First time hatching eggs!

[Oldhallchicks]

Had some cuddles with our two little day 20 early birds today. Light brahmas both from the same mama hen. They were the smallest eggs and in the warmest spot (I didn’t know to move eggs around in the incubator until I was going into lockdown. Could explain some of the quitters I had if they were in colder spots ).View attachment 2213305
View attachment 2213306now, we just wait for the other 4 to pip!

 

[Oldhallchicks]

No more pips and it’s 48 hours since the last hatch.


I’ve just about given up hope on all but one egg. I candled them tonight properly after zero action today day 22.

the one egg that looks potentially viable has a few visible veins, and the air cell has drawn down on one side but it is not internally pipped, and I couldn’t see any movement.

there are two that I’m 99% sure have died in the shell. I’m so happy about our two adorable light brahmas, but will be absolutely gutted if no more hatch. I originally set 16, and was hoping for a hatch of at least 6-8. Only 6 made it two lockdown.

what are your thoughts on these two? Goners?

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View attachment 2215449

 

[Oldhallchicks]

All remaining chicks died in the shell .
We got our two fluffy brahmas out of this so that is something!

Im collecting 12 buff Orpington to start tomorrow, and my mother in laws neighbour has given us 6 eggs. 3 welsummer, and 3 welsummer/Sussex cross. So if my next attempt is much more successful we will need another coop!!!

 

[Daisycar]

Sorry for the chicks, enjoy the two hatched.
What about the supermarket eggs?

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Sorry for the chicks, enjoy the two hatched.
What about the supermarket eggs?

None of the supermarket eggs were developing, and it has been 11 days, so would have been Able to see something!

 

[rotagen]

I've also had pretty dismal luck with ebay shipped eggs. At least half the problem is the ham-handed folks at USPS... quite a few dented packages and actual broken eggs. But on 2nd thought , I would say 75% of the blame lies on the packaging methods of the senders. I'm now at the point that I will not order any more ebay eggs until fall (I've done at least 4 shipments).. as our weather here is often 100 degrees in the summer ,... all summer...sigh.

The one shipment that had MUCH BETTER SUCCESS was packaged using a much better method. Here's the deal, the best method is to put all the eggs in a standard carton, then DOUBLE Wrap with BIG BUBBLE WRAP...IT'S ALL PHYSICS (MASS AND MOTION) AND INSULATION..(others were individually wrapped with wimpy small bubble wrap or put inside foam).

So now I will specify that eggs get shipped this way or I will look elsewhere.

I'm also fairly convinced from my ebay experience (and talking to others) that MANY of the eggs you get from ebay are infertile from the get-go. Simply because I have obtained fertile eggs from local folks after a few days incubation...walked around with them while talking... gave up on some for easily a day and half...fired up incubator again just for heck of it... forgot to move to lockdown incubator (actually the local got the days way off so they hatched 5 days "early"...etc etc...and nothing bothered them...I had over 90 percent hatch rates every time !

 

[Oldhallchicks]

Eggs are set! I’m really struggling with temps in the incubator. I’m not sure which thermometer to believe! Both the cheap digital ones are reading high 38.2/38.5, but the glass one that I calibrated with ice water (when calibrated with ice, it was .5* high), is right at 38, meaning the temp should be 37.5. I tend to believe that the temps are a little high since the eggs that successfully hatched were 1 day early...but they were small eggs.

I have it set to 37.3 on the incubator to get these temps.

would you leave it as is or adjust it down a bit in case the digital ones are more accurate than I think?

 

[Oldhallchicks]

I went ahead and gave my broody, Rosie, some eggs yesterday. They were free ones from a neighbour that were already 2 weeks old when I set them...so nothing to lose really if she decides not to go for it, because they may not develop anyway.

i made her a little nest box with a crate with fresh straw and mite powder, with cardboard sides. put the eggs in...she got up to eat etc, but then came and got straight back on the eggs after about 20 minutes. So it seems like a good sign! I also gave her food and water in the coop to hopefully encourage the broody behaviour.

if she’s still sitting when we candle on Monday, day 7, I’ll check that she’s definitely got at least a couple fertile ones under her!

 

[Oldhallchicks]

So it’s day 10 here! We have 12 good ones in the incubator. Pulled one quitter and one clear. There’s one welsummer egg that I was pretty sure was clear on day 7, but they’re kind of hard to see into. I’m so glad I left it because I saw a happy little embryo dancing around in there today!

gonna give my broody 4 eggs out of the incubator when she comes out to stretch today, so I can candle the 4 that have been under her. I’m pretty sure 3 of them are infertile, so I can go ahead and pull them.

so we’ve got
9 BO
3 welsummer
1 welsummer/Sussex cross

hoping we get a better hatch rate this time since none are shipped eggs!

 

[Oldhallchicks]

A little update on our August hatches!

we ended up with 1 Welsummer pullet, one gorgeous welsummer/Sussex cockerel, one buff orpington cockerel, and 4 buff orpington pullets.

we lost one of our runner ducks at a few days old, but we have two drakes and two hens left.

“nugget” our HUGE buff orpington cockerel
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Runner ducks

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Everybody enjoying some oats

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