Christmas 2014 Hatch-a-Long (12-25-14)

[KDob521]

Just candled mine. It's so hard not to look into those shells every night. Probably 2/3 of all 3 eggs are just shadows and I see them jolting and jumping inside. The movement HAS gotten less (I assume since they're living space grows smaller daily). This weekend I surely hope to gather my supplies for my brooder box (yes, I am the pro at procrastinating).

 

[wornoutmomto3]

I didn't realize that there was a Christmas hatch-a-long! Where have I been all this time!?! Oh, I have been so busy I wasn't able to get on for the past few weeks. Silly me. I set a dozen eggs to hatch on the 23d. They get their last turn Saturday night, then lock down. I have been so busy that I had to set a reminder alarm on my phone to remember to turn the eggs. I really need to get an automated egg turner. Maybe Santa will bring me one.

Couldn't set the hatch for Christmas day. We will be out of town that day and I wanted to be around in case of an emergency. Knowing my luck only one or two will hatch on time, while the other hangout in their egg for a couple extra days. LOL. I have awesome news with this hatch. Only one egg has been pulled so far for non development. I candled last week and noticed four of the twelve seemed underdeveloped. As of tonight two have caught up, one is too dark to tell, and last has completely stalled. I pulled the last egg and did an eggtopsy and development stopped sometime in the first week of incubation. I also noticed what looked like a loose air sack during candling, which may have contributed to the stalled development. Poor thing.
On a brighter note, if all eleven of the remaining chicks hatch this will be my biggest successful hatch so far.

Next planned hatch is in the spring and the goal is 36. However, it is a homeschool project my kids are doing, with each trying to hatch a dozen eggs in their own homemade incubator. Talk about stress. The only one getting any teacher/mom assistance is the youngest, as he is only five and needs the extra help. The other two are older and will be 100% responsible for the success of their hatch.

 

[gogetter]

Hi all! I have thirteen 24-hour days behind me, because I basically set mine shortly after midnight on the 6th. So that means day 14 just began, right? Can I candle for day 14 tonight? or should I be waiting until tomorrow night? I like to do all this chicken stuff in the middle of the night, so I'm not disturbed by little fingers who want to "help". I think I'll candle right now, because I can't sleep anyway!

 

[gogetter]

I think this hatch is going better than my first one. It's just so hard to tell. If I sound depressive, it's because I thought things were GREAT last time, until no one hatched. I could see so much movement when I candled. I could see them growing larger, and an intact air sack. The 3 eggs remaining at the end were even moving and wiggling... only to have all 3 dead in shell with no internal pips. I only did egg-topsies so I could try to figure out what I did wrong.

Though I'm on pins and needles for these chicks, I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up. I set so many eggs (36) in hopes that more eggs meant a better chance at hatchers. 18 were infertile (clears) and a few more quit early on. I have 15 that are looking really good right now with another 3 that may be late quitters. I'm just REALLY hoping I dint end up with 15 more dead in shell.

My temperature is not uniform. One side of the incubator seems to be a good 2-3 degrees lower than the other side. In addition, the temperature had fluctuated more than I'd like. Always between 99 and 102 measured around the center of the eggs. I know a slightly lower temperature is safer than a higher one, so I've been aiming for 100. Humidity seemed still a little low based on the weight loss method, though the more reliable hygrometers have been measuring between 45 and 60 percent since I set the eggs. I'm adding a bit more water and trying to keep it closer to 60. I'll re-weigh a few eggs tomorrow.

I'm hopeful that with 15 wigglers still on day 14, I have a good chance for a couple live fuzzy butts in a week! Of the remaining eggs, 3 are from my black star, 2 are from my welsummer, 1 is from my white leghorn, (daddy is some sort of red/white mix). There are also 9 eggs I bought, only 1 of which is blue (the other 2 seem questionable). The rest are white, brown, or tinted. surprisingly, almost all of the remaining eggs I bought were over a week old when I set them, some a full 2 weeks.

I know my hatch will be later than most of yours, especially with the temperature dips. So I can't wait to hear how everybody else's goes!

 

[The Colonel]

Glad to have you aboard. Best wishes and hoping your hatch goes well.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I didn't realize that there was a Christmas hatch-a-long! Where have I been all this time!?! Oh, I have been so busy I wasn't able to get on for the past few weeks. Silly me. I set a dozen eggs to hatch on the 23d. They get their last turn Saturday night, then lock down. I have been so busy that I had to set a reminder alarm on my phone to remember to turn the eggs. I really need to get an automated egg turner. Maybe Santa will bring me one.
Couldn't set the hatch for Christmas day. We will be out of town that day and I wanted to be around in case of an emergency. Knowing my luck only one or two will hatch on time, while the other hangout in their egg for a couple extra days. LOL. I have awesome news with this hatch. Only one egg has been pulled so far for non development. I candled last week and noticed four of the twelve seemed underdeveloped. As of tonight two have caught up, one is too dark to tell, and last has completely stalled. I pulled the last egg and did an eggtopsy and development stopped sometime in the first week of incubation. I also noticed what looked like a loose air sack during candling, which may have contributed to the stalled development. Poor thing.
On a brighter note, if all eleven of the remaining chicks hatch this will be my biggest successful hatch so far.   

