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

[Cynthia12]

re: chicken-related items....

Hubby is slowly coming around to the joy of chickens. Every year we give each other an ornament. Here's the one he gave me. I think he *gets* it!



Happy Boxing Day!

That is so cute!

 

[LemonMeringue]

I have 21 eggs still going strong. One bantam quit that had a hairline spider crack. I hadn't discovered it until I candled the first time.

I also discovered that I have had a complete brain fart where one egg is concerned. Its a dark shell and I had not been able to see the air cell to begin with when setting the eggs. So I picked which end I thought was up and put it into the incubator. This egg came to me from someone else. Then each time I candled since then I completely forgot about the air cell thing and didn't give it another thought.......until moving the eggs around today. And it was UPSIDE DOWN!!!

I carefully turned it right side up. Hopefully if the chick is upside down it will have enough time to turn itself around and get situated correctly. UGH! Still learning! Had to add water since the %% was down to 24-26% which is strange, since we have had rain. Usually that brings it up in the incubator since its so humid here. So I added a couple of Tablespoons.

Eggs are getting full! Can't wait for them to pop!

 

[ronott1]

I have 21 eggs still going strong. One bantam quit that had a hairline spider crack. I hadn't discovered it until I candled the first time.

I also discovered that I have had a complete brain fart where one egg is concerned. Its a dark shell and I had not been able to see the air cell to begin with when setting the eggs. So I picked which end I thought was up and put it into the incubator. This egg came to me from someone else. Then each time I candled since then I completely forgot about the air cell thing and didn't give it another thought.......until moving the eggs around today. And it was UPSIDE DOWN!!!

I carefully turned it right side up. Hopefully if the chick is upside down it will have enough time to turn itself around and get situated correctly. UGH! Still learning! Had to add water since the %% was down to 24-26% which is strange, since we have had rain. Usually that brings it up in the incubator since its so humid here. So I added a couple of Tablespoons.

Eggs are getting full! Can't wait for them to pop!

It should be fine--they move into position at the end of incubation. Watch it though since it might still pip at the small end.

 

[LemonMeringue]

It should be fine--they move into position at the end of incubation. Watch it though since it might still pip at the small end.

What is supposed to be the small end anyway. I cannot distinguish a difference in the ends at all. That is part of why I had the problem to begin with. So symmetrical! We will keep an eye on it. Maybe I will lay this one on its side instead of in the carton then. That way I will have a better chance of seeing if it does pip at the wrong end. What do you do if that happens anyway?

 

[Peep_Show]

I had that happen with a couple of shipped eggs.... Which end is the pointy end? They were so symmetrical.... So into a bowl of water to see which end was lifted due to the air cell.

 

[Peep_Show]

It's particularly hard to tell if it's a dark egg and you cannot get a good candling to tell....

 

[LemonMeringue]

I had that happen with a couple of shipped eggs.... Which end is the pointy end? They were so symmetrical.... So into a bowl of water to see which end was lifted due to the air cell.

That might have helped. I will try that in the future if I ever have this issue come up again. But they were very fresh, just hand delivered from a friend. So I think the air cell was very small as well.

 

[ronott1]

What is supposed to be the small end anyway. I cannot distinguish a difference in the ends at all. That is part of why I had the problem to begin with. So symmetrical! We will keep an eye on it. Maybe I will lay this one on its side instead of in the carton then. That way I will have a better chance of seeing if it does pip at the wrong end. What do you do if that happens anyway?

If both ends of the egg are similar, look for the end with the air cell. The important thing is for the chick to internally pip into the air cell. The chick will start to breathe when it pips into the air cell so it has to be big enough to have air in it and for the chick to pip into it and not into a place with liquid. That end needs to be up or tilted up of setting on the wire for hatching.

Straight on the side is not good. Eggs can be tilted in cartons that are cut down properly.

 

[ronott1]

I decorated my Avatar for New Years!

 

[blackgoat]

Today is lock down for me!.. I have a still air incubator.. the question is. . How much should I lower the temperate?.. Right now I am keeping it to 102 degrees. . And the humidity I am going to try to keep it at 60-70?.. Is that right? .. first time doing this so am I am a bit nervous!!!!!

Good luck! You can lower temp a degree or two, as the chicks themselves will be making body heat. The egg turning schedule I printed from Homestead apps says 75-85% for humidity on lockdown. But, everyone has their own preferences.