Halloween Hatch-A-Long 2017

[mlm Mike]

Well, I set early...and I set again! 7 eggs going in my sons kindergarten classroom and some "backups" in Uglybator (gonna sneak them in if any of the classroom eggs bite the dust early!) Lordy if they all hatch I'm in trouble!!!

Good luck!

I am moving the eggs I set in my brinsea mini on the 10th to my sons kindergarten classroom tomorrow (it's really close by and I'll wrap 'em up tight!) Hopefully I'll have pictures to share!

How did the move go?

Hey Ya'll, so...this is my first attempted hatch using a Broody Hen. And I am a control freak, so this just has my stomach in knots. What if she isnt turning the eggs enough? What if they crack? What if the temperature isnt right? Its super humid in MD rightnow, inside and out, so what if the humidity is wrong??? Im freaking out

Just let the broody do her thing.

who is logged in as Banty??

View attachment 1158914

Yay babies! Mostly jumbo browns.
Got one white
One italian

What is the yellow one with the gray on it's head and butt?

All cute!

Congratulations!

Sorry to sound like a newb, but how can you tell it's a blood ring from the outside? I tried candling some of my eggs and some definitely looked like the start of veins and others looked like possible vein growth or blood rings ‍ But I don't want to throw them out on account of me possibly being completely wrong.

Veins will look like being, blood ring is big, solid, usually just one.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

@Twinsnchickens if it doesnt stink, leave it!!

 

[generaldsherman]

Darn! Almost wish I'd waited to buy the eggs I have hatching out this week. They're still cute, though...Coturnix Quail and Ayam Cemanis. The AC's just started pipping last night. The quail are about 5 days old (at least that means they're all close to the same size now...), and they run too fast to get good pictures of them.

Do I get brownie points for the most Halloween-ish chicks at least?

 

[Twinsnchickens]

Oh yeah mine definitely doesn't look like that. I'm afraid I might kill a few though. I can't keep myself from candling a few every day yikes

 

[Twinsnchickens]

Darn! Almost wish I'd waited to buy the eggs I have hatching out this week. They're still cute, though...Coturnix Quail and Ayam Cemanis. The AC's just started pipping last night. The quail are about 5 days old (at least that means they're all close to the same size now...), and they run too fast to get good pictures of them.

Do I get brownie points for the most Halloween-ish chicks at least?View attachment 1159234 View attachment 1159233

Babies

 

[venymae]

Sorry to sound like a newb, but how can you tell it's a blood ring from the outside? I tried candling some of my eggs and some definitely looked like the start of veins and others looked like possible vein growth or blood rings ‍ But I don't want to throw them out on account of me possibly being completely wrong.

Veins look like this.

Blood rings look like this:

This website will help you a lot

 

[venymae]

The problem is calibrating at 32 F when you want to measure 99.5 temps. Lots of thermometers will be accurate at 32 and not accurate at 99.5. Also there is an increase in the variance of temperature the further you go away from the calibrating temperature.

IE, if you calibrate at 32 and the thermometer is off by a degree at 32F It will often be off more when you get to 99.5 if you have a slight error in calibration.

Also, does your thermometer read in tenths? If not toss the thermometers and get a better one.

So you actually got me to thinking about whether my digital therm. was actually acting wonky or if my thermometers are reading inaccurate because of the type they are. I know the slush calibration is at the very bottom of the aquarium thermometers range and 100 is close-ish to the top. That probably could cause an accuracy problem. I also tried to calibrate the meat thermometer using both the slush method AND the boiling method, but got two different calibrations. Now I'm a bit worried....haaaa. Might go look at the digital again. It is a incubation specific one that came with my brinsea. Haaaa...I hope I didn't ruin the eggs I just set. I know new eggs are more susceptible to too hot temps.

@mlm Mike the move went well! Walked down the street two block to the school. Incubator in a bag, eggs in a Styrofoam egg carton wrapped in a towel were carried by my 6yo. Everything was set up and looks great.

 

[Christinecam]

One is a meat thermometer, the other is an aquarium thermometer. Neither are digital, but have worked fine with my last 4 hatches in this incubator. I originally used a wonderful little digital thermometer, but it has since succumbed to moisture and no longer reads accurately. Since eggs have a decent window of temperature (99.5-102 as far as I've read) I usually try to keep the temps at 100F. So far the other 35+ eggs are doing quite well. We shall see! Plus, I'm not willing to shell out any more for thermometers. Maybe one day, but not today.

I’ve kept my calibrated thermometers one in and one just out. The temp on my incubator is so outta whack, but the humidity is very close. If I start to question one getting off track I recalibrate. And I’ve learned to keep my humidity the same each hatch by leaving a small dish of distilled water and refill with warmed up water as needed.

 

[Christinecam]

Veins look like this.

Blood rings look like this:

This website will help you a lot

Perfect example! I’ll be taking pics of mine on candling days. Try to catch the movement, any duds etc.

 

[Christinecam]

Okay!! So my bantam frizzle polish set on the 10th. I’ll be setting LF tolbunts in the am... And seramas within the next few hours. My last serama hatch the came 3 or 4 days early.. so maybe they will an Halloween appearance. We’ll see!