Early February 2016 Hatch - Who's In?

[TJordan]

My husband would kill me if i got a second bator! . That doesn't mean in the course of this year he won't bring up the idea to me! He is the reason I got my first duck, first incubator, more ducks.... So I think hate may come around!

21 days for me would be Thursday so I'm after you.

Here's hoping. My husband was dead set against hatching until one of my hens went broody on a hidden nest 2 winters ago and hatched 5 cuties all her own. He saw them. Noticed how nice they laid after they grew up and he was hooked. Now he wants 30-40 hens for eggs and about 10 Roos for meat. Then every other year we will get a non related roo for eggs the next spring. Keep the bloodline mixed.

 

[machinfarm]

I have a few questions about candling. First of all i wasn't planning on candling till day ten, then I decided day seven, then I bought a (really crappy) candler today and it's instructions said start on day four and since that's what I'm at and I'm such a meddler, I took it as a sign that I should do it today! (I set them Sunday morning so that's day four right? Or five?)
With that said, these are buff Orpington eggs so, brown but pretty light. This candler isn't even as bright as my phones flashlight though so I can barely see anything.
Eight looked either totally clear or I could see a small dark spot about the size of a nickel which appeared to be a yolk but only if I really looked for it. I turned the eggs fat side down tryin to see if I could see any better and still couldn't and then I realized I had no idea if that is a no-no, to turn them upside down or not?!
The other 16 eggs had an obvious dark shadow all the way around the top 1/3 to 1/2 and then were light or see through on the bottom half. The very lightest egg I have I could actually see veins but all the others I could only see the dark shadow.
I don't know what to make of the fact that most of them were dark all the way around the top, I couldn't see an air cell, are those ones still viable, are they dead? There wasn't a darker ring like a blood ring, it was just shadowy on top and not shadowy on the bottom. Are the ones that were clear save for a small dark spot dead, or developing properly, or ??? if they were alive, did I kill them by turning them upside down?

 

[LilChickens2]

I'll have to weigh my eggs on my next try; it's too late to do it now for mine, tomorrow is lockdown.

BTW all: this has gotten so fun (albeit stressful at times) I went and bought a 2nd bator! Now I can have ~hopefully~ chicks every 10-12 days hatch instead of waiting 21+ days!

Has anyone hatched a chick yet? I'm 4 days away. I wonder who's the soonest?

You might be the soonest! I go into lockdown Sat night but then they aren't due until 3-ish days later.

 

[jwlpoultry]

I go into lockdown Friday night fofor Minday hatch!

 

[LilChickens2]

I go into lockdown Friday night fofor Minday hatch!

Awesome! What are you hatching?

 

[ambe0487]

I have a few questions about candling. First of all i wasn't planning on candling till day ten, then I decided day seven, then I bought a (really crappy) candler today and it's instructions said start on day four and since that's what I'm at and I'm such a meddler, I took it as a sign that I should do it today! (I set them Sunday morning so that's day four right? Or five?)
With that said, these are buff Orpington eggs so, brown but pretty light. This candler isn't even as bright as my phones flashlight though so I can barely see anything.
Eight looked either totally clear or I could see a small dark spot about the size of a nickel which appeared to be a yolk but only if I really looked for it. I turned the eggs fat side down tryin to see if I could see any better and still couldn't and then I realized I had no idea if that is a no-no, to turn them upside down or not?!
The other 16 eggs had an obvious dark shadow all the way around the top 1/3 to 1/2 and then were light or see through on the bottom half. The very lightest egg I have I could actually see veins but all the others I could only see the dark shadow.
I don't know what to make of the fact that most of them were dark all the way around the top, I couldn't see an air cell, are those ones still viable, are they dead? There wasn't a darker ring like a blood ring, it was just shadowy on top and not shadowy on the bottom. Are the ones that were clear save for a small dark spot dead, or developing properly, or ??? if they were alive, did I kill them by turning them upside down?

I try to wait until day 7 to check for growth as it is much easier to see especially through darker eggs. I won't remove an egg from my incubator until day 10. So candling before day 10 for me isn't for growth but to check air cell growth. I did day 4 this round because I was doing humidity based on weight rather than air cell. I say give them a couple more days (7+) before you worry about fertility.

I've found that an inexpensive led flashlight works the best for me. I remember being not tout to turn the eggs on their side or upside down but can't remember the reasoning they have for that.

 

[machinfarm]

I try to wait until day 7 to check for growth as it is much easier to see especially through darker eggs. I won't remove an egg from my incubator until day 10. So candling before day 10 for me isn't for growth but to check air cell growth. I did day 4 this round because I was doing humidity based on weight rather than air cell. I say give them a couple more days (7+) before you worry about fertility.

I've found that an inexpensive led flashlight works the best for me. I remember being not tout to turn the eggs on their side or upside down but can't remember the reasoning they have for that.

I know I should have waited, I got too antsy and now I'll just be fretting for days. I'm worried because I saw no air cells to speak of on any of them. And several looked pretty porous.
Ahh well I guess I'll just wait and see. :/

 

[ambe0487]

I know I should have waited, I got too antsy and now I'll just be fretting for days. I'm worried because I saw no air cells to speak of on any of them. And several looked pretty porous.
Ahh well I guess I'll just wait and see. :/

Depending on the age of the egg, there might not be a huge air sac. Not to sound like you don't know what you are doing but just to be sure, are you candling the large end? Are they shipped eggs?

 

[machinfarm]

Depending on the age of the egg, there might not be a huge air sac. Not to sound like you don't know what you are doing but just to be sure, are you candling the large end? Are they shipped eggs?

I DON'T know what I'm doing so that's totally fine! No I was candling them small end toward the light, the few that were mostly clear looking I turned over fat end down but then I wasn't sure if I was not supposed to do that so I didn't do it anymore. Am I supposed to turn them over large end down to candle? I'm feeling really dumb right now!
They were eggs from my own hens. The oldest were less than a week. I sold four dozen hatching eggs immediately before these and they were developing great per the buyers most recent description.
I can try to take a photo of that'll help.

 

[jwlpoultry]

I go into lockdown Friday night fofor Minday hatch!

Awesome! What are you hatching?

Olive eggers, easter eggers, amauracana and bresse.