Barnyard Surprises

[RUNuts]

Candled. Kinda. I think...
The 3 white are what I call clears. See clearly. Nothing happening. That hen isn't getting bred.

Pulled the wonky shaped one. Not surprised. No veins but a little floating something. Call it an early quitter. Also pulled a small brown egg that showed no veins.

5 pulled + 1 cracked = 34 remaining.

34 remaining showing spider veins. Blobs in the middle. Found 2 more of the large round ones upside down and one with the air cell on the side. All have veins, so, here is hoping.

The improvised quail egg holders are a failure. Put 8 in the turner and still turning 6 by hand. If any of those hatch, I will be surprised.

 

[RUNuts]

Daughter and Future son in law stopped by. First chicken egg I pick up has a little eye spot flying around the egg. We watched for a long minute before dropping her back into the incubator. Too cool. Too neat. Day 8 and this one performed. This was a little brown egg. Very encouraged. Very excited to see the kids amazed. Should finish candling the quail eggs. All I looked at showed veins.

Development going well.

 

[MROO]

Daughter and Future son in law stopped by. First chicken egg I pick up has a little eye spot flying around the egg. We watched for a long minute before dropping her back into the incubator. Too cool. Too neat. Day 8 and this one performed. This was a little brown egg. Very encouraged. Very excited to see the kids amazed. Should finish candling the quail eggs. All I looked at showed veins.

Development going well.

It never gets old, does it? You're absolutely right - it's just too cool!

 

[Kiki]

Daughter and Future son in law stopped by. First chicken egg I pick up has a little eye spot flying around the egg. We watched for a long minute before dropping her back into the incubator. Too cool. Too neat. Day 8 and this one performed. This was a little brown egg. Very encouraged. Very excited to see the kids amazed. Should finish candling the quail eggs. All I looked at showed veins.

Development going well.

This is why you must candle daily.

EVERYday!

 

[RUNuts]

31 chicken eggs & 13 quail eggs
Pulled 3 more chicken eggs out of the incubator and opened the first 6.
First 6 appeared infertile.
Out of the 3 pulled today (Day 10 of incubation), 1 was a porous shell and infertile - hard to see that is why I left it in. #2 was an early quitter, a few veins with no devepment. #3 just quit with a 1/2" long chick. Had development but the veins had fallen apart. This was a large egg.

Good news is that there are 31 developing. Really can't see the quail eggs. 13 cooking with the chicken eggs. I'm doubtful of a couple but see veins on most(?hopefully?). Down to 2 for hand turning. The pulled quail eggs had nothing in them.

With no added water, humidity staying around 30%. Amazing what a small membrane can accomplish.

 

[RUNuts]

Family photo. Lock down tomorrow day 18 for chickens & day 14 for quail.

 

[Kiki]

Family photo. Lock down tomorrow day 18 for chickens & day 14 for quail.

The eggs are upside down!

 

[RUNuts]

The eggs are upside down!

What? No, all the air cells are on top now.

Candled this batch a lot more than the first 2. Everything is developing except the dark quail egg off to the side. If they are getting enough heat, I hope they are developing also. The floor is cooler than the rest. I should mark those tomorrow. As eggs got pulled, the floor eggs got elevated. Only one turner egg got demoted when a floor egg looked more promising.

All turner eggs obviously developing. If 30 of these actually hatch, that is 75%. Wow.

 

[Kiki]

You are going to pull the Turner out tomorrow right?
Keep an eye on the temp when you do.
My bator usually drops a degree or two once I pull the turn around so I got to wiggle the little knob to get it back up.

 

[RUNuts]

You are going to pull the Turner out tomorrow right?
Keep an eye on the temp when you do.
My bator usually drops a degree or two once I pull the turn around so I got to wiggle the little knob to get it back up.

This bator maintains temp like a champ. I did want to ask about the humidity. It's floating 30-40%. Still planning on adding water. In fact, a couple of the eggs started getting bigger air cells this week of candling. Looking like drawdown has started.

Should I aim for 50% humidity or what? That is just a little teensy bit of water.