Hatch-a-long, set March 1, hatch March 21/22

[HomesteadNowhere]

I've got 6 that look like quitters. I'm leaving them in for longer though to be sure. That leaves me at 28 still going. I candled them again last night and the little guys were really active and swimming around in there!

Someone flipped the egg switch on my chickens! I had been getting 2 to 8 per day, usually 3 or 4 with sporadic day of 10. Well today I got 13 eggs and yesterday I got 16!

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Of the 6 questionable 3 had developed but the veins had all died off and the others weren't developed enough to look like anything other than odd yolk. I think the total in the incubator now is 26 or 28.

Tonight I candled when I turned and they all look right-on compared to the day by day candling thread. Fingers crossed.

I've been running a humidifier in the room for humidity. It's gone below 20% for a bit, which is the lowest my therm/hygrometer shows. But I've tried to keep it up at least 25-30%. Weather changed so much this last week, we got a couple inches of snow again and low temps, so with the heat running the house humidity drops even more. So I'm trying to keep the humidifier going on high and refill as soon as it empties.

I think the air cells look fine but I may weigh all the eggs at lockdown just to see. Since I weighed them all at the start. I didn't trace air cells before setting to compare. I should do that next time.

 

[Owllea]

Of the 6 questionable 3 had developed but the veins had all died off and the others weren't developed enough to look like anything other than odd yolk. I think the total in the incubator now is 26 or 28.

Tonight I candled when I turned and they all look right-on compared to the day by day candling thread. Fingers crossed.

I've been running a humidifier in the room for humidity. It's gone below 20% for a bit, which is the lowest my therm/hygrometer shows. But I've tried to keep it up at least 25-30%. Weather changed so much this last week, we got a couple inches of snow again and low temps, so with the heat running the house humidity drops even more. So I'm trying to keep the humidifier going on high and refill as soon as it empties.

I think the air cells look fine but I may weigh all the eggs at lockdown just to see. Since I weighed them all at the start. I didn't trace air cells before setting to compare. I should do that next time.

I’m going to candle tonight! It’s so hard to wait for a bit of time between. I can never remember how far apart I candled last time but it takes a lot of discipline to keep my paws off!

 

[Owllea]

Update here: of the ten set, nine are growing. I’m a bit awkward with the candle process, just using my phone light since it is blinding.
Do you candle with the air cell up or with the pointy end up?
Some of the big eggs have small chicks compared to the smaller eggs I have.
Anyway- lockdown in another four days, right?!
Good luck to you- you will have a big brooder full of 26-28 chicks! Are any of those the washed and refrigerated eggs? That would pretty cool!

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Update here: of the ten set, nine are growing. I’m a bit awkward with the candle process, just using my phone light since it is blinding.
Do you candle with the air cell up or with the pointy end up?
Some of the big eggs have small chicks compared to the smaller eggs I have.
Anyway- lockdown in another four days, right?!
Good luck to you- you will have a big brooder full of 26-28 chicks! Are any of those the washed and refrigerated eggs? That would pretty cool!

Awesome! I have been candling them from the side. Now they are getting darker and less to see so I'll rotate the egg around to look for veins.

Yep they are primarily the washed and refrigerated eggs. Only a few are the ones marked from the last days collected.

Edit to add-
3/2.. 3
3/1.. 1
2/28.. 4
2/27.. 3
No date 15

Total 26

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

It's lockdown day! I set them at 3pm so I'm a bit late but oh well. When it's fully dark I'm going to candle them and rearrange them. Then it's hands off and fingers crossed!

 

[casportpony]

It's lockdown day! I set them at 3pm so I'm a bit late but oh well. When it's fully dark I'm going to candle them and rearrange them. Then it's hands off and fingers crossed!

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

It'll be interesting to see how many are feather legged half brahmas. I just separated the brahmas from the rest of my flock and they are laying very well it seems. Might be more of them than I had been expecting!

 

[casportpony]

I love Brahmas!

 

[Owllea]

Yay for lockdown day!
I candled this morning and rearranged. Humidity has been between 41-47% so I’m going to add water tonight for the official lockdown at 9pm. Looks like all 9 have chicks filling up the eggs, but some have larger air cells than others. I did weigh the eggs at start of incubation and this morning, have a little more than 12% weight loss on most eggs. So here’s hoping!
Can’t wait to hear about the first pip! I’m watching some other hatches and it’s interesting to see how long until zip and hatch and fluff happens. Good luck!