Next planned hatch is in the spring and the goal is 36. However, it is a homeschool project my kids are doing, with each trying to hatch a dozen eggs in their own homemade incubator. Talk about stress. The only one getting any teacher/mom assistance is the youngest, as he is only five and needs the extra help. The other two are older and will be 100% responsible for the success of their hatch.

Good luck with your hatch!

Hi all! I have thirteen 24-hour days behind me, because I basically set mine shortly after midnight on the 6th. So that means day 14 just began, right? Can I candle for day 14 tonight? or should I be waiting until tomorrow night? I like to do all this chicken stuff in the middle of the night, so I'm not disturbed by little fingers who want to "help". I think I'll candle right now, because I can't sleep anyway!

You should be on day 14 (There really needs to be a free app for hatchers, lol). It's really up to you when you want to candle, I candled I think on day 13 or 14, and will candle again on day 18.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I think this hatch is going better than my first one. It's just so hard to tell. If I sound depressive, it's because I thought things were GREAT last time, until no one hatched. I could see so much movement when I candled. I could see them growing larger, and an intact air sack. The 3 eggs remaining at the end were even moving and wiggling... only to have all 3 dead in shell with no internal pips. I only did egg-topsies so I could try to figure out what I did wrong.

Though I'm on pins and needles for these chicks, I'm trying so hard not to get my hopes up. I set so many eggs (36) in hopes that more eggs meant a better chance at hatchers. 18 were infertile (clears) and a few more quit early on. I have 15 that are looking really good right now with another 3 that may be late quitters. I'm just REALLY hoping I dint end up with 15 more dead in shell.

My temperature is not uniform. One side of the incubator seems to be a good 2-3 degrees lower than the other side. In addition, the temperature had fluctuated more than I'd like. Always between 99 and 102 measured around the center of the eggs. I know a slightly lower temperature is safer than a higher one, so I've been aiming for 100. Humidity seemed still a little low based on the weight loss method, though the more reliable hygrometers have been measuring between 45 and 60 percent since I set the eggs. I'm adding a bit more water and trying to keep it closer to 60. I'll re-weigh a few eggs tomorrow.

I'm hopeful that with 15 wigglers still on day 14, I have a good chance for a couple live fuzzy butts in a week! Of the remaining eggs, 3 are from my black star, 2 are from my welsummer, 1 is from my white leghorn, (daddy is some sort of red/white mix). There are also 9 eggs I bought, only 1 of which is blue (the other 2 seem questionable). The rest are white, brown, or tinted. surprisingly, almost all of the remaining eggs I bought were over a week old when I set them, some a full 2 weeks.

I know my hatch will be later than most of yours, especially with the temperature dips. So I can't wait to hear how everybody else's goes!

(Forgot to quote above) You seem to have a very nice variety of eggs! All of my eggs are brown. One time, I think I want to try eggs other then the brown tints. Sad thing is, more than half my flock are white egg layers, one even being a blue egg layer. I even have a rooster, but no fertile eggs.

When I went into lockdown for the 13th hatch, I had 15/20 eggs all moving and wriggling around. Only four of those eggs hatched. The only brown one did end up passing away. I just don't have luck with brown chickens, I only have four brown/orange in my whole flock of 17.

Good luck to everyone.

 

[KDob521]

All of you guys are such great motivators! I, myself, have given so much energy towards my 3 eggs that I have. My first ever chickens. And even when you guys have a bad batch or one may die early, you guys hold onto hope just like I would. I'm so glad I found this site full of fantastic supporters that are just as much in love with having chickens as I am. Bless you all! <3

 

[The Colonel]

good luck with all three, I think optimism is probably what keeps most people going anymore. Nothing is ever certain, so it's always best to hope for the the most awesome possible outcome. This way even if it doesn't attain the level expected of it, anything is better that nothing at all.

 

[Lamancha]

He's definitely going to have to work around me, I have things to do. Then delivery to their respected homes on the 28th. It's funny, I was talking to my friend that 3 of them are for his kids for Christmas, and while I'm busy getting everything together for hatch day, he's building his first coop and brooder box for delivery lol so my excitement has infected his family as well. I love being able to share the joy of chickens with other people. Think that's why I like it here so much.....

That's really cool that you are doing that for those kids. I know that when I was a kid I would have loved baby chicks.

Now I'm more excited for your hatch than my own.