Feb 16th hatch-a-long

[AngelaPenny]

So I started with 21, looks like 1 wasn't fertile, and another quit. So I'm in for 19 now. I'm sure this doesn't get any less exciting the more that you do it

 

[AngelaPenny]

It's my first time using a new incubator, and I let the water evaporate from the bottom tray. (Not on purpose, of course) It happened two nights ago, and I lost a few embryos.

I'm at 13 viable ones now.

How's everyone else doing?

 

[Oakieridge]

How is everyone's little eggs doing? Mine are being hatched by someone else so I can't say how ours are doing other than they are cooking along, lol. I am curious as to how everyone else's are doing. Can't wait to see all the little fuzzy butts that hatch.

Cathie

 

[juliaaa]

Day 12;
Last night I went and candled again and took out the ones that clearly weren't good. I left in maybe 6 I wasn't sure about and took the others to the table and cracked them open to make sure, hey I was curious and the only way you learn is by doing and watching.... I was correct on the ones I took out!!! All together we now have 20 of the 24 Rhode Island Red eggs, sadly 2 of the 9 Silkie eggs I got for Valentines Day and 6 of 6 of my white silkie and the roosters she was raised with.

So now we're left with 31 of the 39 that were in there. I'm sure some of the RiR eggs are bad but they are so hard to see through. I CAN'T WAIT!!!!


Last night we were sitting on the couch talking about the brooder and such and my loving boyfriend says, to my surprise: So when can we set another set of eggs? I want some meat chickens and I know you want some SIlkies since yours had such a bad hatch rate.

OMG He's now enabling my incubating addiction!!!! So it is official I will be doing this again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he's ok with it lol


LOCK DOWN ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[juliaaa]

Tomorrow is lockdown!!! I can't wait!!! This is sooo exciting. I noticed last night when I was turning them that they were starting to get heavy. Today we're finishing up the brooder and some last minute things before the eggs hatch.


What are you all doing to prepare???

 

[AngelaPenny]

I'm not going into lockdown until Monday night. My last hatch I set on a Sunday (morning) and they hatched on a Sunday morning.

I didn't set these eggs until late afternoon on a Thursday, so I don't expect them to hatch until Friday.

I'm not sure what I'm doing about a brooder yet. My three-week-olds are in a rabbit cage now, I don't know if I'll move them to something bigger, or put the new babies in something else. I guess I better figure it out soon.....

 

[Oakieridge]

I moved our 4 week old babies to the brooder in our "big kid pen". Then moved the 2 week old babies from the brooder in the house and put them in the brooder in the feed house (where the 4 week olds were). Then I bleached the house brooders (we use rubbermaid tubs) and all the feeders and waterers that go in them. I will put fresh pine shavings in them tomorrow so they will all be ready. Hopefully some of ours will hatch. We have them at a friends to hatch for us since we don't have an incubator. We have some hatching this week, next week and the week after lol.

 

[Oakieridge]

Got word 13 of our 14 eggs were good to move to the hatcher. Can't wait until Wednesday to see just how many hatch!!!

 

[NancyP1]

I just put 30 out of 35 into lockdown....now its countdown! Good luck everyone!

 

[AngelaPenny]

I lost another, found it when candling before lockdown last night.

I have 11 in lockdown, and can see 3 rocking away!