First time hatching from my own flock

[BigBlueHen53]

Following!

 

[MountainWoman73]

So fun. I am hatching from my own flock for the first time too. And I think we set eggs the same day. I also added a few eggs 2 days after I set the first ones because I just can't help myself. So mine are due the 27th - 29th.

 

[DemeterAD9]

So fun. I am hatching from my own flock for the first time too. And I think we set eggs the same day. I also added a few eggs 2 days after I set the first ones because I just can't help myself. So mine are due the 27th - 29th.

Great timing! Mine should be due 26th-29th depending on early/late hatchers, plus I have another 15+ due to arrive in the mail around April 1. Figured I might as well get all the brooding done at once Do you have a thread going for your hatch?

 

[MountainWoman73]

Great timing! Mine should be due 26th-29th depending on early/late hatchers, plus I have another 15+ due to arrive in the mail around April 1. Figured I might as well get all the brooding done at once Do you have a thread going for your hatch?

Sort of. I posted a picture of my eggs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/marans-in-the-incubator.1655037/

 

[DemeterAD9]

I can see an eye forming, lots of veins too! Day 5

I plan to candle and weigh all the eggs on day 7, removing the blanks as I go. Looking like 8 duds so far.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Day 6, they’re going strong!

As compared to one BJG egg which was a blank.

I tried to candle the OE eggs and the 2 I can see the air cells in look to have some veins as well. All of them should be fertile as she is one of the favorites among the 2 boys.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Eggs are getting harder to see through with all the veins so the updates are likely to be every couple days now.

I weighed and drew around the air cells today. Some eggs are dropping weight faster than others which is a little concerning. The bresse, barred/laced, SLW and a couple EEs may be in trouble but hopefully not.

Also removed the 7 blanks and cracked them open. Sure enough, the white spot on the yolks indicate infertile.

There may be 2 with a blood ring indicating early death, will have to double check next time. Here’s one embryo that was dancing around quite a bit. I think it was one of the grey OEs.

 

[Susan Skylark]

It really isn’t fair, large light shelled eggs you can just watch everything develop, beautiful shots! Quail eggs are tiny, spotted, and often dark, watching the shadow grow just isn’t as satisfying. I’ll try not to drool all over your gorgeous photos, have fun!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I weighed and drew around the air cells today. Some eggs are
dropping weight faster than others which is a little concerning.

That's part of the uncertainty. I'm aware of two different things that contribute to that uncertainly.

Eggs waiting to be incubated are losing weight as they are stored. How much they lose depends on how long they are stored as well as the temperature and humidity where they are stored. Not all of the eggs start incubation with the air cells at the same point.

Then there are the basic differences in the eggs. Differences in size, porosity, thickness of shell, and density of the whites inside the egg all contribute to that rate.

This means the ideal incubation humidity can vary by egg. Nature was kind enough to give us a fairly wide range that works but it is possible some can be outside your range. My goal is setting incubation humidity is to find the range that most hatch, realizing I may have issues with a few.

After a few hatches I determined that my best humidity was 40% with my incubator and my conditions where I hatch. For some people that is closer to 30%, for others 50%. All I can suggest is keep good notes and do the best you can.

Good luck!

 

[DemeterAD9]

Total count is now 29. Double checked the two who may have blood rings and confirmed they were quitters. One died very early on as I couldn’t even see an embryo and the other died likely a day or two ago. So one less dark brahma and bresse

There is another questionable bresse but other than that everyone is rocking around in their eggs!