February Hatch-A-Long

[LadiesAndJane]

How long was it in the fridge?

About a week. I was not planning on setting this month originally, so I pulled a few eggs out the fridge we use for eating, added also fresh ones. Normally I keep eggs I collect for hatching in a cooler with an icepack, as the fridge is too cold, but they can and do develop even after being in the fridge.

 

[Offshoreorca]

I candled on Sunday and saw signs of life in most of the eggs. It's a little tricky with them being EEs (plus one dark shelled) and me only having a cellphone - I stupidly left my candler up at my partner's house. Only one that looked to me like it wasn't developing (either early quitter or infertile), but I'll take a better look at Day 14 and it should be very obvious by then. I didn't want to fiddle around with them too long this time as it's still early in incubation.

 

[wolfwalker]

Day 17 here and lockdown. I always lock down a day early. 61 have made it this far

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and though we lost power overnight, Duck #3 managed to free itself from its shell successfully, and is now warming (and fluffing) up under the heat plate. It looks no more lethargic than any other creature which spent three days trying to birth itself into the world, and I expect a full recovery.

Egg number 4 will get an eggtopsy shortly. Its 34 degrees outside, I'm in no particular rush, but it has to be done. Actually have to move the New Years Hatch to the barn, to join the early December hatching, so I don't need heat in as many places, and can reduce electrical loads on my service.

Incubator (a Keebonix 12 egg round incubator, looks like every other round 12 egg incubator) is already cleaned out, washed, disinfected, dried, and warming back up. Consider this official notice that I'm placing 12 fresh chicken (mutt) eggs from my flock into it today, with an expected hatch last week of February.

and YES - that is a cheap bird food bag for the songbirds in the yard, not my little dinosaurs. It fits the black plastic tote I use as a brooder almost perfectly, and whatever they made the bag from is both durable and very easy to clean. I have a few dog food bags the same size, which I put to the same purpose. Remove food, water, birds, heat plate. Carry bag outside, hang on the line. Put "fresh" bag in. Wind and rain will clean the old one for me.

Sure, I could put more effort into it, but why would I want to???

 

[AusHen]

Two CCL and a sussex have hatched and I think I have made a big oppsie not seperating because this sussex is speckled (brain fart thought both sussex were Lavender) and it looks just like the female CCL. On a plus the two CCL are very different so I think these may be easy to sex.

*edit* i looked at the breeders photos. Because the chick I assumed was a male CCL is very light and wanted to double check and it appears to match what she posted as a speckled sussex. I guess i will be able to tell the difference but now hoping the CCL have ok auto sexing features

 

[gimmie birdies]

Day 4/5 pulled 2 clear eggs.

 

[Nmarine1057]

Also, I’m on day 4 I think. And I missed two eggs in my afternoon turning. So they got this mornings turn at 8ish and just now 10:45. Yesterday they did get 5 turns in.
Anyone else forget to turn everyone?

Ironically it’s the only olive and speckled brown egg in the bunch. They were nasty when I picked them up so I researched my butt off and took the gamble. I cleaned them off, then a bleach rinse. Just those two. I figured it was clean then and attempt, or scrap them because they were covered in egg, gunk, old shell, little poop etc

and though we lost power overnight, Duck #3 managed to free itself from its shell successfully, and is now warming (and fluffing) up under the heat plate. It looks no more lethargic than any other creature which spent three days trying to birth itself into the world, and I expect a full recovery.

Egg number 4 will get an eggtopsy shortly. Its 34 degrees outside, I'm in no particular rush, but it has to be done. Actually have to move the New Years Hatch to the barn, to join the early December hatching, so I don't need heat in as many places, and can reduce electrical loads on my service.

Incubator (a Keebonix 12 egg round incubator, looks like every other round 12 egg incubator) is already cleaned out, washed, disinfected, dried, and warming back up. Consider this official notice that I'm placing 12 fresh chicken (mutt) eggs from my flock into it today, with an expected hatch last week of February.

and YES - that is a cheap bird food bag for the songbirds in the yard, not my little dinosaurs. It fits the black plastic tote I use as a brooder almost perfectly, and whatever they made the bag from is both durable and very easy to clean. I have a few dog food bags the same size, which I put to the same purpose. Remove food, water, birds, heat plate. Carry bag outside, hang on the line. Put "fresh" bag in. Wind and rain will clean the old one for me.

Sure, I could put more effort into it, but why would I want to???


View attachment 2512742

Omg cuteness overload!

 

[BuckeyeFoodie]

Woohoo! My 2.1 nugget has hatched! Waiting with bated breath for my 2.5 egg!

I think it's Paint, but it could potentially also be Splash or very light Partridge - hard to tell right now!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Omg cuteness overload!

Good I don't suffer that affliction, or I might have trouble eating them later, names and all. "Huey, Dewey, and Louie" seem to be winning out right now. Not that it matters, no way to keep telling them apart as they grow into identical birds - and I haven't a clue about gender of them, but when you leave naming rights to friends on Facebook...

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Woohoo! My 2.1 nugget has hatched! Waiting with bated breath for my 2.5 egg!

I think it's Paint, but it could potentially also be Splash or very light Partridge - hard to tell right now!

View attachment 2512894View attachment 2512893

Looks partridge, little cutie! Can't wait for my silkies to hatch!