FEBRUARY Hatch-A-Long 2015:Please Read First Post To Join H-A-L

[LisaLouHoo]

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I put my OE eggs in lockdown this morning. First timer here with an incubator. Beyond excited!!! I wanted to see an internal pip before I did that, but they had lost more weight than the recommended amount of 13% to 16%, so I maxed out the water reservoirs and stopped the turning and now am locked down!!! We are on day 18 and the 25th is hatch day. I will NOT open the bator until I see some chicks in my Brinsea mini.

Update: Day 20 and I rushed downstairs when I woke up this morning and while I was looking for any external pips, I heard chirping!!! Does this ever get old???

 

[cedarcovefarm]

Lisalouhoo that is soooo exciting!!! Post pics when you get some chicks!
Going on lockdown today!! Yay!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

Good luck to you, Cedar. Something fun to do while we wait for winter to break.

 

[Chick Phil A]

Lucky 13!

Is there anything wrong with feeding meatmaker to start with and then switching to regular feed when I figure out who the hens are?

 

[rainbowchick]

My three chickies (2 weeks old tomorrow) are learning to sleep on their "roost"! It's so cute!!

 

[scflock]

I am just learning. I am looking for two rows of feathers on the wingtip. The "upper row" when the wing is upright are from primary feathers. The lower row when the wing is upright are to be convert feathers. There are differences in how "fast" these things feather in males or females. In Males, the two rows will be more "even at the ends" or more parallel at the ends than in a female of the same hatch, breed and age. Harder to tell when you have onely one sex to inspect. But in general...the primary feathers on the female shoot out longer than if its a male, relative to the converts on bottom.



edited to correct "less" to more.

I will have to try that. I've gotten pretty good at picking out my Polish and cuckoo marans at about 2 weeks old, but this year I added some French BCMs that I bought straight run at 4 weeks old. These little buggers are 8 weeks old now, and I still don't have a clue. Some have more pronounced combs and wattles, but the feathering looks like a female. I don't know though, because the adult roosters have the same neck coloring, just more color on their bodies. I'm sure I will learn to tell better after a few hatches, but right now the suspense is killing me

 

[bekkanblue]

My solo egg hatched this morning!! Another Jaerhon female. I really need to count better since I only locked her down late Sunday night. Did that last time too but it seems to work, everything making lockdown is hatching. Chalking it up to beginners luck, we'll see what the batch of 8 does next week. I have more eggs saved up but I think I should wait and put 4 each of the current cookers in each mini to hatch so they have room. Not sure I have that much self control. I still have my incukit to turn something into a bator/hatcher...

Here's the new baby! I took one of the week olds over to talk to her for a few minutes. Will need to rig something in the brooder since I haven't had a chance to pick up a second hot plate yet. Luckily I live 20 minutes from Premier 1!

 

[bekkanblue]

My three chickies (2 weeks old tomorrow) are learning to sleep on their "roost"! It's so cute!!

Awww, too cute. What are you using for a roost? Can't quite make it out. I had plans for a fancy dowel set up but have only gotten as far as getting some 4' dowel rods... I've got plenty of lumber parts in the barn tho', wondering if there are square edges on what you've got there.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

First pip!!! I braved an angry mother bird to look.... We snagged two eggs for the incubator to imprint, which have not pipped yet, and by the look on candling should hatch on Thurdsay. Someone gave me a strong kick from inside the shell in the process... Although I am a bit bruised now from being dumb enough to check eggs, I'm hoping to see the first of my babies by tomorrow morning!!!

 

[Mahen100]

@scflock

Yeah, the suspense is killing me to know if my solo hatch is male or female, and since it is from imported English Orp lines, I have had no luck feather sexing with this breed, but I am still looking anyway.