FEBRUARY HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[huckleberryfarm]

Me, me, me!!! I set my very first eggs ever this morning! Would have done it yesterday but it took me a day to figure out how to put the bator together. Set 8 frizzle/sizzle eggs today and am getting some more tomorrow. I'm assuming I can just add them? Hopefully! We got our first live chicks last week... 11 silkies. They are so cute! Loving having chickens!

 

[aceschix]

OK, I'm in.

First hatch ever!!!

I have 6 Blue & Black ameraucanas from FLF
and 9 possible pure lav. ameraucanas from chicken stalker.

Waiting on the batch from sonew. Will set tomorrow when they arrive.

I have candled the eggs I have received. Can you describe to me what the air cell should look like? My own eggs that I have been collecting have a very small dark circle at the large end. About the size of a dime or slightly bigger. The shipped eggs dark circle is much bigger and uneven. Is something wrong?

 

[CrazyFarmHusband]

I'm so impatient I got 7 days saturday cant wait to candle. My first batch ever , hope I know what I'm looking at.

 

[aceschix]

With all the reading I have done I thought I would be all set. But just the first time and I'm lost with what it "should" look like.... Good thing we have helpers here

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
I'm guessing since this is your first hatch you have 1 incubator? You have to go into lockdown at day 18. You'll be ok if your eggs were only set 1 day apart, but I wouldn't add any after that. Unless you want to get another bator to hatch in. Then you can just keep adding, and adding and adding. That's how I ended up with 2 bators! lol

 

[archerobx]

candeled again tonight.
I got movement, yes! Looks like the leg horn rooster was doing his job. The brown eggs with different rooster, do not look like the white eggs, but I will wait.
Pretty cool,

 

[chickenmeadow]

Hi there February SETTERS, CANDLERS, LOCKDOWNERS & HATCHMASTERS! I just finished up with the 'JANUARY HATCH-A-LONG come join in' & now have a chance to spend more time on this thread. I see there's plenty of stuff going on here too & so many new people here that I haven't seen before. Going to be a busy hatching month!

I am no expert, by far, & greatful for all of you experienced one's out there who share what you know & give support. The BYC is full of that. Here are some sites that I've collected & some of my notes for myself that you may find helpful or just enjoy reading. Please keep the pictures coming in of what you have, it gives us who are just waiting something to look forward to. Happy Hatching everyone!!!!!!!!!

REGARDING INCUBATION

*When is day 1 (see #69 & #70) http://urbanext.illinois.edu/eggs/res32-qa.html

*Calibrating your hygrometer (see # & read the calculation correction at the bottom) (see #241
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=271098&p=25

*The “dry incubation” method
https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html
(see #3) https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=113681&p=3

*Candling (see #6)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3364955#p3364955

*Egg progression (see #1)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876&p=1

*Air cell http://www.poultryclub.org/VHIncubation.htm

*Emergency egg repair with wax (see #68)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=270500&p=68

*Egg carton hatching examples (see #5)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/form/viewtopic.php?id=276491&p=5

*My Christmas 09 - Incubation of 6 viable eggs (“save the favs”/see #70)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=270500&p=70

*My Christmas 09 - Hatched eggs, 6 chicks (“save the favs”/see #80)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=270500&p=80

*Need to sex your chicks. (hatchery method at 2-4 days old) Watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGYP3dUaVrQ&NR=1

MY "DRY INCUBATION" METHOD USED - THAT WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL
(The purpose of using this method is so chicks don’t grow too large & not be able to turn during pip. Also, so they don’t drown in the excess liquid in the air cell when they break through before pipping; the excess liquid is caused by higher/too high humidity.) I tried this method with success, after having a couple of poor hatches just prior using higher humidities.
*Days 1 thru 17: Temperature was 99.5 degrees F (this temp is for forced air incubators, measured at the level of the egg using a small thermometer that lays on top of the eggs), Humidity was 40% to 42% (with occasional drop to no lower than 25% for air cell growth, which needs to be checked when candling so you can adjust your humidity). Eggs were propped up at an angle with wide end at top & turned 3 times a day (on my work days) & 5 times a day (on my weekends).
*Day 18: "Lockdown" starts. Stop turning eggs, put eggs into cardboard egg carton (sizzor away the empty egg carton parts, the carton keeps the air cell at the top & stops the hatched chicks from knocking around other eggs), keep temp at 99.5 F, bring humidity up to 55% for the durration, & do not open the incubator again until all chicks have hatched (opening it would drop the humidity too much for the other chicks in eggs & they could stick to shells & not get out). Be patient, as the last hatch took 20 hrs from 1st pip to the last one hatched. The next incubation in January had a pip & hatch on due date, then the next chick piped & hatched the following day.

OTHER INFO

*Homemade Natural Chicken Dust Bath Recipe (external parasites, such as mites) put 1 part of each of the following in a kitty litter tray & leave out (keep dry) for chickens: wood ash, DE (diatomaceous earth), sand & road dust (dusty dirt).

*Good veggies for chickens https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=2593-Treats

*Treatments for Leg Problems in Chickens
http://sites.google.com/a/larsencreek.com/chicken-orthopedics/leg-braces

*Hatchability Problem Analysis (see pg. 11 - includes section on “Nutritional Deficiencies & Toxicities” in chicks) http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/aa204

December hatch! Shipped eggs received in good condition.

January hatch! Don't laugh, 2 are better than nothin', especially after receiving "scrambled eggs" in shipping.

 

[hunt4meat]

Day before bator madness (Sunday afternoon)

Makin' me some Chickens!!

Non-Automatic (manual) egg turner (notice the 2x4)

I couldn't stand the wait... I had to do it.

Day 4 in the bator

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Day 16 for 2nd Set Hatch Date Feb 4

6 Light Brahma/Barred Rocks
2 Pure Light Brahma

Day 2 for 3rd Set Hatch Date Feb 16th

2 Light Brahma/EE
5 Light Brahma/ ?

Light Brahma Roo

hens:
Black Sex Link (23)
Light Brahma (4)
Barred Rock (5)
New Hampshire (2)

 

[biomistake]

I started mine on the 18th so good luck everyone. Out of 42 I have broken one while candling the first time and had only one not show development at all. Both were phoenix eggs. Of course the majority are dark eggs and I could have missed something so I will be candling for the second time tomorrow night. The non phoenix eggs are from Sexlinks, Light Brahmas, Cochin, Partridge Rocks, Dominiques and a few from a beautiful mutt hen I picked up off my brother. Her roo came from there also they are kept separate from the others. The roosters consist of Light Brahma, Dominique, Buff Orpington, Sexlink, Phoenix. The phoenix eggs are pure phoenix as they dont hang with the other big birds till very recently. They stay in their pen or are off roaming on border patrol.

Iwill be starting my second setting in a few days which will be from the mutt hen and a dominique and the little red roo. they all came from my brothers and I want to see what the mix comes out... mutts on mutts

gotta love it! I am going to set one dozen eggs and only need 5 more

!!!