April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

The hen will keep them as warm as they need to be. You should probably leave them be and she will do the work. Humidity doesn't come into it when there under a hen i don't think. This is just from my experience of my hens hatching chicks outside in their coop with no heat lamp in irish weather with no problems not sure what your weather is like. :)
 
No they don't have to be set today but I think the waning moon starts 4/26. The OFA says that the 4th is actually the best day because then your hatch date is 4/25 which is the full moon as are the 22-24. But I think that if your eggs are developing as the moon is than you are good. Nothing wrong with setting them any old day that works I just got a little happy that my hatch was accidentally timed right.

Every little bit helps I say!
 
My Ameraucunas have arrived! A few have scary looking air cells, a few tiny ones and one HUGE grey egg... I'm thinking that either the hens were a bit young for hatching eggs or there may be a mix up of some sort. Most eggs are blueish or pink but the little ones are green, VERY green. They glowed lime colored when I candled them! Well I guess we'll see what happens!
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I've never had Ameraucana's but my Call ducks lay green tinted eggs... the eggs are darker green at the beginning of the season and some tend to fade a little after the hen has laid several. Maybe the same thing is going on with your chicken eggs? Could be from hens that just started laying...which would explain the smaller size too. Most seller's don't like to send eggs from a young hen like that though...most prefer to send larger eggs. I'm sure they'll be fine though.
 
Hi, Funny broody story.
I have an Astrolorp hen that decided to live with the English Orps.
I take her out, she finds a way in.so finally I have just left her..........(she is in love with the Roo)
Anyway, I have been watching her because she has been acting like she is getting broody.
We lost her today.could not find her anywhere.
After much worry and stress.I found her.She was totally under one of the English Orp hens.............
She was in the nesting box and that big Orp sat on top of her....totally covering her with her feathers.............
lau.gif

Silly girls,they never fail on entertainment.
 
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Hi, Funny broody story.
I have an Astrolorp hen that decided to live with the English Orps.
I take her out, she finds a way in.so finally I have just left her..........(she is in love with the Roo)
Anyway, I have been watching her because she has been acting like she is getting broody.
We lost her today.could not find her anywhere.
After much worry and stress.I found her.She was totally under one of the English Orp hens.............
She was in the nesting box and that big Orp sat on top of her....totally covering her with her feathers.............
lau.gif

Silly girls,they never fail on entertainment.

Now that IS funny!
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Okay, So I have a problem. I have a broody bantam. I tried to check to see how many eggs she was on last week but she tried to attack me, so I was going to leave her alone and do her business. I went to feed the chickens yesterday and I noticed she was sitting outside of her house. I figured this was my chance to see how many eggs she had, so I looked in her nest and there was nothing in it!! There were no egg shells so I don't think something got into the pin and got her eggs. Plus we have 2 different types of fencing around the coop and there were no holes anywhere... She was sitting on the ground right outside of her house..like she had moved her nest so she could get some sun. Is it possible that she moved her eggs with her? I am new to having chickens, so I know that is probably a dumb question but oh well!
 
Most likely she is just super broody and sitting on nothing. This can be stopped by putting her in a cage for a few days which will have ventilation under her or you could let her hatch someone hens eggs. Just check under her to find out i have been pecked by hens it looks scary but doesn't hurt just put your hand under and have a feel. I have never seen a hen move her eggs before??
 
I had ordered a new spot check thermometer from brinsea a couple weeks ago and when I received it the battery was dead. I said something to them thinking they would send a replacement battery since I had to go spend another $7 right after I received it, but they had something else in mind. Not that I'm complaining. This is their version of a replacement battery.
400
 
Also......I learned from a long time breeder about how to tell the days to lock down.
I also use this method for setting eggs and hatching. I always set on Sunday and they go into the hatcher every Thursday.
Her method is find day 21 on the calendar
So if set on Sunday....follow down to the third following Sunday.... three weeks from set date,then count back three days for lock down.
Hope I made that make sence??????
I mark each set on the calendar in a different colored pen and mark the eggs set with a mark of the same color.
Works for me....
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