against a bunch of odds....

[Jennie5193]

I picked up a hen about three weeks ago that was in a pen with a rooster. I saved all the eggs she laid (about 12 - except the ones I "tested" to see if they were fertile!) up until this past Tuesday when I placed them all in an incubater that I made myself. (I've never hatched eggs before) For the 1st time in 4 years our power went out Friday afternoon about 4:30 and didn't come back on until Saturday around 10:00 am.

So, my husband insists that the hen needs to be mated every day to have fertile eggs, I said they could lay fertile eggs up until about 4 weeks after there is no rooster.

Well, today, my DH decided to "test" one of the eggs to see if there was "anything in there". There was something in there. A tiny little beating heart...

*he's never heard of candling....*

So, the good news is that I have 8 eggs left and hopefully I'll get a few to hatch... the bad news... one of 'em just became dog food.

 

[CANDLE98]

Tell him to keep his gruby hand out of your bator! you are the eggs mom and he should listen to you!!

I hope the rest of your eggs go good!

 

[patyrdz]

Quote:
Yeah, what she said!

Good luck on your hatch!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

DH's!!! No touchy the eggs! Go broody on him!

Since I've started my first hatch (and studied for 4 months before starting it) my DH seems to think that he knows about chickens and I just have to laugh. He's more nervous about them than I am. If I candle them, he's the one yelling shut the bator! When I look in, he wants to know temp and humidity. LOL I can't wait to get pics with him covered in fuzzbutts.

 

[Jennie5193]

I just love the "DH".... it can mean so many things.

He definately knows now not to "check" on my eggs any more!

Only two more *long* weeks from tomorrow. If I can keep the power on and the kids out of it, maybe we'll actually get something to hatch!

Thanks for the encouragement! I don't know if the tears I shed were from disappointment or aggrivation. LOL

 

[Boyd]

Quote:

 

[Jennie5193]

Quote:
Yeah, my DH grew up on an "old fashioned" farm. His grandfather raised everything you can think of (besides cows!) and my husband was raised around that. So, to "test" the egg he only saw his granddad break one open... but HE HAD 100 IN THE INCUBATOR! So, that's how you test it, right? Forget the wealth of information that is available to us today via the internet...

For some reason now, I can't get the temp/humidity regulated anymore. It is swinging all over the place. Those poor babies - I'll be very surprised if anything hatches that isn't deformed.

I wish I'd put more studying into it before I started, but my pullets were only 12 weeks old and I wasn't thinking about hatching any... until I saw those beautiful blue eggs and just *had* to know what would come out of 'em!