Ground Hog's Day Hatch

[kefiren]

Quote:

14 hours and I'm going to candle....

LOl Mahonri, your enthusiasm is catchy!

I wish I could be like IowaHeritage, but I didn't candle my broody hatch and unfortunately I had to interrupt what should have been lock-down for a stink bomb. I think that is the exception, not the rule, however. So, I guess I'm going to really gently candle now and at lock down. I need to decide when I'm culling though, which is the point, right? hmm... maybe just make a list of suspects this time, and cull at lockdown? I have been smelling all my eggs every time I have to refill the water, and no bad smells... knocked my big french nose on the egg turner, woops almost lost somebody there.

And do we feed back the culls to the hens? Does anyone freeze them first to make sure they really are dead? (nervous laugh) Last hatch I was somewhere between completely curious and completely scared to look inside, LOL, like it was going to jump out at me like in the movie alien.

I'm so surprised at the numbers of non-chicken hatches!

 

[JulieNKC]

I think my incubator is running a little low. I stuck one of the plugs in to bring it up a little. All my quail that were due yesterday hatched today. Their feet are a little curled from being in the egg an extra day (2 if you count that they usually hatch at 17 not 18 days). I've had a few like this before and their feet go to normal within a few days, but think I better keep an eye on my temps.

 

[Dingo]

I just put in my quail eggs, I believe there's about 4 doz. in there. Some of the eggs are a little old, but have been stored cool, we'll see.
I candled the chicken eggs the other night, saw veins, and embryos in the OEGB, the LF eggs are yet to be determined.
Brings my total up to ~5.5 doz. eggs

 

[kellyn]

Sounds like everyone is having good luck so far~

I went to a farm swap and sold my 7 xtra roosters and 2 male ducks that I traded for 5 RIR chicks.

I got rid of 7 chickens and came home with 14. Got rid of 2 ducks and came home with 2. Anyone else ever do that?

 

[wolftracks]

I'm just trying to be good and not touch anything till lockdown. I have more eggs to set today and those are going into the Sportsman for now. That thing really needs some repairs, but temps hold.

I'll be setting a dozen blue Marans and probably 5 Olive Eggers, if Shady lays one for me today.

 

[kefiren]

Ok, I candled. of my own eggs:
OE x Amer all 3 growing
OE x SLW both clear
OE x BO growing
OE x SS all 3 clear
OE x LH all 2 growing
I'm pretty sure that my little OE cockerel is intimidated by the SLW's and SS

of the purebreds:
all 3 polish growing
only 2 out of 7 SFH growing
The polish were from a friend nearby, the sfh's... maybe had a rough trip? Darn, I knew it was a gamble.

I left all in the incubator and will give them one more try...
11 growing, 10 not (which is eerily close to what the tarot said (9 up 10 down)
I love my little Incubright candler that DH gave me along with the hovabator.

 

[TinaK]

Sounds like we are having some mixed results!

I had a horrible realisation today..... I have to go away to a work conference for 2 nights next week and leave the bator in the care of hubby. That is bad enough as it is,

BUT WAIT... THERE IS WORSE!

I have to go away for 2 nights on the 8th & 9th of February for work (unexpected trip). I can't get out of it.... and those are my expected hatch dates

I am shattered!

 

[HortonFarms]

Congrats Horton!
Now, do you have 6 incubators, or are you running a staggered hatch?
I'm holding steady at 100 degrees, humidity is right around 20 - I'm trying a dry hatch to see if it increases my percentages.

I am running a staggered hatch.

 

[HortonFarms]

I'm guessing with numbers like that, he has to have a sportsman!

No, it is a bootlegged homemade incubator. My husband jokingly named it the Tote-A-Bator, but it has been more successful than my real incubators, so it is a personal favorite.

 

[Mahonri]

Candling done.

8 of the 19 from WMR were duds... dang USPS. 4 from my coop started and then quit.

Started with 36 eggs. Down to 24. of the 24, 3 FBCM olive eggers where Fred was the dad. 1 olive egger from my coop where Fred is the dad (chick will be 3/4 Ameraucana, 1/4 FBCM), 11 purebred wheaten Ams from WMR, and 9 purebred W/BW/SW Ameraucanas from my coop.

I'm guessing I'll have 20 at lockdown and I'll hatch 16 chicks.