Colorado

[coloradogal]

Ok, my hatch is done at 5/22.

I started a thread with the eggtopsy of one of the eggs to see if anyone has some insight as to what went wrong. Something needs to be fixed, I don't want this happening again. Step one is using local only eggs for a while but I just keep wondering if something else contributed...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741955/what-went-wrong-eggtopsy-graphic#post_10404510

Don't blame yourself. I have said over and over and over again that hatching eggs from a lower elevation to here after being shipped is very difficult. By the time you set them, they were either going to viable or not viable and you had little to do at that point to get them to hatch. So stop wondering... You were the most anal person I've ever seen when it came to setting these eggs. OMGosh, you went all OCD on trying to get it right. So IMHO: You went above and beyond trying to get a successful hatch. I'm excited for your 4 little babies that did make it. These little ones managed to hatch through some of the most intense conditions imageable. Perhaps, just perhaps, had you not been all OCD, these guys wouldn't have hatched either. But because you were so anal, they did. So now you have the hardiest of the them to use for your flock. That isn't such a bad thing.

SO CONGRATS!!!!! Those little guys hatched under some of the hardest conditions ever! You did good, Mama!

edit: I believe the humidity was too high. I'll look for the page that I used to diagnose mine.

 

[coloradogal]

Don't blame yourself. I have said over and over and over again that hatching eggs from a lower elevation to here after being shipped is very difficult. By the time you set them, they were either going to viable or not viable and you had little to do at that point to get them to hatch. So stop wondering... You were the most anal person I've ever seen when it came to setting these eggs. OMGosh, you went all OCD on trying to get it right. So IMHO: You went above and beyond trying to get a successful hatch. I'm excited for your 4 little babies that did make it. These little ones managed to hatch through some of the most intense conditions imageable. Perhaps, just perhaps, had you not been all OCD, these guys wouldn't have hatched either. But because you were so anal, they did. So now you have the hardiest of the them to use for your flock. That isn't such a bad thing.

SO CONGRATS!!!!! Those little guys hatched under some of the hardest conditions ever! You did good, Mama!

edit: I believe the humidity was too high. I'll look for the page that I used to diagnose mine.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/363717/eggtopsy-what-happened-to-my-egg-graphic-pictures

Look at the chickie that was drowned... usually I lose my chicks to drowning which is crazy as I do a dry incubation. I have maybe only seen 2 die from cementing.

 

[Pozees]

Chick, Mayah is correct, without your attentiveness even the 5 may not have hatched. When you start with air cells that are not in the correct position (detached), it's tough to have anything hatch. Right now I have 11 looking great going into the last week, but I have no idea whether any will hatch. I kept humidity lower than you did, I had no detached air cells, and I did not wait to activate the turner, so those are three major differences. For all I know it may result in no hatch. Mother Nature does a far better job than we ever can. All we can do is try our best. This is a major reason I am trying to create a broody flock which will start with Silkies and I will probably add some Cochins - not hatchery, as they breed away from broodiness, but from SOP breeder(s). I realize you do not have the same situation I do, as you are in town and can only have so many hens, and honestly I believe with one or two more hatches you will have it figured out for your specific location and see much better hatches. Using local eggs is the perfect place to start - if they have a far higher hatch rate using the same specs you will know shipping has a severe effect on hatch rate.

I have read and read and read about hatching using incubators, and it's a learning curve specific to every location. Hens are born knowing more than we can ever learn about hatching. That is as it should be. If we were erased from the planet tomorrow, more than likely some chickens would survive, and thank goodness. They evolved, reportedly, from dinosaurs that survived whatever wiped out most of their brethren - we just watched a documentary about that very fact recently - so to me, at least, chickens epitomize survival of the fittest. Whichever of your chicks survive to lay or sire eggs are the fittest in the face of great odds, and should be valued as such.

