April Hatch Along

[Birdydeb]

I ended up with 14 ducks.....6 Ancona, 4 Cayuga and 4 Welsh Harlequins. And I am never incubating ducks again. They are just too hard for me to let go. Chicken eggs go in lockdown today. Will try to get a few pics of the little stinkers when I clean brooders.

 

[WVduckchick]

I hadn't hear of BYH before, just signed up! Good luck with the rest of your hatch. I just put another batch in! Hoping the extra holes make a difference with this hatch

good luck! My little wrong-end pipper survived and is doing well this morning. I knew she had to be wayyy too cramped in that egg. The air cell was drawn down so much, I had to open her up. Did it slowly, hit a little blood and gunk along the way. Was afraid she was going to have a slipped tendon, but she's fat and happy this morning!

Hi all. I'm down to 75 eggs in the incubator. Lockdowns begin on Friday. I'll fire up the LG on Wednesday to get it regulated for the staggered hatch. I expect 22 in the first lockdown, 26 in the second lockdown, 15-19 in the third lockdown, and 4? in the last lockdown. 32 of these are shipped eggs and 43 are from my flock. I'm exhausted just thinking about the 10 days of hatching... I honestly look forward to turning off the incubator for a little while. I'm trying to encourage one of my hens to go broody. She needs to take over this chick hatching and raising stuff. She hatched 15/15 last year.

I couldn't find the option for renaming this board. It's probably too late.

That's a bunch alright! I checked my 36 remaining lavender orpington eggs last night (set 42 - 3 clear, 1 bloodring early). I set them all at the same time, in 2 incubators, but it looks like one bator is warmer than the other. Some look much more developed, so I think I'll move the warmer set to the hatcher about 12 hours earlier than the others.

And broodies are going to be the death of me... another pair started last weekend. I finally gave in and gave them 8 eggs together.

Yesterday I got my first pip at day 20. This morning at around 4:30am i found my first chick! A brown leghorn!

 

[WVduckchick]

I ended up with 14 ducks.....6 Ancona, 4 Cayuga and 4 Welsh Harlequins. And I am never incubating ducks again. They are just too hard for me to let go.

Chicken eggs go in lockdown today. Will try to get a few pics of the little stinkers when I clean brooders.

Well that's not too bad! Sorry you had trouble with them though.

Don't give up yet!

Best of luck for the chicken eggs!

 

[Birdydeb]

The only ones I had trouble with were the Cayugas. 4 out of 6 hatched with assistance, the shells and membrane in particular was tough. No trouble with the Anconas(6 out of 13) and Welshies(4 out of 14) those were just shipped eggs and the Welshies took a sightseeing tour on the mail route. I did however get 3 females and 1 male so I will consider it a win. The purpose was to add new blood to my flock and I got it.

 

[spruce creek]

Anyone using a LG find they don't have room below the fan for eggs? I couldn't figure out why the top all of a sudden wouldn't stay on snug on the incubator yesterday. I heard it make a noise like something was hitting the styrofoam and when I checked the lid was wonky and wouldn't stay on right without me weighting it down(those jars of salmon come in handy) but today when I was checking it I noticed the eggs looked really close to the fan, and sure enough when I lifted the lid one was knocked over. Must have fit ok when I first put them in but hit as the egg turner moved them upright. So now my temp. has been going up and down, hopefully these eggs will be ok. At least they didn't crack!!! Last hatch I avoided putting them below the fan, guess I will never be getting the 42 eggs in there it is supposed to hold!!

 

[rookhomestead]

I ended up with 14 ducks.....6 Ancona, 4 Cayuga and 4 Welsh Harlequins. And I am never incubating ducks again. They are just too hard for me to let go. Chicken eggs go in lockdown today. Will try to get a few pics of the little stinkers when I clean brooders.

How many eggs did you start with? I hate to lose any, it's so sad.

 

[rookhomestead]

Nevermind, just seen the count

 

[WVduckchick]

Anyone using a LG find they don't have room below the fan for eggs? I couldn't figure out why the top all of a sudden wouldn't stay on snug on the incubator yesterday. I heard it make a noise like something was hitting the styrofoam and when I checked the lid was wonky and wouldn't stay on right without me weighting it down(those jars of salmon come in handy) but today when I was checking it I noticed the eggs looked really close to the fan, and sure enough when I lifted the lid one was knocked over. Must have fit ok when I first put them in but hit as the egg turner moved them upright. So now my temp. has been going up and down, hopefully these eggs will be ok. At least they didn't crack!!! Last hatch I avoided putting them below the fan, guess I will never be getting the 42 eggs in there it is supposed to hold!!

We're back!

I'm having a horrible time. I incubated 42 eggs in 2 Brinsea Octagon 20's. 18 days later, had only pulled 4. 3 clears, 1 blood speck. Moved them to the styro to hatch, because its been working so well for other hatches, and the viewing is much better. But boy, 38 eggs was tight in there! The first chick was all over the tops of the eggs, I saw him rub his head on the heating element

Anyway, I have 8-10 hatched, 8-10 more external pips, several internal pips still too, I saw when I pulled several hatchers. And I moved 6 eggs to one of the Brinsea's, just for more space. I'll never try that many in the styro again. And I think my temperature overheated, even though my thermometer didn't indicate it. My most trusted thermo was in the corner, I had to remove the other one, plus a sponge because of lack of room, so while I was pulling chicks, I checked and saw a few quitters, but I left them in there. Very frustrating!

 

[Birdydeb]

The chicks didn't do so well either....or at least just like the ducks, one breed didn't. The Lavender Orpingtons were almost a bust...I got 3 chicks(out of 12) The Barnevelders did the best...out of 10 eggs, I got 6 chicks. The Speckled Sussex....4 out of 14. These were all shipped eggs. 13 chicks altogether. I had temp problems with one of the Hovabators....it now wants to run too hot. Hope everyone else's hatches are going well.

 

[tao chick]

The staggered hatch is working well. I only wish the chicks wouldn't hatch and scream in the middle of the night. This afternoon I'll do a final count of hatch 1 and move hatch 3 to the LG.