April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[annabell254]

In my very short experience, I would say firstly looking at shipped eggs?! You need to determine the age of these prior to incubation. Because they are problems from the word go! Then you need to look at the bator are you a %100 sure that you temps were spot on? It is possible for them to have encountered a temp spike. And this can cause them to die very quickly. Obviously some may have been able to deal with it while others may not. If you had a chart or diary. Then you could at least look back at the problems you may have encountered. Other wise you will just have to start over. But this time ensure you get the bator running exactly to a tea. And decide how your going to deal with shipped eggs if you get them. Candle them straight away. Look for any hairline crack. What position the air cell is in, does it move? Draw a line around the cell straight away. Look at the humidity in the room the bator is in. Room temps can effect incubators immensely. Look at weighing each egg make a diary. And weigh regularly. Adjust humidity to you weights. Also some people like myself. Drop the temp slightly by around half a degree during lockdown and obviously increase humidity. Think about placing rocks in the bottom well of the bator. This may help with heat control when opening if you have to manual turn.

Great Advice .... THANKS

 

[tommysgirl]

I haven't been able to keep up with all of the posts, so forgive me if this has already been asked. My eggs went into the incubator on the night of the 29th. At what point would you cull "bad" eggs? I have 4 positively clear eggs and about 5 more questionable ones. The 5 questionable are really dark from a Welsummer, and they are so dark that I can't even see the air pocket at the end. I *really* want those to hatch but I suspect they are not fertile because the hen had a leg injury throughout most of the winter and the rooster does not give her much attention as a result. So the odds are against them, even though I am hopeful.

Should I just give up on them at this point? Or how long do you wait to make sure? As for the other 4 eggs they are lighter brown varieties and they are very clear with no veining and only one of them has what looks like a possible dark mass in it. I marked them when I candled a few days ago and checked again last night and they look the same so I think they are duds.

So here is a silly question......what do you do with eggs that you are removing from the incubator? It seems wrong to toss them in the trash, but I don't know what else I would do. Should I crack them to see out of curiosity? I have this horrible fear that I would be wrong though and by cracking I would see that I killed a chick. Or would it be stinky and/or bacteria ridden if I crack them to see?

Someone may have already answered this but from what some of the very experienced hatchers here have shared, don't give up on those dark eggs before lockdown unless they start to smell

Re the eggs taken out of the bator a lot of people do an eggtopsy by putting the egg in a ziplock and breaking it to see what is inside and to learn what they might be able to do differently next go around.

Sorry if this is redundant info

 

[MadamContrary]

Today is day 18! Excited to do last candling before lockdown. I had one scary temp spike a couple days ago and yesterday I had issues keeping temps up... I really hope that is not a sign of demise. Well at least I will know for sure soon.

 

[Mtn Margie]

Today is my day 18 as well. No major temp spikes or dips. Humidity dropped a couple of times but not too worried about that. It is 12 degrees and snowing, hardly chick hatching weather at the moment....

 

[crazyfarmer]

Well one of my cochin hens just went broody yesterday so will be having chicks after all

 

[chickydee64]

I put new batteries into my little led flashlight and re-candled. I saw movement in at least two and dark masses in all the others. I think egg 5 and egg 9 may not be developing much They have a smaller mass. I will leave them alone now until next Monday when they go into lockdown. It is so hard to keep my hands off. These are all just mutt eggs from my mixed flock with a BJG roo but this is my first time hatching and I am already addicted. Wish me luck.

Good Luck.....................................

 

[oesdog]

I feel so far behind! I am only on what day 4???? OMG a lifetime to wait>???

I am sooo stuck to the incubator already and I am itching where the feathers are starting to grow through my skin!!!!!! - I am turning into a broody hen! yikes!!!!!

Oes

 

[Serenity Lane]

Lockdown

 

[hokankai]

My hatch is complete! Frodo had a severe underbite and didn't hatch, but that's ok because I have 32 beautiful babies who will be vaccinated and going to their homes in a few days ^_^

Final tally:

53 eggs set
4 clears
4 blood rings
1 early quitter
9 late quitters (a few malpositions (caused by egg shape, aircell position, and chance), pipped through blood vessel, failed to zip, beak deformity, and unknown)
1 that will probably need to be culled due to skull deformity
1 healthy fully assisted baby!

I'll be doing a photoshoot of the babies later today but here are a few more from yesterday.

A male and female Euskal Oiloa (male on left)







And the final eggshell photo of all the eggs that hatched in the order they hatched

 

[MadamContrary]

Today is my day 18 as well. No major temp spikes or dips. Humidity dropped a couple of times but not too worried about that. It is 12 degrees and snowing, hardly chick hatching weather at the moment....

Lockdown

woo hoo! looks like we shall see lots more chick pics soon! Good hatching to all!!!