Colorado

[suncatcher]

Seeing all these chick pictures, and updates really makes me want to fire up the bator, I must resist, I must resist!

We have a cold wind blowing from the North West, downright chilly outside, after several days of beautiful weather I don't even want to be outside today. Wish spring would get here, like now!!

A BIG welcome to all the newbies!!!

 

[trsturself]

Sorry I can't imbed it but here is the video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203358084333134

7 out and 1 working on it. The last 8 have no pips that I can see yet. I'm being patient though since today is actual hatching day.

 

[Pozees]

So, we put 15 Cream Legbar eggs in the incubator on the fourth. Today I candled, just putting the flashlight on top of the egg, not picking it up. One egg had zero development...all the rest are perfectly veining and moving. We're super excited with that, and I really hope we have a great hatch. Eleven more days, feels like forever.

This is so exciting to hear! Can't wait for the hatch report!

 

[Pozees]

Sorry I can't imbed it but here is the video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203358084333134

7 out and 1 working on it. The last 8 have no pips that I can see yet. I'm being patient though since today is actual hatching day.

Nice video!

 

[trsturself]

The one working on it made it out. It was another lighter silkie from S-2. Now we have 2 dark ones from S-1 and 2 light ones from S-2. DH wants me to ask you, Pozees, what are the colors from S-1 and what does "Peep" mean?

Still no more pips but I could hear chirps coming from a couple of them so I'm hoping we'll have more by the end of the day.

 

[Pozees]

The one working on it made it out. It was another lighter silkie from S-2. Now we have 2 dark ones from S-1 and 2 light ones from S-2. DH wants me to ask you, Pozees, what are the colors from S-1 and what does "Peep" mean?

Still no more pips but I could hear chirps coming from a couple of them so I'm hoping we'll have more by the end of the day.

S1 is covered by a Blue male, he is with 2 Black hens, and a light and a dark Partridge hen.

Peep means the egg was laid by Peep Peep, the Porcelain hen.

 

[trsturself]

This is so exciting to hear! Can't wait for the hatch report!

I can't wait either! I'm hoping to set mine on sunday or monday.

S1 is covered by a Blue male, he is with 2 Black hens, and a light and a dark Partridge hen.

Peep means the egg was laid by Peep Peep, the Porcelain hen.

Thanks!

 

[Ashdoes]

So, even though we have four huge nest boxes, Rob found a hidden nest the Creams have been laying in. So, today we got five blue eggs, from five hens. Just means I have to check the corners in the barn.
We rushed to get our to-do list done today. Empty half the shavings in the LF stall, and the Silkie house shavings. Then refill both areas with new stuff, and top off the babies brooder. By the time we got back in the house the wind had picked up quite a bit, and dropped quite a few degrees in temp.
Spring needs to get here...actually I'll take straight summer at this point.

 

[trsturself]

I agree. It was freezing outside when I went to give the girls a treat around 12:30. We've had a few flurries but nothing big or sticking. I'm SO READY for spring!

 

[trsturself]

Still no pips in the last 8 eggs. Very disappointing if we only get 7 out of 27 eggs! Not a very good hatch rate for local eggs.
My morning temps averaged 100.2, my afternoon temps 99.6, and my evening temps were 99.9. I had a standard deviation of 1deg over all temps. There was a spike of 102.4 on day 8 and a low of 98.1 on day 12. The humidity averaged 21 in the mornings, 30.7 in the afternoon and 32.2 in the evenings (before lockdown of course, then it was between 52-61%). I'm reading my temp from an egg filled with water placed in one of the cartons. I calibrated my temp twice. Both times it read less than a degree high.
My air cells look good. I saw movement in some of the eggs on day 18 that still haven't pipped. Fingers crossed more hatch or at least pip tonight!

If they don't, I need to figure out what to do differently. Any ideas? I've got my next batch of eggs ready.
Oh, I don't think I mentioned that 1 fan died around day 10 and the second one around day 14. I have a replacement ready to go.

I think maybe I'll tape the window down to seal off the edges so heat doesn't get lost. Maybe my temps are fluctuating too much? I read a late death usually means humidity isn't right. Either too high and the chick drowns on pipping or too low and the chick is saran wrapped. I think my humidity is good. Actually I just remembered that it is 7% higher than what I was reading according to my calibration. So the averages would really by 28, 37, and 39 <lockdown and 56-68 after. Is 68 too high? It was only up that high twice.

I'm leaning more towards fluctuating temps or maybe a late hatch due to low temps. Who knows! I know they were all developing and looked good at lock down. Argh!