FBCM Hatch Along with Older Eggs 2/11/24 - will they hatch???

[FunClucks]

So I crossed my FBCM hen with my Whiting True Blue rooster, grabbed whatever eggs of hers I had sitting around in my kitchen, and put them in the incubator. Will they hatch??? I don't know... The hen lays every 2-3 days, so getting enough eggs to fill the incubator in 7 days isn't going to happen. Going through all my eggs from the last 2-3 weeks, I found a total of 12 eggs. I've washed them with hydrogen peroxide (some of them were nasty, and I've done this before with good results), and placed them in the incubator last night. Eggs weigh 54-58 grams, most of them 55 grams. The hens lays a 7 on the FBCM egg darkness scale. Incubator is NurtureRight 360. Running right at 99.5F and 54% RH. Pic of my roo and hen attached. Will take one of the eggs shortly. Wish me luck!!!

[FYI, I just rehomed 3 hens from that coop and put a bunch of chicken saddles on everyone, so hopefully that will head off the feather picking/over grooming they started this past month. Why do my chickens always do this in the coldest part of winter when it's most difficult for me to address?]

 

[Hatch in chicks]

LUCK

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

There's a good chance they will hatch - but did you wash the whole egg with the hydrogen peroxide or just the dirty spots?

 

[FunClucks]

There's a good chance they will hatch - but did you wash the whole egg with the hydrogen peroxide or just the dirty spots?

Washed the whole egg. There was a fair bit of dust, mud, and poo involved on a number of them. I've rinsed/washed eggs before in H2O2 for an entire hatch, everything developed, and 80% hatched, so if it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt either, IMO.

I've heard they wash eggs commercially in H2O2 to ensure cleanliness of hatching equipment and environments.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Washed the whole egg. There was a fair bit of dust, mud, and poo involved on a number of them. I've rinsed/washed eggs before in H2O2 for an entire hatch, everything developed, and 80% hatched, so if it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt either, IMO.

I've heard they wash eggs commercially in H2O2 to ensure cleanliness of hatching equipment and environments.

I don't think it will hurt anything... but if you don't have to wash the whole egg in it - then don't. You want to keep that bloom as natural as possible.

 

[FunClucks]

So... All but two of these eggs have developed, and attached to the sides of the shell wall by about 5 days. Hard to see through the shells, so I'll check for amount filled and weight soon, but once they get totally dark, that's pretty much it until hatch day. 11 days to go!

In other news, my FBCM hen hasn't laid an egg since these were collected. So it's been at 2-3 weeks now, and I'm not sure what's going on with her. I don't think it's molting. Stress maybe? Hoping she'll be happier now that 3 of her flockmates aren't present, but so far she hasn't resumed laying. Really hoping this has a benign answer and not bad genetics. Cause that would really suck... Took her much longer to lay than everyone else in the coop, maybe she's getting ready to molt or regrow some feathers, and just hasn't finished yet...

 

[FunClucks]

Update: We have confirmed movement in one egg. Yea!!! Possibly two others are alive but I can't tell since the shells are so dark. Two additional eggs are probably dead, but I'm waiting until I can be certain to toss them.

So. 1-3 chicks alive right now. It is day 6.

Still no more eggs from FBCM momma. What the heck is going on with her?

 

[Tumbleweedlynn]

Update: We have confirmed movement in one egg. Yea!!! Possibly two others are alive but I can't tell since the shells are so dark. Two additional eggs are probably dead, but I'm waiting until I can be certain to toss them.

So. 1-3 chicks alive right now. It is day 6.

Still no more eggs from FBCM momma. What the heck is going on with her?

She’s not broody by any chance? Our weather fluctuates daily from warm to freezing to currently tornadic My girls have been touch and go as well.

 

[FunClucks]

She’s not broody by any chance? Our weather fluctuates daily from warm to freezing to currently tornadic My girls have been touch and go as well.

Nope, haven't seen her near a nest box. Been looking for signs of molting also, but no luck. Was hoping it's stress or feather regrowth, but still no idea. I'd hate to start over with getting another hen and raising her up, but might have to.

Watch the one chick I manage to hatch be a rooster.

 

[FunClucks]

So, in hen news, my FBCM started laying again about a week ago, so that's good. Not sure why she stopped, but keeping an eye on her to see how that continues.

We got 4 chicks!!! Yea!!! All appear to have pea combs, black backs, white wing tips, and either white or grey chests, and light yellow bellies. Black and pink feet, half heavily feathered feet, half with just a few feathers on their feet. Two of the chicks have beards and muffs, so that's fun too!!! One has a little brown spot on the side of the back of its neck. Now waiting to see how many hens I have...