August Hatch-A-Long

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

well time to clean the incubator. the last possible and only fertile egg, well it died sometime back. this goes to show you that you can get horrible results from non shipped eggs that you drive to pick up. This is 19 days i'll never get back...sigh. Have crested cream legbar eggs being shipped ion and will arrive Monday or Tuesday

Oh I’m so sorry to hear that your hatch failed!!!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Wait wait wait.

I was just going to ask if heat gives early hatches but second guessed myself.

JUST went to midday chores, let mama out to dustbathe and I candled an egg or two.

THREE external pips and three internal pips. Omg. One dud egg. I think. Then the three blue eggs have SMALL air cells and what looks like veining but I can’t see anything else. I’m going to leave them in and fire up the incubator?

All my air cells were smaller than I expected them to be which tells me I’m off in my incubator hatches anyway and using too low humidity (ie shrink wraps AND sticky shipped chicks). But those being large and seeing veining I’m wondering if they’re behind. They were out of the nest one day for a few hours because another hen moved them and sat on them and left. I’ll keep an eye on mama and if she has to leave the nest I’ll put them in the bator.

EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

How exciting!!!! Best of luck with your first broody hatch!

 

[starri33]

well time to clean the incubator. the last possible and only fertile egg, well it died sometime back. this goes to show you that you can get horrible results from non shipped eggs that you drive to pick up. This is 19 days i'll never get back...sigh. Have crested cream legbar eggs being shipped ion and will arrive Monday or Tuesday

, sorry to hear that your eggs didn't make it, I drove as BlueBaby said to see her and got eggs, 5 hours each way. I truly didn't expect them to hatch, as they'd been in the incubator, had to ride home, I think all told they were out of the incubator for 8+ hours, I picked up 6 and got a 6 out of 6 hatch, I lost 2 after hatching, perhaps the eggs were just no good.

 

[jolenesdad]

Is it normal for her to get off the eggs while they are pipping? What about zipping?

Are there any signs other than attempted murder that you need to take the eggs or babies or hatching eggs away from a broody?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My broody clearly doesn’t know what “lockdown” means. She still has to come FIRST for treats first thing in the morning.

2 more days!!!

View attachment 1885680

She's earned them!! Lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Is it normal for her to get off the eggs while they are pipping? What about zipping?

Are there any signs other than attempted murder that you need to take the eggs or babies or hatching eggs away from a broody?

Some of my hens get up and others stretch out and eat and drink from the containers I place close to them and I guess they're just way better at not pooping, lol. Hens don't need to worry about be their humidity levels dropping like we do in an incubator. I think that's the big difference between chicken lockdown and our lockdown, lol. Normally once a chick I out is when I see the hens sit tight for 24 hours or at least I didn't catch them leaving.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Is it normal for her to get off the eggs while they are pipping? What about zipping?

Are there any signs other than attempted murder that you need to take the eggs or babies or hatching eggs away from a broody?

The chicks will hop out of the box and the hens will show them how to eat and drink while staying on the remaining eggs as they hatch.

 

[jolenesdad]

The chicks will hop out of the box and the hens will show them how to eat and drink while staying on the remaining eggs as they hatch.

Fabulous. I’m Going to move the food closer and I guess I need a smaller waterer too.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Fabulous. I’m Going to move the food closer and I guess I need a smaller waterer too.

Yes, coming up with feeders and waterers for both was a fun challenge... I ended up with rabbit nipple waterers for the chicks and a high dish with marbles for mom...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Fabulous. I’m Going to move the food closer and I guess I need a smaller waterer too.

I just used a regular chick sized feeder and waterer but I have seen where people will put marbles in a slightly larger waterer too. Heck, I used a paper plate for one the hen's feeders last time because I had so many broodies at once!