5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[Cynthia12]

Candled 4 of my eggs today that were over 15days old before they went into the incubator, 3 have little veins. I am so excited. Happy egg hatching everyone

Congrats! Crossing fingers you have three little ones chirping away by the end..or first of the Jan. )

 

[Cynthia12]

The Rhodebar eggs came from Papabrooder?

DMRippy...did I quote someone else? Wouldn't be surprised. Maybe I quoted where papa quoted to DMRippy.. Guessing? Anyway..Donna sent them.

 

[SilkieSensation]

 
I love my GFM.....it expires soon though!

I considered a GFM but I'm too poor at the moment. However, I have won 2 GFMs in contests. I won a year for guessing when we would reach 5 million posts, or something like that. Then I won a 6 month one in a best comb picture contest.
I did enjoy them and will probably purchase in the future.

Quote:

 
quick question guys. say i set 10 eggs in an incubator... and 2 end up being not fertile... and the other 8 hatch. would that be a 100% hatch rate or 80%? i want to know if un fertilized eggs count towards your hatch rate

I would say it is total hatch rate. It is too hard to tell (did I say impossible?) if an egg is truly infertile or didn't develop for any number of other reasons once the eggs have been cooking a while. In research, they open eggs every day during incubation to determine fertility and development before the evidence is lost which often happens within a couple days of the embryo failing.
An egg can have no development and still had been fertilized. (blastoderm without embryo) Some of the causes are:
Excessive storage time prior to incubation
Stored under poor conditions, temperature too high or too low. Fluctuating temperatures
Incubator improperly sterilized -- too severe or just prior to incubation 
Incorrectly disinfecting eggs or egg wash temperature too high
Eggs damaged during handling and transport by jarring, temperature shock when the temps changed too rapidly
Eggshell respiration inhibited
High temperature in early incubation - this one is very common
Very young or very old breeders
Heredity, inbreeding, chromosome abnormalities
Breeder flock diseases
Failure of a basic organ system to develop normally - usually genetic
Infections vertically or by contact like salmonella
Drugs, toxins, pesticides, etc.
Infrequent or incomplete egg collection

Much of that list comes from the University of Florida and the incubator company 'NatureForm'.

With all those possible problems, those of you that always have excellent hatch rates

 


I don't get any pop ups at all on this site. The top right corner is an add but that stays there when I scroll down I have blue to the sides of my main area. I guess there is advertisement at the bottom of the page also.

I've never had pop ups either, whether I was basic or GFM.

 
Hi!  I hope all is going well for everyones eggs!  The lost eggs are going to be reshipped.  Would be nice if they developed too

I have been reading the posts.... y'all are too kind.  I am not a mad scientist.... well maybe a little.  If you guy ONLY KNEW some of the stuff I have cooking at the farm LOL.

I have seen several posts about my Marans eggs I and I wanted to CLARIFY the colors I have.  I have a Blue Copper roo over Blue and Black Copper pullets those are in pen 10 so you would get blue black and splash chicks.  Not all blue and splash or just splash.  Some got eggs from pen 5 and those have a black copper roo over blue and black copper so only blue and black copper from that pen. 

I would LOVE to see pics of the chicks you guys hatch from my eggs especially the Marans.  Please PM me pics.  I can't keep up with this thread.... y'all talk more than my Hubby does

Hope you ALL have a great hatch!  nothing more fun than a good hatch! 

I am going to work on my new hatcher today very excited about it.  I have had it for months just didn't have time to work on it.  My son is going to do all the wiring today for me YEAH!.... just need to test it after that. 



This pic is best to kinda explain what I am going to do.  The bottom is where the flexwatt and water will be.  I may need to add another heat source.  Flexwatt sometimes need a boost. 

Awesome hatcher. I was seriously considering flexwatt. After doing the calculations, I realized I couldn't get enough in there.

I opted for some like this with more oomph.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HEATING-ELE...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

http://www.ebay.com/itm/100-Watt-Ro...998?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d07e3dad6

http://www.ebay.com/itm/125-Watt-Ca...912?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f202d7a00

I'm sure they work better with moving air though.

 
I am having fun,,despite my PC issues .. Why would you think that you are being mean?  Why would you state that..? Is it because we all have to be sensitive on this PC chatting? I take no issue with your statement..  

