Anyone setting eggs May 1st?

[Bogtown Chick]

After a relatively disheartening first candling at 6 days. I recandled at day 13 and found somethings more interesting to look at. Larger air pocket in my dark welsummer egg. And the BLRW egg and Olive egger seem to have a mass within (hopefully chicks progressing) I feel like things are behind as far as development goes though...IJDK. We had 3 nights last week that were below freezing --30 degrees. This is possibly the reason. Dixie remains determined. Is eating well and staying the course. We've had to do a few clean ups in the nest which I think helps her with her stress. She is a sweet broody momma. She hardly growled at me while I candled Saturday night. Maybe she was half asleep too. I think, too, she knows now I am there to help. Tomorrow we will be on the 7 day count down. I hope it is a success for our Dixie. I am all the more endeared by this sweet hen. Just amazing. She's been on a nest for a month.

 

[mollybuck]

After a relatively disheartening first candling at 6 days. I recandled at day 13 and found somethings more interesting to look at. Larger air pocket in my dark welsummer egg. And the BLRW egg and Olive egger seem to have a mass within (hopefully chicks progressing) I feel like things are behind as far as development goes though...IJDK. We had 3 nights last week that were below freezing --30 degrees. This is possibly the reason. Dixie remains determined. Is eating well and staying the course. We've had to do a few clean ups in the nest which I think helps her with her stress. She is a sweet broody momma. She hardly growled at me while I candled Saturday night. Maybe she was half asleep too. I think, too, she knows now I am there to help. Tomorrow we will be on the 7 day count down. I hope it is a success for our Dixie. I am all the more endeared by this sweet hen. Just amazing. She's been on a nest for a month.

i am almost glad mine wont let me anywhere near her!! Sounds like good news tho! hopefully those masses are chicks!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Molly you crack me up. I understand though where you're coming from. LOL. The anticipation is starting to spread in the house about the chicks coming. DH came home from a fishing / camping trip and one of the first things he asked was how the hen with the eggs was doing. He's intrigued too, although more coy about it.

I see many that have had previous broody experience using the cardboard flats with pine shavings to use as a nest for their broodies. I'm thinking about stopping at the liquor store and asking them for their extra flats, as the clean ups are a bit tricky in that nice wood nest box I got Dixie. And I think if I'm going to do a nest change again, I better do it now.

 

[Manningjw]

Before I shut off my incubator I just want to double check that this is a blood ring on day 13 of incubation:




On May 6 I set 12 shipped eggs that arrived in the mail. Out of all the eggs, only one of them developed blood vessels. A couple were 'cloudy' without any vessels and I suspect that is bacterial because they had little cracks in the shell that I didn't notice until day 10.

 

[mollybuck]

Before I shut off my incubator I just want to double check that this is a blood ring on day 13 of incubation: On May 6 I set 12 shipped eggs that arrived in the mail. Out of all the eggs, only one of them developed blood vessels. A couple were 'cloudy' without any vessels and I suspect that is bacterial because they had little cracks in the shell that I didn't notice until day 10.

That looks like one to me. I'm so sorry about the luck. It's really sad to see those.

Molly you crack me up. I understand though where you're coming from. LOL. The anticipation is starting to spread in the house about the chicks coming. DH came home from a fishing / camping trip and one of the first things he asked was how the hen with the eggs was doing. He's intrigued too, although more coy about it. I see many that have had previous broody experience using the cardboard flats with pine shavings to use as a nest for their broodies. I'm thinking about stopping at the liquor store and asking them for their extra flats, as the clean ups are a bit tricky in that nice wood nest box I got Dixie. And I think if I'm going to do a nest change again, I better do it now.

I know! It is here too! We are on day 20 today and I have 4 pips this morning! My broody has less than a week left. 2 weeks for the eggs still in the incubator and we just got 11 duck eggs last night!

 

[randerson846]

Ok so its day 21 and there is 8 eggs that haven't hatch, they were all moving on day 18 but they haven't hatched, although two ducks hatched and 11 chicks hatched before day 21 does this mean the 8 wont hatch? They were all in the same incubator

 

[mollybuck]

Ok so its day 21 and there is 8 eggs that haven't hatch, they were all moving on day 18 but they haven't hatched, although two ducks hatched and 11 chicks hatched before day 21 does this mean the 8 wont hatch? They were all in the same incubator

they could still hatch, i would give them at least another day or 2...then check to see if there is movement.

 

[randerson846]

Ok thanks it's just because the others hatched before day 21 and rheas ones haven't showed any sign

 

[joyfulkeeper]

I know! It is here too! We are on day 20 today and I have 4 pips this morning! My broody has less than a week left. 2 weeks for the eggs still in the incubator and we just got 11 duck eggs last night!

Yay, come on chicks!
How many are in your hatcher?
Sounds like you will be having the time of your life in a month when they all hatch.

Ok so its day 21 and there is 8 eggs that haven't hatch, they were all moving on day 18 but they haven't hatched, although two ducks hatched and 11 chicks hatched before day 21 does this mean the 8 wont hatch? They were all in the same incubator

I'm crossing my fingers for the last 8!

After a relatively disheartening first candling at 6 days.  I recandled at day 13 and found somethings more interesting to look at.  Larger air pocket in my dark welsummer egg.  And the BLRW egg and Olive egger seem to have a mass within (hopefully  chicks progressing)  I feel like things are behind as far as development goes though...IJDK.  We had 3 nights last week that were below freezing --30 degrees. This is possibly the reason.  Dixie remains determined.  Is eating well and staying the course.  We've had to do a few clean ups in the nest which I think helps her with her stress.  She is a sweet broody momma.  She hardly growled at me while I candled Saturday night.  Maybe she was half asleep too.  I think, too, she knows now I am there to help.  Tomorrow we will be on the 7 day count down.  I hope it is a success for our Dixie.  I am all the more endeared by this sweet hen. Just amazing.  She's been on a nest for a month.

I hope sweet Dixie has a great hatch for you!

 

[joyfulkeeper]

Mama hen and her chick's are doing well. We were worried that the chick's would be afraid of us and not let us handle them, but we have found that because our hen isn't scared neither are they. We can hang out in the coop with them and pick them up and talk to them and they are comfortable with us. It is so nice letting Mama take care of them.

I have just over a week for the eggs in the incubator. The chicks that hatch may go under another broody who is sitting on plastic eggs right now. And I think we have a duck that is going broody so she may get some or all of the ducklings. Can a duck handle raising a dozen ducklings?

ETA- We are without a rooster now. He got mean this spring attacking my children. We did what we could to break him of it and we thought it was working until this weekend. He flogged a couple of the kids again and then me (first time ever) so that was the end of my trust and patience with him. He is in the fridge now resting for a couple days before he goes into the crock pot.