April Hatch Along

[Birdydeb]

15 Cochin/Frizzle eggs, 13 Biele eggs and 4 of my own BR eggs went on lockdown this morning. Candled as I removed them to remove the turner. All the Cochin eggs looked really good except one. About all I could tell about the Biele or BR Eggs was that the air cells looked good. I have had such a bad feeling about this incubation from the beginning....mainly about the Biele eggs....seeing such good development in the Cochin eggs made me feel a bit better. This is in the Farm Innovators 4250 that I don't like as well since it seems difficult to stabilize and must be watched. I'm thinking of making it a hatcher after this since it seems if I get it stable and DON'T open it for any reason...it works better. The Hovabator wasn't empty when I set these or I would have used it.

 

[spruce creek]

Ten days

I would think by 10 days over due they are probably not going to make it. :-(

 

[spruce creek]

TEN days OVERDUE? I'm sorry, I think they are goners.



Just my 2 cents, but I never close any vents. Ventilation and air exchange is an important part of hatching that often gets ignored. The egg cannot lose moisture and the chick can't develop and grow in a totally sealed environment. I actually poked more holes in my Styrofoam hatcher (mainly for adding water, but also for extra ventilation), and I do sometimes stick a paper towel in those extra holes if I am fighting humidity in the winter time, but I try to keep them open when possible.

It seems to be holding at 99.5 for temp. and between 29% and 30% humidity with no water and no plugs in, so I think I will try it without the plugs and water this time, and pay attention to air cel size. I am really hoping to get a good hatch from these eggs, it was so sad to watch them wiggle and hear chirps then nothing last time. I was so pulled over wether or not to intervene, but I was scared if I did they would die anyway. I have read so much at this point and there is so much mixed info. out there, my brain needed a break, but now I am ready to set this next round! Looks like it will be ten eggs! My girls are either on strike or hiding them,lol.

 

[South OH Chicks]

I do my first candling tomorrow night.

 

[Jennrz]

Good Morning! I am hoping to get some opinions on my aircells! My eggs are starting day 5 and I checked a couple. Last year my aircells grew big FAST when I was running at 25-30% humidity. It was my first attempt hatching since I moved to a higher altitude...6500ft. So this year I am trying higher humidity to slow it down....50-55% and this is what they looked like this morning


These are Bantam Cochin eggs

Thoughts for starting day 5?

Lets see, I'm at @4000 ft. When I candled my eggs at 7 days the air cells looked bigger, but I think my humidity was too low. @20%. So I upped it closer to 40% and haven't candled again, but yours look pretty good IMHO.

 

[orrpeople]

I think...just maybe...hopefully...we may have a broody!!! I'm throwing our own olive egger eggs under her just in case!!

 

[orrpeople]

I think...just maybe...hopefully...we may have a broody!!! I'm throwing our own olive egger eggs under her just in case!!

Or maybe she's just messing with me? She was in that box all day long - hissing, fluffing herself up. and growling at everyone. Now she's out cavorting with her buddies in the orchard. Dang. I really want someone...anyone to brood some OEs for me!!! (Eta: I have several "often broody" breeds, and not one of them wants to help me out!)

 

[WVduckchick]

Or maybe she's just messing with me? She was in that box all day long - hissing, fluffing herself up. and growling at everyone. Now she's out cavorting with her buddies in the orchard. Dang. I really want someone...anyone to brood some OEs for me!!! (Eta: I have several "often broody" breeds, and not one of them wants to help me out!)

Broodies still go out a few times a day, if permitted.

Check her chest and see if she has pulled the feathers out. They do that so their breasts are in direct contact with the eggs. That's usually the best sign that they are ready.

 

[orrpeople]

Broodies still go out a few times a day, if permitted.

Check her chest and see if she has pulled the feathers out. They do that so their breasts are in direct contact with the eggs. That's usually the best sign that they are ready.

She is still feathered. But, I was just out watching her fluff up and growl at every chicken that got even close to her little personal space bubble. Any ideas? Normally she's a super friendly BO.

Oh, and in other fun news, the little red chick in my avatar just laid her very first egg!!

 

[slantrhymes]

Hi again, Aprils! I finally gave in and eggtopsied my four remaining eggs. Three badly malpositioned, dead in shell, never pipped. One dead in shell after internally pipping...no shrink wrapping or any other issues that my (admittedly untrained) eye can see. So... 1/5 that made it to lockdown hatched in my first hatch ever. Not great!

I keep reminding myself that these were shipped eggs that got abandoned by my noncommittal broody before being plunged into a cheap incubator by a total newbie. Poor babies.

Anyways, though, we got one gorgeous little Blue Andalusian out of it. She was the malpo that took hours to zip and had a bit of unabsorbed yolk when she finally pushed out. She is strong and soo cute, zipping around her brooder on her newly-stable legs, eating, drinking, and pooping like a champ. My little baby.