this way and I have had many esponses about how great the hatch rate was. One man said he had hatched 3 times before this with horrilbe hatch rates, but had 95% with my eggs. So I would wash them if I were you.

I've actually used foam soap to wash eggs and got the best hatch rate out of them. I've had some pretty good hatches since I ran out of the soap, but it hasn't really added up to when I washed them.

Hi ya'll,

I signed up for BYC just a couple weeks ago, partly b/c the Fodder Thread got me to finally actually *do it* (I just uploaded picks over there of the 1st batch)
but also b/c the the entire concept of a Hatch A Long for NYD was just too good to miss out on !!!
oh, & even w/ contests & prizes , wow how clever (thanks to the ppl running that part and those giving prizes).

So, my hubby is working on finishing up my DIY 'Bator this week
& I pick up 24 hatching eggs Sat (found someone w/ hens a laying only 25 miles from me via BYC, how cool is THAT!! since my girls have been on egg vacation since Sept.

I'll post pics of 'bator & eggs when I have them.

Just wanted to say hello and thanks for the great fun way to count down the end of 2012 and (hopefully) start off 2013 w/ something new and fun!

FeyRaine

Welcome to the Hatch!

once I did a google search on tadpole98 (my user) and it came upwith all the images for my account (chick pics) and some of what I had viewed (more chick/chicken pics)
it also came up with some other peoples pics that had their username as tadpole98..

The scary thing is, if you search my user name the first thing that pops up under web is my BYC, then my swap page, and a few posts down my OKcupid (I need to delete that.

) and another one way down the page that's mine too (Razadia the Silver). One of the pics under images links to the poll for the short story contest from the Easter hatch, which includes my story 'The Problem With Poultry', but doesn't include the pic from the story. It really is creepy.

I have a question I joined the hatch along or I think I did it right . But I have serama and jumbo brown quail and my button even laid an egg today , my question is do I have to pick one to use for the hatch along or can I add each on there own day so they are all due the same day?. Thank you

As everyone else has said, just set them on their respective days and you'll be fine.

OK, I'm in. I was going to sit this winter out, but that would be a big gap in my Iowa Blue project and my pullets are laying now. Besides I gotta see what my new boy will throw.

Sit the winter out? What's that?

wingstone you do know I will have to hunt you down if we both get good hatches!!! whatever will I do with all these ducks!!! LOL

Make more room for them?

Ditto, I knew about the first, but the second? Wow. And what's really bad is, I've always been very careful about not posting pictures of myself on the internet because it creeps me out that it's so public, yet my family have posted pictures of me on facebook multiple times, and it's like the cat is out of the bag

I really like my anonymity and privacy (otherwise I woulda gone into acting or something, right, LOL)
You HAVE to set them all for the NYD hatch, 'cause I think I guessed high.........

It's better to guess high than low. I guessed too low of a number for the Easter hatch!

 

[Bettacreek]

HA! The seventh serama egg *IS* developing! It's behind the other eggs for sure, but it's developing! I'll have to give that one a good couple of days after the others hatch before I give up on it, lol. I'm glad I never toss eggs until the final candle when they go into lockdown!

 

[Blarneyeggs]

OMG I cannot keep up with all the chit chat on this thread.  Are we also supposed to use this thread to confirm our set date/time etc with pics?  I can't find pertinent info by weeding through this with all the extra comments  When is the deadline to enter the contests?

I plugged in the Hova Bator I borrowed and it seems to work well, keeps a reasonably consistent temp.  Can anyone tell me what temp it needs to be and what the humidity should be until those last few days?  This one also has an automatic turner so looks like my work will be to watch!  I'm trying to collect some of my own eggs, but how do I know if they are fertile?  Not sure my old rooster is doing his job these days, but I do have a couple young roos I can put in with the hens in his place.  Can someone show me a pic of what a fertilized egg looks like?  I understand you can tell by the white spot on the yolk.  Also can we candle at 6 days to see if they were fertile or duds and remove the duds?

I've never done this before (hatched my own nor joined the hatch-along) ... do we take a pic and submit at noon on the 11th? Then we just wait and announce what we got when they hatch or??  I gather we aren't supposed to give number before hand since that messes with some contests. Are we allowed to say breeds?  What info do we have to give?

Also, how do I keep my eggs prior to setting?  I read that they should be stored at 12-15 celcius, but I have no where that is that temp.  Fridge is much colder, outside is colder yet, so I put them in a carton in my son's room which only gets to about 19 celcius.  Will this be okay or will the start growing before they are supposed to?

Sorry for all the questions!

Hi Ravenwood! Your first hatch, how exciting!

Sounds like your son's room temp will work. Tilt the egg carton back and forth a few times per day. I keep my Hovabator temps between 99.5 and 100.5 degrees Faranheit. There is lots of info on the first post of this thread. Yes, a lot of chit chat, but lots of good info as well. I will look for the fertilized egg pics that someone posted a while back.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Score! Found a thread with good pics.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-pictures

 

[RavenWood]

Thank you! Yes it is my first hatch. I'm not home during the day in order to tilt, but I will tilt it morning and evening and hope that will suffice.

I have another question too - what is a reasonable cost for purchasing fertilized eggs from someone who just has backyard chickens and isn't guaranteeing they are fertile?

Shelley

Score! Found a thread with good pics.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/16008/how-to-tell-a-fertile-vs-infertile-egg-picture

Hi Ravenwood! Your first hatch, how exciting!
Sounds like your son's room temp will work. Tilt the egg carton back and forth a few times per day. I keep my Hovabator temps between 99.5 and 100.5 degrees Faranheit. There is lots of info on the first post of this thread. Yes, a lot of chit chat, but lots of good info as well. I will look for the fertilized egg pics that someone posted a while back.

 

[gabrielle1976]

HA! The seventh serama egg *IS* developing! It's behind the other eggs for sure, but it's developing! I'll have to give that one a good couple of days after the others hatch before I give up on it, lol. I'm glad I never toss eggs until the final candle when they go into lockdown!

 

[msladyhawke]

Hi everyone!

I've been hoping to be able to participate and was finally able to get some eggs to set, so I'm in. I can't wait to get started!

Awesome! What kind of eggs?

This is my first NYD hatch. Can't wait! I choose to set some langshans.

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Thank you! Yes it is my first hatch.  I'm not home during the day in order to tilt, but I will tilt it morning and evening and hope that will suffice.

I have another question too - what is a reasonable cost for purchasing fertilized eggs from someone who just has backyard chickens and isn't guaranteeing they are fertile?  

Shelley

Egg prices vary greatly. I have a neighbor who will sell me fertile eggs for $2/dozen, which is unbelievably cheap. If you doubt the eggs fertility, find another source. The first hatch is unbelievably exciting, you do not want to go through the disappointment of infertile eggs. Having said that, if your egg source has a rooster, chances are...the eggs are fertile.