FEBRUARY HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[debilorrah]

I think I have duds AGAIN!!! Can a hen be too old to be fertile even if there is a roo?

 

[Madcap621]

Quote:
You are worrying ove noting! Hang in there! They are peepig/they are alive and working! Go Peeps go!

 

[catdaddyfro]

Well, it's day 7 and I just got thru candling my 64 eggs about an hour ago and I didn't get very much relief from having to turn so many as I only had 2 infertiles and 1 in ?. So the one in ? I'll check it on day 10 and see whats going on then. So it looks as if I'm on my way to a pretty good hatch rate so far,(I know don't count your chickens before they hatch) but from my experience usually the first week is the most crucial unless there's technical difficulties later down the road. My two roos really been doing their job seems like on this setting. I'll come back here on day 14 for a progression report in a bout a week.

catdaddy

 

[quiltnchik]

I had my first pip today out of 25 eggs set on January 24th. When I candled last week I had to remove 3 for blood rings, which left 22, and there's one questionable out of those, but the others were all viable and I could see the chicks moving. They're not "technically" due until tomorrow or Sunday, but someone forgot to tell that to the chick that pipped today

These eggs are from my barnyard mix, which includes:

Roosters - Red Sex Link (x2) and Bantam Cochin Frizzle

Hens - White Leghorn (x4), New Hampshire Red (x2) and Barred Rock (x3)

The BC Frizzle roo spends a LOT of time mating one of my NHR hens, and I'm SO hoping the babies from her eggs take after him!

 

[Madcap621]

Update: I SO wanted to spend my day watching my babies NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!!

Life intervened. SOOOO glad I had the peaceful hour of watching #s 2 & 3 hatch. Had to put on Wife cap, Mom cap, Nana cap and Friend cap!!!! By the time I got home had 6 peeps out, 3 zipped and 3 jus sittin'.

Life is good

 

[peachychick]

Madcap,
How do your peeps like zipping and jumping out of their shells? I bet they look like popcorn when hatch day comes

. I've never seen it done that way (in a carton) but it does seem like it would keep the rough housers from shoving their buddies all around the inside of the bator like a bull in a barrel.

 

[Madcap621]

Actually, these rowdies have managed to boot an empty shell out!

I LOVE hatching in a carton! Will never do it another way! The rough-housers walk all over them BUT don't dislodge them and they [the hatchers] don't waste energy rocking the shells! When they push, there is resistance and they can get out, instead of just rolling the egg.

That said, I have only hatched bantams to date. I have some honkin' big LF eggs in the bator now. We will see how they do!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Congrats madcap621! Best wishes to all who are still waiting.

Like my last 2 incubations, the Bantam Dominique/Faverolles cross hatched on time. It took 10 1/2 hrs from 1st pip, which is not uncommon. The cartons are great for setting the eggs upright, have had very good luck with that.

There's a 2nd pip, it's the one Bantam Cochin egg. No pips yet from the Bantam Faverolles, they are usually about a day late anyway, those rascals. 6 more to hatch yet.

#1 chick just hatching

#1 chick out of the egg

 

[Orphy]

Woohoo, congrats you guys on your hatch!

 

[ptig78d]

I have built my homemade bator, and have now set my very first hatch EVER with the 8 BO eggs I received in the mail from greenfamilyfarms. *ZERO HOUR has begun!!
I'll post pics later. I wish I would have had more time to regulate the bator before setting, but I don't have much choice. Wish me luck!