Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[K0k0shka]

With my DIY fan setup, does my incubator count as forced air, or still air? It's definitely moving air around and helping, but I still have a temperature gradient in there. What temperature should I aim for? The recommendations for still air and forced air are different...

 

[K0k0shka]

Candling, day 10+
(ten full days and partway into the 11th day)

My observations from day 7 have been confirmed. The questionable eggs are indeed very dead, and the suspected infertile ones are still empty, but the good news is that there have been no new deaths in these 3 days!

Final numbers: from my eggs, there are 17 good ones out of 22, and from the incubator owner's eggs, there are 4 good ones out of 19. I threw out the dead and infertile eggs.

I was really hoping to remove some of the racks from the turner, to free up space for a jar with a sponge and to reposition the fan better, but I watched a how-to video for this model and, unfortunately, it's not gonna happen. The motor needs to be disassembled with a screwdriver and the racks need to be turned vertically to be removed, and that can't be done without opening the lid all the way and taking everything out, so... I guess I'll have to make do with all the racks in there

Observations: the eggs from the nearby farm have such perfect air cells. So round and even, expanding evenly in concentric circles. The shipped eggs that traveled only a few states over have less perfect air cells. Less clearly defined, not as perfectly round, expanding unevenly. And the eggs that flew from coast to coast have really weird and uneven air cells, spilling over and jiggly, expanding very unevenly as the egg loses moisture. All the eggs I marked that had detached air cells before setting have died, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the one saddle is still alive! (The detached ones and the saddle all came from the farthest shipping location).

Another observation: viability varies between the different varieties of chickens. My favorites - the Partridge Orpingtons - are HEAVILY over-represented among the dead eggs! From my eggs, I have 4 different varieties of chickens; there are 5 dead eggs total, and 4 of them are Partridge Orpingtons. That's a bit suspicious. 4 out of the 6 Partridges are dead; 1 Silver Laced Orpington is dead, and the other two varieties have no dead eggs.

Here are some day 10 pictures:



Check out the crazy air cell on that last one!

And some videos (ALL of the chicks in the viable eggs were moving this time!):

And this one has LEGS!! ​

Some air cells:




What do you guys think, how does everything look for day 10-11 development?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Candling, day 10+
(ten full days and partway into the 11th day)

My observations from day 7 have been confirmed. The questionable eggs are indeed very dead, and the suspected infertile ones are still empty, but the good news is that there have been no new deaths in these 3 days!

Final numbers: from my eggs, there are 17 good ones out of 22, and from the incubator owner's eggs, there are 4 good ones out of 19. I threw out the dead and infertile eggs.

I was really hoping to remove some of the racks from the turner, to free up space for a jar with a sponge and to reposition the fan better, but I watched a how-to video for this model and, unfortunately, it's not gonna happen. The motor needs to be disassembled with a screwdriver and the racks need to be turned vertically to be removed, and that can't be done without opening the lid all the way and taking everything out, so... I guess I'll have to make do with all the racks in there

Observations: the eggs from the nearby farm have such perfect air cells. So round and even, expanding evenly in concentric circles. The shipped eggs that traveled only a few states over have less perfect air cells. Less clearly defined, not as perfectly round, expanding unevenly. And the eggs that flew from coast to coast have really weird and uneven air cells, spilling over and jiggly, expanding very unevenly as the egg loses moisture. All the eggs I marked that had detached air cells before setting have died, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that the one saddle is still alive! (The detached ones and the saddle all came from the farthest shipping location).

Another observation: viability varies between the different varieties of chickens. My favorites - the Partridge Orpingtons - are HEAVILY over-represented among the dead eggs! From my eggs, I have 4 different varieties of chickens; there are 5 dead eggs total, and 4 of them are Partridge Orpingtons. That's a bit suspicious. 4 out of the 6 Partridges are dead; 1 Silver Laced Orpington is dead, and the other two varieties have no dead eggs.

Here are some day 10 pictures:

View attachment 2081364View attachment 2081365View attachment 2081366
View attachment 2081367View attachment 2081368View attachment 2081369
Check out the crazy air cell on that last one!

And some videos (ALL of the chicks in the viable eggs were moving this time!):

And this one has LEGS!! ​

Some air cells:
View attachment 2081370
View attachment 2081371
View attachment 2081372

What do you guys think, how does everything look for day 10-11 development?

Those look amazing! You'll have chicks pipping and zipping on no time. Development is spot on. Harder to gauge the air cells size from that angle but they look ok too.

