Ground Hog's Day Hatch

[Contrastphoto]

kefiren, I do have SFHs (12 of them). Only 2 are old enough to lay eggs and my boys are to young to fertilize them. They are only 18 weeks old. I think all of them should be laying in about 6-8 weeks. Who did you get your eggs from? Maybe we can trade eggs when mine start laying?

I candled today too. I set 24 eggs and pulled 8 clears/early quitters. I have 10 Eng. Orps and 6 Barnyard mix. I did manage to crack one today while candling. I have read about others doing that on here and couldn't believe it could happen, well now I understand. I tried to patch it up with nail polish. I read that sometimes that helps. I guess time will tell.

I set 22 eggs for NYD hatch and 11 where clear (test hatch for a fellow BYCer). They were pullet eggs. I had 11 eggs go into lock down and 5 hatched. The other 6 looked like they died right before hatch with the yolk not adsorbed (no pipping just dead). Any thoughts on what could cause this? I couldn't really find much info on it. Would humidity cause the yolk not to absorb? I am using a Brinsea eco 20.

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Well I haven't candled, since my eggs are under grumpy broodies I'm leaving them alone right now. It's the first time I haven't candled early on but I think I'll probably check them at lockdown. =)

 

[kefiren]

contrastphoto, i don't have any grown-up sfhs, just the 7 eggs in the bator which i got on ebay. and it only looks like 2 are growing! i suppose there is a slim chance i could get a mating pair but i'm not going to bet the farm on it! maybe i'll revert to getting chicks for my birthday in march, and then we can swap as soon as those lay.

That is a bummer that you cracked an egg while candling. I let go of one too soon above the turner and I felt bad about jarring it. Live and learn.

i think i need to get better at seeing those bulls eyes in the raw egg. i should have known that my cockerel was "striking out" with certain hens. also, i'm starting to think that choosing the nice, non-aggressive roo has its drawbacks, lol.

I wonder if the "late quitting" that you experienced could be about the pullet eggs being small? or about the humidity being too high for the first 18 days so that some eggs didn't evaporate enough, and therefore the chick had no room to turn and too small an air pocket? i've read that is why some try for the so-called dry incubation. Though, in my desert-dry winter house dry incubation is still a lot wetter than the ambient air.

Rarebreed: oven mitt time!

I was talking to this big tough male dairy farmer thurs and he told me he loves silkies! "You can lift them right off the eggs and they are so good about it. They even sit on the (eating) eggs all day and keep them from freezing."

 

[Contrastphoto]

kefiren, thanks for the tip on humidity. I am trying to watch it closer this time. I tried hatching SFHs twice of off ebay with and only ended up with 2 SFHs. The seller I bought from shipped the eggs in an egg carton with each egg wrapped with TP. I don't think this is the best way to ship eggs. I finally broke down and ordered some for my birthday in Oct. Good thing about ordering from Greenfire is they usually send extra. I ordered 6 and got 10!

 

[kefiren]

tinak i have one word for you: webcam

 

[rsleghornchicki]

Yay!!!!!!!!!! I'm hatching on Ground Hog's Day to!!!! 2 of them are fore sure hatching on that on that day! One is a cochin bantam and the other is a big white/black speckled mutt. I named them.
Derp Sigion

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Hello and Welcome Rsleghorn! Your post inspired me to get colorful!

I've decided that I just can't wait until Tues (day 10) to candle, I'm waiting for the whole family to be present, and then we'll have a look see!

 

[Mahonri]

11 more days to HATCH!

 

[Mahonri]

Lockdown next MONDAY!

 

[TinaK]

kefiren - I showed my hubby someone else's live web came hatch last night & he did suggest that I should pick one up... I have an iphone so maybe I should get one? That way I can 'tune in' even when I'm away!

I'm going to do a quick candle tonight & pitch the bad eggs. My hubby is on turning duty for the next 2 days so I want to make his task as easy as possible!

I have about 16 days till hatch....... Cant' wait!!!!!