First time hatching eggs!

[Oldhallchicks]

Hi guys! I’m new to hatching and BYC. I’m like a first time mum with eggs in my incubator! I needed a place to share my chicken excitement because even my husband and kids aren’t as excited as I am about our new chicken family!

I’ve got 5 speckled Sussex eggs from eBay, 5 Brahma (3 light 2 silver) from a local poultry farmer, and 6 buff Orpington from eBay. They were set Friday morning, I quickly candled the eggs without moving them from the incubator this morning (it’s only day 4/96 hours so I didn’t want to turn them over or anything).

it looks like we’ve got 3-4 fertile buff Orpington, all 5 Sussex are fertile, and 4 Brahma (2 of each colour). So 12-13 viable eggs so far! Really happy!

anyone else incubating/hatching for the first time? What are you hatching? What incubator are you using? How is it all going?

 

[Kiraeh]

It's my first time incubating too! I really wanted some orpingtons based on my breed research but I didn't find any locally and I'm not feeling brave enough to try shipped eggs yet, I hope those turn out well for you!
I ended up with mixed polish/silkie eggs, they're on day ten and doing great so far. I made a DIY incubator, it seemed like for the price I'd be able to do better than the cheap ones, we'll see if I'm vindicated in another ten days or so.

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Looking for opinions...it is day 5, and just want to check that these are definite blood rings?
One of the blood rings has been that shape since day 2 and has just gotten larger. The second one did have spider-y veins and now has gone to a blood ring shape.

They aren’t smelling or weeping or anything, but wondering whether i should go ahead and take them out?

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Here’s a couple infertile ones....

 

[Oldhallchicks]

And this one is fertile but I’m not sure if it is developing a blood ring as there looks to be a ring round the bottom.

 

[Oldhallchicks]

And here’s a couple fertile looking eggs!

the second one has a saddle shaped air cell, but looks like it is developing well for now. it’s one of the buff Orpington’s and only 3/6 are fertile still developing and I really want some of those fluffy butts in our flock!

 

[Austrian Chickens]

I also breed with an incubator for the first time. I waited until day 7 before I examined her. These eggs, which I wasn't sure of, were tagged and sorted out on day 14 when I re-examined them and my suspicions were confirmed. I had left them in the incubator for 14 days, there was no smell ore explosion. So maybe let them in a few more days an d then check again.

Now I'm incubating again. Dwarf silk chicks and I will wait until day 10 before I candle. I think I will then know for sure whether the eggs are okay or need to be sorted out.

 

[lhance]

I wait until day 10 or even 14 if I am unsure, as long as they do not start to smell you are fine to do so.

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Checked the eggs this morning (again without removing from incubator or turning over) with my son for part of his homeschool science, and we saw 4 wiggly embryos and further development on others! we are excited! Just concerned about the air sacs as all of the shipped eggs have saddle shaped air sacs. So time will tell

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Did a proper candle in a dark room today...we lost two eggs to what looks like bacteria....there was black lines inside the egg (they were both buff Orpingtons). I took them out because I didn’t want to risk contamination. Took out two more that are definitely infertile. Only one BO egg left and I’m not holding out much hope for it as I’ve had bad luck with the other 5 from that shipment.

All 3 Brahmas and most of the speckled Sussex are looking good.

down to 8 eggs all together. Hoping that we can hatch at least 5 or 6. It’s not going great