Hatch-a-long! ~ Anyone setting 8JAN-15JAN??

[LolaBlue]

I just moved Lola for the first time and we're down to 7 eggs from the original dozen

 

[ceocka]

Joining in on this hatch-a-long....
I couldn't wait either a possum got three of my girls and injured an eye of one. I am down 4 girls now. I lost my one silkie girl named Geneieve. She did leave me one last egg so it is in the incubator. I am on day 6 in there. And it seams like it is taking forever.

Set 7 Black Java eggs from our flock of layers in our new Brinsea Mini-advanced on 1/14.  I'm needing to add to our flock, as a fox got 2 pullets earlier this winter.  I wish to keep our flock of layers around 10 hens, presently only have 5 and 2 pullets...so barely keeping up egg production with egg consumption.  We're getting 3 eggs a day consistently at this time of year (thank you girls!).  Amazing birds these Java's are!

Santa brought the incubator and I was trying REALLY hard to not incubate before mid-February.  But 1 hen is lame and 1 blind from the same fox attack that took out some of the layers.  So I'm afraid I'll be having to put the blind girl out and the lame girl is in question.  That's definately not enough birds...so the 'bator got fired up! 

Now, it's just a count-down...wow, it's going to be a long month! 

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Ok, it's day five and here are the results of candling!

1 'wobbly' air sac with significant movement (was a roller on day 3)
4 'loose' with movement on the edges
16 firmly attached/ very, very little movement
1 too dark to tell

Veining:
15 with defined veins
4 that I think have veins or have very light veining (2 darks that I think I saw veins in but can't be 100%)
3 with no visible veins ( I think 1 infertile and 2 are just too dark to tell)

I think I will turn on the turner to tonight.

 

[ChixAddict]

I did my day 7 check last night, which was actually day 8 for most. I set several eggs on day 2 to fill in the empty spots on the rails!
So, of 42 eggs set, I found:
25 - developing normally - good air cell forming, good veining
8 - not developing at all - probably infertile (I'll open them up and check later)
9 - uncertain - some of the eggs are darker or thicker shells and in the L-XL size range. (Does anyone have any ideas for getting better candling results for large, thick and/or dark colored eggs?? )

I have a separate still air Hovabator for hatching, so I'll probably yank those that are for sure not developing and pitch them. Then yank and open the ones I'm not sure about and can't see any veining - for the learning experience. Then I'll fill the rails back up with some EE, WFBS (just started laying!) and Campine eggs I've been stashing the past couple of days.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

For dark or thick shelled eggs it was recommended to use two candlers, if you have a spare pair of hands to help. I was going to do that but when we pulled the old candler out of the box it had gotten smashed somehow. . I love my DH but he is forever organizing and reorganizing the garage and doesn't always pay attention to things that could be damaged/smashed.

 

[choptank330]

Well I am new to chickens, hatching eggs all of this. So i do not have a incubator yet but my husbands best friend just took 19 of our eggs and is incubating them for us ... So exciting. He put them in on the 10th!! He is going to candle them in the next couple of days. I know that I may not be able to follow along and post pictures much but mine should hatch around the first of Feb. Some mixed and mostly French Black Copper Marans.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Well I am new to chickens, hatching eggs all of this. So i do not have a incubator yet but my husbands best friend just took 19 of our eggs and is incubating them for us ... So exciting. He put them in on the 10th!! He is going to candle them in the next couple of days. I know that I may not be able to follow along and post pictures much but mine should hatch around the first of Feb. Some mixed and mostly French Black Copper Marans.

Welcome! And we will forgive your lack of pics if you promise chick pics! . Those are worth 100 egg pics.

If they are FBCM eggs he may not be able to see much besides the air sac! Those are DARK eggs.

 

[choptank330]

Welcome! And we will forgive your lack of pics if you promise chick pics!

. Those are worth 100 egg pics.

If they are FBCM eggs he may not be able to see much besides the air sac! Those are DARK eggs.

Thank You!!! Yes I will most definitely post chick pictures Those are the best. They are very dark about 5 or 6 on the marans scale, but the other 7 are regular brown eggs. So we will see what happens. I will keep you updated. Should hatch around Feb 1st. So eggciting.

 

[ChixAddict]

Thanks for the tip Chick_In_the_Burbs! I'll see what I can come up with. I definitely don't want a stinky, yucky mess in my incubator, but don't hate to toss any chicks that might be developing. Not that we really NEED them or anything!...

Sorry to hear about that broken candler. Fortunately (or maybe unfortunately), my DH doesn't organize much of anything. He usually drags stuff (and animals) in and they become my problem!

 

[cbnovick]

Good luck!! thanks for keeping us up to date too!
Mine turned 1 week old today...they have real feathered wings now (-; and almost double in size. I will try to post pics again over the weekend.