Christmas is coming early Hatch-A-Long!

[2ndTink]

Dasher must be needed for pampering in the North Pole. They have a sleigh to pull after all.

We can't leave Santa without his whole reindeer team, that would make for a while world of sad boys and girls.

 

[2ndTink]

Tag me for an egg that makes it if there are any extras! I will name it Grinch. Just because lol.

Will do

 

[ElfenLied89]

Will do

 

[21hens-incharge]

Yes! I am very thankful it isn't a complete bust!

I would love to do a follow up hatch-a-long! I will be doing another hatch in March of layer breeds, there's a local breeder that I've been eyeing their birds, website / Facebook since I first got chickens in 2020, I just contacted her a few days ago and I'll be getting a mix (I think I'll do 2 doz) of Ameraucanas (purebreds!), Swedish Flower Hens, and a couple Dark Brahmas and whatever other layers she has. I should have some OEs and Marans (black copper, blue copper, and maybe a wheaten or wheaten mix) from my friends flock that will be in there too. So we might have a fairly full incubator

I'm not sure it will land hatch day on Easter, but it will be around there, I'll set the eggs based on availability from the breeder and my friend.

I will totally follow along and root for them.....but first this hatch and rooting for THESE chickies to grow, grow, grow!

 

[TwoCrows]

I just finished candling, and it seems that the Christmas season has so many hands busy in Santa's workshop that we don't have many that had enough time to come along for the hatch.

Candy Cane and Nicholas got started but i am 100% sure now that they got recalled back to the North Pole, I have removed them.

Jovie, Star, Eggnog and Cotton Ball are moving and grooving! Cotton Ball is outgrowing everyone, that little one is going to town and has a massive vein network all around the egg with big thick veins, it's amazing!

All the other fancy silkies, including Dasher seem to be clears, I haven't removed them yet, but I believe if they were growing I should see clear signs of life by today. The dot I thought I saw in Dasher must be some dirt or a thick spot in the shell I didn't take them out of the incubator, but I'm thinking I should. Any reason to leave them another day or two? This is day 7 or 8 depending on how you count.

I couldn't see into the EE eggs, I'll wait until after dark and check them.

We will focus on the positives and not be sad, I can't imagine brooding 20 to 30 chicks inside through the winter anyway, much easier with just a small handful

Nothing to be sad about @2ndTink, no need to make this a sad occasion! Those little ones developing need to be urged on! Today is day 7? I would give the questionable eggs 2 more days and then remove them if they aren't viable. Not only because dead eggs can grow bacteria but the embryos communicate with their neighbors and they can quit if the egg next to them is dead.

So....all you remaining eggs, let's hop to it and do some growing!

 

[2ndTink]

Nothing to be sad about @2ndTink, no need to make this a sad occasion! Those little ones developing need to be urged on! Today is day 7? I would give the questionable eggs 2 more days and then remove them if they aren't viable. Not only because dead eggs can grow bacteria but the embryos communicate with their neighbors and they can quit if the egg next to them is dead.

So....all you remaining eggs, let's hop to it and do some growing!

Wow, I didn't know they could communicate! That's awesome. When I checked them earlier today I had put the developing ones all next to eachother, so they've been able to chat it up all afternoon and I didn't even know it! Or I had forgotten it if you told me last time

I have confirmed we have TWO (whoop whoop!) EEs growing, so one will be named Grinch, hehe, and the second still needs a name. AND, there is growth in the one and only SLW egg I put in there. That should be an interesting looking cross, I didn't put any others because I really wasn't sure how it would turn out. So these three are also all together in a turner row.

The SLW embryo would come to the shell so I could see it then go away from the shell, I had to watch it for a minute as I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. And of course I pretty much missed it with the camera.



My hubby asked me what the heck had happened to his flashlight, I was contemplating buying a candler for the darker eggs, then decided to try his Olight Maurader Mini, thay thing is crazy bright! It worked great.

 

[2ndTink]

Our updated wiggler list

Fancy silkies:
5. Jovie
9. Star
11. Eggnog

White silkie
a. Cotton Ball

EE x white silkie
A. Grinch
B. Max 2.0 ❤

SLW x white silkie
C. Noel

We have 2 needing names!
Update - down to one needing a name!
Update 2.0 - all current wigglers are named!

 

[GreenJay]

Our updated wiggler list

Fancy silkies:
5. Jovie
9. Star
11. Eggnog

White silkie
a. Cotton Ball

EE x white silkie
A. Grinch
B.

SLW x white silkie
C.

We have 2 needing names!

EE/B should be Max (2.0) to go with the Grinch

 

[TwoCrows]

Our updated wiggler list

Fancy silkies:
5. Jovie
9. Star
11. Eggnog

White silkie
a. Cotton Ball

EE x white silkie
A. Grinch
B. Max 2.0 ❤

SLW x white silkie
C.

We have 2 needing names!
Update - down to one needing a name!

How about Noel?

 

[TwoCrows]

Wow, I didn't know they could communicate! That's awesome. When I checked them earlier today I had put the developing ones all next to eachother, so they've been able to chat it up all afternoon and I didn't even know it! Or I had forgotten it if you told me last time

I have confirmed we have TWO (whoop whoop!) EEs growing, so one will be named Grinch, hehe, and the second still needs a name. AND, there is growth in the one and only SLW egg I put in there. That should be an interesting looking cross, I didn't put any others because I really wasn't sure how it would turn out. So these three are also all together in a turner row.

The SLW embryo would come to the shell so I could see it then go away from the shell, I had to watch it for a minute as I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. And of course I pretty much missed it with the camera.

View attachment 3697334

My hubby asked me what the heck had happened to his flashlight, I was contemplating buying a candler for the darker eggs, then decided to try his Olight Maurader Mini, thay thing is crazy bright! It worked great.
View attachment 3697335
View attachment 3697336

Lots of wigglers!

Nice candler, tell hubby the flashlight has a very important job to do now, he needs to let this one go.