APRIL HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[Namble]

Today is day 16 for my Buff Brahmas!! Lockdown is coming up!! Hatch date is saturday!! I'm obviously excited!!!!!

 

[Lotsapaints]

My incubator is getting full of fuzzies I can see 6 eggs or so that haven't hatched when I put the flashlight up to the side the race is on I did get to see piping and zipping and one chick was just chillin in the shell looking around. I had 40 eggs in a 60 egg incubator it sure seems full. Those chicks roll the unhatched eggs all over but I never saw any of my babies looking all waterlogged it seemed like the wing would hang out then it would be dry and then the head would show up then the next time I looked in the egg was empty and all the chicks looked dry to me. I've seen so many pictures of wet looking chicks I worried that mine were too dry. I've still been adding water to the channel underneath it has never been dry and I guess I'm okay if I can't find many unhatched eggs I can't believe that so many have hatched I thought they would start tonite or tomorrow...

 

[sunket77]

congrats!
I candled today (day 6) looks like a have a few duds in, I am thinking they where to old to set. But we saw a beating heard in one of the little jap eggs!!

 

[shmooborp]

my eggies are going to be on their way to me tomorrow ! woo woo!

 

[thechickonthehill]

kismet said:I pencil around the air pocket so I can compare mine with a sketch I have of the air pocket size at 7, 14, and 18 days (there's a lot of growth in the four days between 14 and 18 days). Then, I sketch the next time I candle so see how the pocket has enlarged - it helps me know whether my humidity needs to be adjusted.

Kismet, that is a great idea! I think I'm going to try that on my next hatch. Too late for me this time - today is lockdown. 23 eggs left in the bator of 38 set: 4 Silkies, 7 Blue Langshans, 5 Blue Splash Marans and 7 Ameraucana/Araucanas. Can't wait to see a pip!

 

[krstms]

Lockdown tonight!!! I candled and all of the rest of them seem to be doing good. So far I am still at 17/19. I am thrilled with that number. Now if I can just get them all to hatch.

I'll be a nervous wreck over the next three days.

Congrats to all the hatches. They are all so cute. Good luck to everyone still waiting.

for us all !!!

Edited to add: I have 23 shipped eggs coming in the mail. They were shipped yesterday. 12 blue andalusians and 11 BCMs. I am setting them as soon as these hatch and I can clean the bator. Cant wait!!!!

 

[eggsrcool]

Going into lockdown today with my first batch of 3 Light sussex eggs

candled and looks like 8-10 are fertile and alive of my 12 eggs altogether

 

[beckymom3]

IT'S REALLY HAPPENING!!!!!

I have been so anxious about my Dorkings hatching while I was out of town, but I came home and a gorgeous baby was out and busily cheeping and checking on all the other pipping and zipping eggs. She is such a little broody chick!

She has been crouching over the zipping eggs, esp the most open ones that have lots of wiggling and activity. She is also pecking at the openings where the others are pecking from the inside as if she's encouraging them. It's a total miracle and riot at the same time! I have read tons of threads on BYC but never read a description of this activity, this "assisting" in the hatch she is doing. She literallly is making her rounds, going to all the pipped and zipped eggs, ignoring the ones that are not open yet, and pecking a little, cheeping back and forth, crouching over them, then going on to the next. Whenever one gets particularly excited and wiggly, she runs over and does her "thing"! It is unbearably adorable!









Isn't she cute?

The humidity was at 55%, so I added some warm water through the vent using a tube and syringe (yes, I was good and didn't open it!) She drank the bit of water that had pooled on the paper towel cup her eggshell was on. Good girl!

Of course, me being new at this, I added too much and the humidity shot up to 88%!!!!! I then reached in very, very quickly and removed several of the wet paper towel cups from under and around the eggs. It was open perhaps 5 seconds. She ran up to me and pecked my hand!!!!!

Now the humidity seems to have settled at 79%. Is that too high? I've read so many conflicting threads on this. I had been incubating these babies as a "dry" hatch, humidity in 30's. I just wanted to get it up to about 65% like the dry method recommended. Now I'm freaking out!

There's still activity, though, so maybe things are okay.

Any advice?

Yippee for me, though, the Dorkings are here!!!!!

Oh, and I forgot, the Australorps and Brahmas are pipping, actually 2 pips, 2 zips! They are due tomorrow and the next day....

 

[Illia]

Today is day 11 for my eggs - I culled all the quitters and replaced their spots yesterday, so now I have:

15 Wheaten/Blue Wheaten Ameraucanas
11 BBS Jersey Giants
10 BC Marans
1 WCB Polish x EE
6 BBS Ameraucanas

My hovabator, for the first time, is entirely full of fertile, developing eggs - I can't wait to see them all hatch!! I'll have so many blondies, blackies, blues, and splashes running around with one extra little tophat.

 

[princessmama]

Congrats beckymom! That chick sounds super cute