Some people have very thin skin and on forums like this everyone seems like they're walking on eggshells.
Or maybe it's just me.

 
painting the edges would work,,so would the silicone,,,,just a thin swipe would work,, That is a nice set up,,would hate to see it ruined,,,Even if you live in a very humidly environment,,your area.. It might effect it also,,,Peace,,, 

I hadn't sealed or painted the insides of my cabinet and moisture soaked into the wood and worked it's way into my homemade double pane windows creating condensation - not to mention the problem with the wood.
I ended up sealing (after it dried out) and cured the problem.

 
yep...Tones. I forgot about the icons,, I will use them more,, .

I need to use smilies more too because I guess I'm just too plain spoken.
I grew up in a pretty tough environment. For high school I attended an all boys, private, Catholic, military institute. Discipline being utmost on their agenda, it was not a warm and fuzzy place.  (anyone want some horror stories?)
Then, after serving in the army (Viet Nam era), I spent most of the rest of my life in factories - primarily auto industry and feed industry. Those people can be quite harsh. One tends to acquire the same harsh persona after all that time.

Clearly though, some people do need to get over it, put their big girl pants on and grow some skin.
If someone asks for advice and I give them advice that specifically addresses their situation, don't get huffy and tell me I'm being mean because it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

There's my smiley for the day.

I'm pretty straight forward myself but have a background in teaching & psychology so have had a lot of experience in explaining things very simply so people can understand them. I tend to look at the words themselves and think how I would feel under similar circumstances. Then I give the benefit of the doubt that I may have still misunderstood & ask for clarification if needed. We all just need to remember to ask for more details if something sounds a bit off, then no one gets offended by misunderstandings.

As for smilies, not all of us can use them. There is no option for them on my cell phone.

 

[abmaddox1981]

So I did another candling when I turned earlier ( have to hand turn since my 2yo broke my auto-turner). All but 2 of the silkies have awesome veining! My gold comet eggs are so dark I have no idea what is going on in them. And my AM/EE eggs have good veins but they're almost as difficult to see in as the comets.

 

[ronott1]

DMRippy...did I quote someone else? Wouldn't be surprised. Maybe I quoted where papa quoted to DMRippy.. Guessing? Anyway..Donna sent them.

Someone else is hatching some eggs from Papabrooder. I hatched a couple of them a test hatch for him last year. They are very cute chicks and both egg hatched--one boy and one girl.

So I did another candling when I turned earlier ( have to hand turn since my 2yo broke my auto-turner). All but 2 of the silkies have awesome veining! My gold comet eggs are so dark I have no idea what is going on in them. And my AM/EE eggs have good veins but they're almost as difficult to see in as the comets.

GQF has all the repair parts for the auto turners. If it is a Brinsea, they are easy to repair too.

Yea for veining eggs!

For the Golden Comet eggs, candle them from the big end and look for veins at the air cell.

 

[BoereMeisie]

Yes! It can still happen and you will be fine if you don't until even later. I had my last just before I turned 40. I wondered about how he would be when we were this age. Oh my goodness..so thankful we had him. So well behaved and mannered. Also a very spiritual young man. On a mission right now for our church. He loves the Lord! You are still very young...praying now, that this will happen for you. And, only 2 dogs? What? You need one more. We have three.

And one just had pups..won't be doing that again though. lol...I'm getting way to old.

We used to have 3, they are all Jack Russell Terriers. We had to find the youngest one a new home though, as she was forever chewing through the fence and then chewing and digging her way into the chicken coops and making the chickens extremely nervous, killing those she could get to. She also had a royal time chasing sheep - we just had to re-home her. We don't live on our own farm, my husband works on the farm and we live in a little cottage on the farm. 2 Jack Russell Terriers are quite enough for me, but I'm really entertaining the idea of a LGD - just need to get past the hubby as he's the voice of reason when it comes to new animals being brought here. He's the reason I don't own every type of dog there is! Luckily he isn't bothered about me bringing new chickens or chicks home, or hatching eggs for that matter.

 

[Aphrael]

Well, great news...just met the new neighbor Mrs. behind us. Right after we moved in, they put a 6 ft block wall fence around their acre, which gave us some wind protection for our runs which are against the property line. She misses seeing our chickens every day, though, and is planning on getting some soon...so if my hatch rate is high it would be nice to pass on some of mine to her and then I can still visit them

I told her about BYC...just passing on the addiction!


Our other neighbor watched our flock while we were out of town for Thanksgiving. She has lived next door for many years and says she has never seen the chickens looking so healthy. I went back to photos of when we moved in vs now, and didn't realize the difference I guess b/c I see them every day. I will post it later. They were fed only corn scratch by the previous owner...and now they have layer feed plus all kinds of fruits/ veggies, worms and nuts. I also do dog or cat food once a week. They were a sad looking flock before...nice to see shiny colorful feathers!

