August Hatch-A-Long

[StarMeKritten]

I went out to the barn this morning to find that my little rescued silkie/ cochin mix had a chick! She had been sitting on some infertile eggs on and off, so I gave her two fertile ones. I intended to swap those for more eggs when she went completely broody and I had more eggs. Both of those things happened about a week ago but I hadn't had a good opportunity to switch eggs. I had also forgotten exactly when I had put those eggs under her. Apparently, it's been about 3 weeks! I have another bantam hen in there too. I'm hoping she won't be a problem for the mama and her little one. This is my first broody. They came to me a couple months ago in bad shape from untreated leg mites. She lost her 5th toes but has made a terrific recovery. Pictures to come when I can take some that aren't terrible! The chick is mostly black with a brown face so I'm guessing it's female. The parents should produce black sex linked chicks... provided that the eggs came from the hen that I think they came from!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I went out to the barn this morning to find that my little rescued silkie/ cochin mix had a chick! She had been sitting on some infertile eggs on and off, so I gave her two fertile ones. I intended to swap those for more eggs when she went completely broody and I had more eggs. Both of those things happened about a week ago but I hadn't had a good opportunity to switch eggs. I had also forgotten exactly when I had put those eggs under her. Apparently, it's been about 3 weeks! I have another bantam hen in there too. I'm hoping she won't be a problem for the mama and her little one. This is my first broody. They came to me a couple months ago in bad shape from untreated leg mites. She lost her 5th toes but has made a terrific recovery. Pictures to come when I can take some that aren't terrible! The chick is mostly black with a brown face so I'm guessing it's female. The parents should produce black sex linked chicks... provided that the eggs came from the hen that I think they came from!

Surprise Chicks!

 

[Iko127]

Tomorrow is day 7 candle. *gulp* heat & humidity have been where i want them, but the eggs i thought looked porous have weird larger
Almost shadowy spots where the pores were. They almost look like wet spots. Plus the 3 cracked ones i tried to mend...i have a feeling the egg count in my bator is going to drop drastically after candling. I have read that if you don't pull the bad ones they might explode & contaminate the whole bator. How long does it take for a bad egg to explode? I'm happy that my sister's friend told her that if my shipped eggs don't hatch out she will let me try some of her barred rocks eggs...i just REALLY want an australorp & buff orpington, too. Nobody has them around here that i can find. If only those 3 eggs hatched (female of course, LOL) out of all 16 i would be happy...

From what I read, don't get rid of eggs before you check them again on day 10....people are saying they don't see much if not experienced before day 10....unless they smell bad or leaking

Good luck and let us know what you find!

 

[StarMeKritten]

From what I read, don't get rid of eggs before you check them again on day 10....people are saying they don't see much if not experienced before day 10....unless they smell bad or leaking

Good luck and let us know what you find!

Good advice. I candle around day 7 (tomorrow for me!) and then mark the eggs in pencil as I go. I put an X on any eggs that look clear or questionable and I put a check mark on ones that have development and movement. I wait a few days and check the X's again. I usually candle again around day 14. Then I do a quick candle at lockdown to mark the air cells in pencil, just in case I have one that needs assistance.. though I try not to help unless it's absolutely necessary. With my last hatch, I had a new chick get its head stuck in the thermometer.. I had to open the incubator to free it and shrink wrapped two chicks that were unzipping their eggs in the process. I had to help both out but they are happy, healthy, and doing great now.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I have got another broody due on the 18th of August! Found her in our tree house, which we haven't been in for a while! I also found another nest of eggs(no broody yet) under our hay bale stack! I hope she also goes broody soon!

