April Hatch Along

[Jennrz]

So happy to see an April Hatch Along! First time incubating chicken eggs. Starting out with 6 Speckled Sussex, 6 Heritage Barred Plymouth Rocks, 3 Wyandotte (assortment). 15 eggs total. They are shipped eggs so trying not to get my hopes up. The box arrived a bit damaged and I'm anxious that they were scrambled even tho intact.

Set them on April 1st. Left them upright for the first 48 ours and hand turned to hopefully re-attach the air cells. We candled and weighed them before they went into the incubator, but honestly I don't know what we were looking for. Tried to find the air cell, but it was unclear on most of them.

Using a new Incuview and took at bit to stabilize the temps - found out I needed to lower the ambient room temperature setting on the unit. We don't heat our house over 70. It usually hovers @ 68. It's been working like a champ since I adjusted it.

Excited to candle this weekend (maybe Monday?). I can't decide if I should candle at day 7 or wait till day 10.... I've read conflicting things on that.

Anyhoo...happy to be here and follow along with everyone's journey. (now to go catch up on my reading)

 

[rookhomestead]

I'd wait til day 10, then you'll be more likely to see stuff inside, especially if the shells are thick. My brown eggs are hard to see through, even the light ones. so I only checked my white egg day 4. Its out of a leghorn, so I wasn't sure if my rooster could even catch her still lol

 

[Jennrz]

I'd wait til day 10, then you'll be more likely to see stuff inside, especially if the shells are thick. My brown eggs are hard to see through, even the light ones. so I only checked my white egg day 4. Its out of a leghorn, so I wasn't sure if my rooster could even catch her still lol

Yeah, I'm leaning towards waiting a bit. My 9 year old daughter is taking on this project with me. Hopefully I can hold her off an extra couple of days.

I'm finding this process so fraught with a strange mix of excitement and anxiety....

 

[tao chick]

Well I love that this thread has taken off so well. Thank you to everyone for answering questions and keeping up. I will catch up soon. I wanted to update that this morning I decided to candle everything and I'm glad I did. I had an oozer. I ended up tossing 24 eggs! I wasn't going to risk my other eggs. I have 74 left. 12 are still ??? and separate from the good eggs. 50 look really good. 12 more are Marans and are probably fine.

I'm done candling unless a stink arrives. 11 days til lockdown.

 

[rookhomestead]

Yeah, I'm leaning towards waiting a bit.  My 9 year old daughter is taking on this project with me.  Hopefully I can hold her off an extra couple of days.  

I'm finding this process so fraught with a strange mix of excitement and anxiety....  :/   

Ahh yes, the mix of emotions!!lol I have them too. I hope I get a good rate. I only have 12 eggs total set in 2 bators. If these are successful, I fear I may become that bird lady!! I'll have the hatch fever. Its no wonder you can't get groovy hens to stop

 

[rookhomestead]

Groovy... Haha stupid auto correct, BROODY

 

[Jennrz]

Groovy... Haha stupid auto correct, BROODY

I like groovy better.... now we'll need disco balls in the coop during hatch season

 

[Cerise1924]

Groovy... Haha stupid auto correct, BROODY

I hear Silkies are the grooviest.

 

[GA Bunny]

Can't find my other post. Someone asked me about my humidity. Up till now it's hovered between 48 and 52, usually right around 50.I just added a bit of water to a couple of channels trying to get the humidity up some. Temp hovers right at 99.5 sometimes tipping toward 100 but goes right back down. Never below 99 except when I had opened the lid to get some for candling. I thought Saturday would be the 21st day but since I began them on a Sunday 3 weeks ago, I guess Sunday is our target hatch day. This is my first ever hatch and I'm like a kid waiting on Christmas! Just came home from work and found 1 with a pip hole!

 

[rookhomestead]

I thought about sillies, but my birdies are free range. I think I read sillies don't do so good in rain and cold. I've got enough to worry about without that too!! Oh my, sillies hahahaha.