 

[Pozees]

Shed (and chicks) update:

We got the fourth wall up and the first end truss. I lost three hours today - had to go to the grocery store and to Home Depot for more building supplies, and to KMart and Big R for brooding supplies due to the fact McMurray sent me an email saying the chicks could arrive as early as today, possibly tomorrow, still likely Tuesday, but if they get here tonight or tomorrow I HAVE to be set up to brood them someplace other than the new shed, so I bought large plastic containers, brooder lamps, and bulbs, and set them up in the crawl space right where I used to start seeds, so there are hooks and chains already in place I attached standard brooder lamps to, since my other brooder light replacement has not yet arrived and would not work for such a setup anyway. So that part, whew!

The end truss we have attached was problematic because it was slightly warped and not equal on the tails, and it was COLD today! Never topped 47 degrees here and overcast all day, and I gave in when I could not stop shivering. Will try to get the rest of the trusses up tomorrow, and then the siding because Bob worries if we put the roofing on first we will just create a parachute should the wind get large. Walls that are supposed to be 7'8 5/8" are actually 8'1" so we will have additional trim work.

Bob quote: "If this thing leaves because of wind, it's leaving all in one piece." Everything has been glued and screwed, it probably can't come apart. I know ... famous last words LOL

We are two very tired old fogies tonight. But chicks are on the way ...

 

[suncatcher]

OK, my hatch is done at 5/22.

I started a thread with the eggtopsy of one of the eggs to see if anyone has some insight as to what went wrong. Something needs to be fixed, I don't want this happening again. Step one is using local only eggs for a while but I just keep wondering if something else contributed...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/741955/what-went-wrong-eggtopsy-graphic#post_10404510

Sorry that your hatch rate was so low, I thought for sure it would be a awesome hatch, as you were doing everything I had read to do when hatching shipped eggs.

I just don't think eggs are supposed to fly through the air, and then be tossed around with other boxes, no good comes of it. Add to that our altitude and I think we here in Colorado, have too many things against these eggs having a successful hatching. IMHO

Maybe try a few local eggs, I think you will see a much better hatch rate!

As Pozee said, the hens are well equipped to hatch their own eggs, we on the other hand have to rely on science.

 

[samsr]

You live really close to my old house then. My old house is the yellow one with the red roof. It has a giant barn the same color next to it. You can see it from old pueblo rd though it is on Moonshadow. It's off of birdsall. Probably right behind you lol. I grew up there.

I'd like to stop by and see your setup some time. What breed of birds do you have? I'd like to try to hatch some of your eggs in the future!

You can stop by most any time. We live in what commonly known as the old robinson house. Right next to the creek. I have the multicolored door on the shop. I have been working on expanding the coop/run area most of today. I have 2 BR, 2 RIR one buff cochin, and what I believe to be a califoenia white. The rooster is a White leghorn and the other is a Buff Orpington. They got spoiled today and got to run around the yard for quite a bit of time. What i am working on now will be a basic sun room for them. It will be closed off at night and open durring the day. Just more area for them to scrath around in and be chickens. We may put some ducks in there also. Any time you would like to try and hatch some of my eggs, just let me know, so I dont put them in the refrigerator. I will probably just give them to you in exchange for a couple of the chicks that hatch. They will be mutts, but BIG muts. My leghorn is quite large and still not a year old.
I will send you a PM with my phone number.

 

[Warner123]

Hi All,
I am on day 8 of a test batch of eggs. Out of 4 eggs, I have one growing chick. But now I am worried about what to do with it when it hatches. Do you think I can quickly go buy a day old chick to put in with it so it's not alone?

 

I had this exact situation! 1 of 4 hatched. I bought 2 to go with it, and it didn't work out. The two new ones were killed. Hope you can figure it out.

 

[WendyGeisler]

chick
I am soo sorry that your hatch wasn't what you wanted. You did everything possible and I can understand how disappointed you are.
Big Hugs chicky mama!!
your new 5 babies got the best mom in town!!!!

 

[Dnetschke]

Top half painted/primed. Just gotta work on the bottom half.

 

[Dnetschke]

Double post, sorry. Not use to the phone app.