I need to get off the computer and go start working on putting the aviary netting over the big run so my chickens have more space. And so I stop feeding the entire sparrow and pigeon community in my state! I'm also cooking up a batch of homemade chicken noodle soup for my 13yo dd who has been sick for the past week. Just wish it was fresh chicken and not rotisserie from the store!

Have a great day, everyone!

You inherited chickens with your house?!?! Lucky you!

Pullet just went broody this weekend,,She is 9 month,, Gonna set maybe 6 to 8 eggs,, They will be surprise ,either Jersey Giant/Dark Cornish or FBCM I am gonna separate her today. I will have chicks hatching for a week strait. With my Hatcher,

I will able to keep both @ proper temps and humidity . Plus the small fridge bounces back to correct setting ,just as fast as the hova 1588....I love DIY projects,,,

That is a super cute little pullet. What is she?

 

[BoereMeisie]

On which page is the egg candling chart again? Went back to page 1 and couldn't see it added. I candled tonight, and I saw an embryo in one egg, sitting right on the edge of the air cell and not moving with the contents of the egg...The rest are veined around the air cell it seems. Is that one embryo sticking to the shell?

 

[Penny Hen]

okay I'm trying to breathe lol. I think we are christmas shopping today so that will take my mind off of it. also we got a foot of snow last night so I'm busy with my outside girls shoveling paths for them and putting hay down to keep their feeties warm. first winter with chickens and goats....

If the goats are bred and are going to kid while it is still cold, go to the Goodwill and pick up some baby/toddler sweaters for your new goat kids. You trim the arms short so that they don't step on them and for boys split the front up from the bottom so they can't pee on it. Use a blanket stitch to whip the raw edges down or a crochet hook and yarn to chain an edge so they don't unravel. Or bias tape and a sewing machine. I would also get a larger sweater that can fit an adult goat for inevitably one of the goats will eventually get sick in the winter. Try to get one with real wool in it.

Speaking of sweaters I found a chicken sweater pattern that was on Facebook.


Little Hen Rescue
Double knitting yarn (100g makes approximately 3 jumpers)
2 buttons or 10cm Velcro
1 pair of number 8 (4mm) knitting needles
4mm crochet hook
Knitted in stocking stitch with garter stitch borders
Cast on 41 sts,
Work 4 rows K
Increase for tabs;
Cast on 10 sts at beginning of next row, k14, p to last 4 sts, k4.
Cast on 10 sts at beginning of next row, k14, p to last 14sts, k14.
Work buttonholes; (work these 2 rows straight if using Velcro).
(K2, yf k2tog) 3 times, work to end keeping edges in garter st.
Repeat this row for buttonholes on the other tab.
Cast off 10 sts at beginning of next row.
Next row – cast off 10 sts, k4, p2 tog, p to last 6 sts, p2tog, k4.
Dec 1 st at each end on every fol 6th row until 25 sts remain.
Divide for neck;
Work 11 sts, cast off 3, work to end – complete this half first.
1) k4, p to end
2) cast off 2, k to end
3) k4, p to end
4) k2tog, k to end
5) k4, p2tog, p to end
Work 4 rows straight
10) K to last 5 sts, inc in next st, k4.
11) K4, p to last st, inc in next st.
12) Cast on 2 sts, k to end, (11sts)
13) K4, p to end
14) K
Break yarn and rejoin to the other side of neck.
Work to match, reversing shaping’s and ending at winghole edge.
Next row – k, cast on 3, k across sts from other side of neck.
Next row , k4 inc in next st, p to last 5 sts, inc in next st, k4.
Inc 1 st at each end of every fol 6th row until there are 41 sts on the needle.
Work 6 rows straight.
Change to gst and knit 4 rows.
Cast off.
Sew on buttons or Velcro as desired.
Work double crochet around neck.

 

[chick rookie]

I wonder if you are thinking of those great big broilers you see in the feed stores in the spring? You go there to look at chicks, see these cute little white fluff balls, then go back a week later, and they are huge. They get big fast, but then you can eat them sooner.

I can't eat my chickens... but the ol'man is trying to get me to

but my grandmother had the huge white chickens and they would beat up her smaller ones, she called them leghorns. Guess she was wrong. those are what I was thinking about. I have found 3 that look like they could be the breed I'm thinking about. Guess I will never know for sure and I'm ok with that, just not going to get any huge chickens. then I don't have to worry about my other hens. and I think I will get a couple "Leghorns" and see what kind of egg I get from them since the peewee egg I get aint your typical leghorn egg.