 

[Iko127]

Good advice. I candle around day 7 (tomorrow for me!) and then mark the eggs in pencil as I go. I put an X on any eggs that look clear or questionable and I put a check mark on ones that have development and movement. I wait a few days and check the X's again. I usually candle again around day 14. Then I do a quick candle at lockdown to mark the air cells in pencil, just in case I have one that needs assistance.. though I try not to help unless it's absolutely necessary. With my last hatch, I had a new chick get its head stuck in the thermometer.. I had to open the incubator to free it and shrink wrapped two chicks that were unzipping their eggs in the process. I had to help both out but they are happy, healthy, and doing great now.

That sounds like a great plan! My first bunch of 14 eggs are 7 days tomorrow too...I'm going to try a couple but not sure how I'm going to be able to candle since I can't do it at night. I figured I would see if I could see anything under a towel...lol. My eggs are brown so might be tuff.

 

[Iko127]

I went out to the barn this morning to find that my little rescued silkie/ cochin mix had a chick! She had been sitting on some infertile eggs on and off, so I gave her two fertile ones. I intended to swap those for more eggs when she went completely broody and I had more eggs. Both of those things happened about a week ago but I hadn't had a good opportunity to switch eggs. I had also forgotten exactly when I had put those eggs under her. Apparently, it's been about 3 weeks! I have another bantam hen in there too. I'm hoping she won't be a problem for the mama and her little one. This is my first broody. They came to me a couple months ago in bad shape from untreated leg mites. She lost her 5th toes but has made a terrific recovery. Pictures to come when I can take some that aren't terrible! The chick is mostly black with a brown face so I'm guessing it's female. The parents should produce black sex linked chicks... provided that the eggs came from the hen that I think they came from!

congrats on your baby chick!!

 

[StarMeKritten]

That sounds like a great plan! My first bunch of 14 eggs are 7 days tomorrow too...I'm going to try a couple but not sure how I'm going to be able to candle since I can't do it at night. I figured I would see if I could see anything under a towel...lol. My eggs are brown so might be tuff.

I have my incubator set up on our little bar counter in the kitchen. I candle mine in the evening when I can just turn off the lights in there. Sometimes, I'll candle during the day in the pantry or the windowless bathroom. It's just easier if I don't have to put eggs in cartons and lug them around the house. I'm always afraid I'll drop them. I use my big maglite to candle. I hope your BLRW eggs are developing well. My BLRW are 3 weeks old now. I'm really hoping I have several girls this time. I ended up with all boys last time I hatched them.. Right now, I just have mixed breeds in the incubator. Hens are easter/ olive eggers, ameraucanas, australorps, and barred mixed breed girls. Roosters are olive egger, australorp, silkie, ameraucana and BLRW... but I think only the olive egger and australorp are mating the girls. I would love to see some silkie mixes hatch though. That would be hilarious. He's 6 months old and presumably fertile.. but the girls are all twice his size.

 

[Iko127]

I have my incubator set up on our little bar counter in the kitchen. I candle mine in the evening when I can just turn off the lights in there. Sometimes, I'll candle during the day in the pantry or the windowless bathroom. It's just easier if I don't have to put eggs in cartons and lug them around the house. I'm always afraid I'll drop them. I use my big maglite to candle. I hope your BLRW eggs are developing well. My BLRW are 3 weeks old now. I'm really hoping I have several girls this time. I ended up with all boys last time I hatched them.. Right now, I just have mixed breeds in the incubator. Hens are easter/ olive eggers, ameraucanas, australorps, and barred mixed breed girls. Roosters are olive egger, australorp, silkie, ameraucana and BLRW... but I think only the olive egger and australorp are mating the girls. I would love to see some silkie mixes hatch though. That would be hilarious. He's 6 months old and presumably fertile.. but the girls are all twice his size.

Thanks so much. I have my bator in a pretty dark bathroom and will try and see what I find. I hope all of yours do great! I would love to have a bunch of other kinds but just not enough room. Maybe one day

 

[Sylviaanne]

They are not waiting until their due date!
I have 13 pipped and one just hatched! 14 out of 26 so far, that's over half.
First one out is a light colored Silkie!