6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

The cross beak is supposedly hereditary. Exposed brain is high temperature or low oxygen early in the incubation.
http://ufdc.ufl.edu/UF00008570/00001/6j

What kind of thermometer do you have?

ETA
Since they're all your birds, you have a lot of control over breeder nutrition which can have a huge impact on hatchability.

If you don't keep up, it may be hard to catch up.

What is my plan if my pants don't fit BEFORE Thanksgiving?


I love goat.
Well, they free range. But once the growing things started dying back I started sprouting wheat and boss for them. They get that in the morning. I just went back to FF right before I started collecting eggs to hatch, so they get that in the evening, and all kitchen scraps gets tossed into the compost that they have free access to. I ferment a 50/50 combo of 24% all flock type and 16% layer, with free choice oyster shell and all the egg shells also go into the compost. They love those and only eat the oyster if the egg shells get sparse now and then.

ETA: Oops forgot to answer about the thermometer. I have 3 little cheap digitals, an accurite that measures at the unit and on a probe, and my thermostat is digital so acts as a thermo as well with its readout. I have tested each against a medical baby thermo multiple times to make sure they read consistently and marked the amount each is off so I know how much to correct in my head when I check.

I did read a couple posts by Ron that said it is better to run closer to 100 than 99.5, so I did that this time to see how it went. But I wouldn't think that small of a difference would be the cause. It is possible there could be some hot spots I missed, when I was moving all my thermos around and comparing. I'll have to do some more checks before set time. Oh, and thanks very much for the information. I appreciate it.

Thanksgiving chick!
Awwww. So cute! It looks so sleepy.
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That hatching stuff is hard work.
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Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday.
 
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EGGS! 1 light olive & 1 cream, just now while closing up the coop, this means 2 of my hens have re-started laying today.
I never did add the light, but last night we had feral pigs right around the house & coop (footprints there) so perhaps the gals who have been on egg vacation since Sept decided they should make themselves more valuable to me real fast...I also notice no body hanging behind when I went to lock them up so I think they are fully understanding their situation now ; /

I know all the Roos have been trying to do their duty as often as possible for weeks, so clearly they are w/ the program & all the eggs I get from here forward can be set Dec 11.

If all goes as planned I'll have BYM chicken eggs from 4 flocks & a few duck eggs, & be running 2 Little Giant bators, 1 hand turning 1 w/a new auto turner, & the hatchers will be divided up, 50/50 on 2 of the ppl giving chicken eggs, then of what remains half to my co-conspirator w/ the new homestead, and last but not least the rest to me :) Of course now w/everyone wanting chicks I'm starting to feel all pressured about hatch rate etc. (as those from past yrs. know my NYDH rates have been in the tragic to bummer range) but 3rd time is a charm right, so this yr I'll have 82 hatchers1
 
EGGS! 1 light olive & 1 cream, just now while closing up the coop, this means 2 of my hens have re-started laying today.
I never did add the light, but last night we had feral pigs right around the house & coop (footprints there) so perhaps the gals who have been on egg vacation since Sept decided they should make themselves more valuable to me real fast...I also notice no body hanging behind when I went to lock them up so I think they are fully understanding their situation now ; /

I know all the Roos have been trying to do their duty as often as possible for weeks, so clearly they are w/ the program & all the eggs I get from here forward can be set Dec 11.

If all goes as planned I'll have BYM chicken eggs from 4 flocks & a few duck eggs, & be running 2 Little Giant bators, 1 hand turning 1 w/a new auto turner, & the hatchers will be divided up, 50/50 on 2 of the ppl giving chicken eggs, then of what remains half to my co-conspirator w/ the new homestead, and last but not least the rest to me :) Of course now w/everyone wanting chicks I'm starting to feel all pressured about hatch rate etc. (as those from past yrs. know my NYDH rates have been in the tragic to bummer range) but 3rd time is a charm right, so this yr I'll have 82 hatchers1
Yay!
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Glad your hens are getting with the program so you'll have eggs to set! Third time will be the charm for sure!
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Im on the search for npip hatching eggs...my date for setting on christmas is on the fourth so i giess ill be collecting the day i get back home...i guess only 4 eggs...lol. I dont even have the bator up! This should be interesting :) now, what to hatch on new years....most people stopped shipping eggs by now!
 

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