Any Christmas / Dec 2012 Hatch a long's?

[Little Wing]

How do you protect your eyes from 1600lm? That does seem bright enough for even Marans eggs!

lol You can't look into it, thats for sure. They didn't have flashlights like this when I was a kid. I CAN see into my Marans eggs now!




It also has a strobe setting that will give you a siezure. Not sure what thats for

 

[BantamBabesFarm]

Lol... now that's a multifunctional flash light! Have an egg candling disco par-tay! Hey... i wanna go! XD

 

[cwade]

I just candled all the eggs. Everyone seems to be developing like they are supposed to be. Im getting super excited as this is my first hatch

 

[Kristin Brown]

I wanted to share my broody hen hatching experience with everyone...

When she first became broody, my Black Cochin hen was 9 months. She hatched out her first brood in October with only two chicks that were successful in pipping the shell out of the 6 original eggs. The other eggs were all fertile, full-term, and seemingly developed - except for one that went MIA during the second week (hmmm?). Anyhow, not sure why the others never pipped. I suspect I handled the eggs far too much - I candled them a lot! Additionally, in the first week she kept accumulating more eggs so they really did not all start out at the same time.

Mama Hen:


The first chick hatched on October 1st. The next on October 5th... it was shrink wrapped but survived.


Mama and babies in the brooder box.. one chick must have been hiding!



I am expecting more baby chicks in time for Christmas! Mama hen took up residence in her little corner of the coop floor once again. She was on an empty nest, so I gave her 7 eggs I found in the nesting boxes that day. If I estimate right, hatch date is the 23rd. However, I noticed yesterday she has now accumulated a total of 11 eggs! Perhaps I am back in the same situation with a staggered hatch. The 11 eggs are all white or brown. Today (Day 6) I candled them for the first time. Most showed veins while the others seemed not fertilized. But perhaps those bonus eggs have been incubating for less time? My Silver Laced Polish hen likes to cuddle up on the floor next to the broody hen while she lays her egg...maybe the bonus 4 eggs are Polish?

I snapped this picture while I was candling her eggs...



Good luck to everyone with their Christmas hatches whether you are doing it with an incubator or a broody hen! It is an especially cold time of the year for hens to be hatching chicks. In Colorado, we have had a mild winter so far in the 50 degree range. I will take that any day over our usual cold snow storms!

 

[mstricer]

I wanted to share my broody hen hatching experience with everyone...

When she first became broody, my Black Cochin hen was 9 months. She hatched out her first brood in October with only two chicks that were successful in pipping the shell out of the 6 original eggs. The other eggs were all fertile, full-term, and seemingly developed - except for one that went MIA during the second week (hmmm?). Anyhow, not sure why the others never pipped. I suspect I handled the eggs far too much - I candled them a lot! Additionally, in the first week she kept accumulating more eggs so they really did not all start out at the same time.

Mama Hen:


The first chick hatched on October 1st. The next on October 5th... it was shrink wrapped but survived.


Mama and babies in the brooder box.. one chick must have been hiding!



I am expecting more baby chicks in time for Christmas! Mama hen took up residence in her little corner of the coop floor once again. She was on an empty nest, so I gave her 7 eggs I found in the nesting boxes that day. If I estimate right, hatch date is the 23rd. However, I noticed yesterday she has now accumulated a total of 11 eggs! Perhaps I am back in the same situation with a staggered hatch. The 11 eggs are all white or brown. Today (Day 6) I candled them for the first time. Most showed veins while the others seemed not fertilized. But perhaps those bonus eggs have been incubating for less time? My Silver Laced Polish hen likes to cuddle up on the floor next to the broody hen while she lays her egg...maybe the bonus 4 eggs are Polish?

I snapped this picture while I was candling her eggs...



Good luck to everyone with their Christmas hatches whether you are doing it with an incubator or a broody hen! It is an especially cold time of the year for hens to be hatching chicks. In Colorado, we have had a mild winter so far in the 50 degree range. I will take that any day over our usual cold snow storms!

There is a hatch-a-long going on and one of the contest involves broody hen pics check it out.

 

[BantamBabesFarm]

Awh that's so cute about your hen and her chicks! I can't wait. I candled again and only 4. Of 7 are showing little wiggly embryos inside. Though the others still have veins. Not tossing any till its really obvious there is nothing inside.

Where is the hatch a long thread? I'm happy to have people here too even though there isn't a prize. Heh

 

[chicken pickin]

I ended up getting curious and did my candling tonight which would be day 5 and 1/2. Out of 21 eggs 16 showed very good veining 2 seemed clear and 3 I was a little unsure of. I will candle again in a few days.

 

[Kristin Brown]

I hope to get lots of updates from everyone hatching Christmas peeps. Would love to see pictures, especially of those using incubators.

 

[KPenley]

No pics yet, I couldn't figure out how to hold a camera and a flashlight and not drop an egg...but I had veining and movement in 8 out of 8 eggs!!!

Some seemed to have smaller concentrated amounts of veining and others veins filling up the dark area of the egg. Not sure if that means some are failing or just at different stages of development. Can't wait to see. How are you all doing?

 

[chicken pickin]

My eggs are doing well. Tonight is the night of day 10. I candled on day 7 and 16 out of 21 eggs had veining, dark masses and embryo movement. Im tempted to candle again tonight but I told my DH I would sit on my hands til day 14. Agh its so tempting lol. Anyone else? How are all the eggs out there?