As for wonky air cells. They will continue to grow and attach. The better they do this the more likely the chick will hatch. However I've found them to have a higher than usual amount of DIS (dead in shell). that means the chicks develop fully but don't hatch for one reason or another. That's the heartbreaking dark side of shipped eggs.

 

[aart]

I was really hoping to remove some of the racks from the turner, to free up space for a jar with a sponge and to reposition the fan better, but I watched a how-to video for this model and, unfortunately, it's not gonna happen. The motor needs to be disassembled with a screwdriver and the racks need to be turned vertically to be removed, and that can't be done without opening the lid all the way and taking everything out, so... I guess I'll have to make do with all the racks in there

Yeah, it's crazy to take one of those turners apart, BTDT.
Had an early pip once which then oozed enough to get 'glued' to the turner cup.
Took the whole thing apart then 'soaked' and chipped the egg off.
Was some bleeding but she still hatched, and continued to be a drama queen.

You could probably set some sponges in the empty turner cups?

 

[K0k0shka]

Those look amazing! You'll have chicks pipping and zipping on no time. Development is spot on. Harder to gauge the air cells size from that angle but they look ok too.

As for wonky air cells. They will continue to grow and attach. The better they do this the more likely the chick will hatch. However I've found them to have a higher than usual amount of DIS (dead in shell). that means the chicks develop fully but don't hatch for one reason or another. That's the heartbreaking dark side of shipped eggs.

Thanks!

Yeah, I’m bracing for some heartache. Though I’m also relying on a bunch of them to fail. As much as I want to root for every single one, my original plan was for 3-4 hens. I’m glad they sent lots of extras, and I know some will be roosters, but if all 17 hatch, that will still be way too many and some will have to end up in the pot along with the roosters ☹ So it’s a complicated feeling. I just want to have enough representation from all 4 varieties to ideally have 1 hen from each.

 

[K0k0shka]

Yeah, it's crazy to take one of those turners apart, BTDT.
Had an early pip once which then oozed enough to get 'glued' to the turner cup.
Took the whole thing apart then 'soaked' and chipped the egg off.
Was some bleeding but she still hatched, and continued to be a drama queen.

You could probably set some sponges in the empty turner cups?

View attachment 2081545 View attachment 2081548

Wow... Pipped before lockdown? How likely is that?

 

[aart]

Wow... Pipped before lockdown? How likely is that?

Not very.

Yeah, I’m bracing for some heartache. Though I’m also relying on a bunch of them to fail. As much as I want to root for every single one, my original plan was for 3-4 hens. I’m glad they sent lots of extras, and I know some will be roosters, but if all 17 hatch, that will still be way too many and some will have to end up in the pot along with the roosters ☹ So it’s a complicated feeling. I just want to have enough representation from all 4 varieties to ideally have 1 hen from each.

I used to set 4 times as many eggs as pullets I wanted...counting on half not hatching and half of what hatched being males.
You eat the cockerels and probably sell any extra pullets.

There's almost as bad a shortage of chicks as TP. Started pullets will sell well this year.

 

[K0k0shka]

You eat the cockerels and probably sell any extra pullets.

There's almost as bad a shortage of chicks as TP. Started pullets will sell well this year.

Haha good point. And mine will be pretty, too We’ll see what state the world is in in a few months... if I’d rather have the extra money or the meat...

 

[K0k0shka]

Development is spot on.

This makes me so happy

 

[Ghosty]

Thanks!

Yeah, I’m bracing for some heartache. Though I’m also relying on a bunch of them to fail. As much as I want to root for every single one, my original plan was for 3-4 hens. I’m glad they sent lots of extras, and I know some will be roosters, but if all 17 hatch, that will still be way too many and some will have to end up in the pot along with the roosters ☹ So it’s a complicated feeling. I just want to have enough representation from all 4 varieties to ideally have 1 hen from each.

You will surely get a good result on your fertile eggs with all the attention you have put into it. I set my first hatch Monday night and added three more eggs last night, they will get early lockdown. I'm running with only one temp probe from the thermostat, and no hygrometer. I may order the thermometer/hygrometer probe from incubator warehouse. I'm just hoping a few of them hatch. I have a broody sitting on clutch as well. I didn't buy any chicks, and I lost 2 hens to a dog recently (got that straightened out), and my rooster booted 2 other hens out of the flock?! I have my brahma in the run because he is intent on driving her away.