Hatch-Along - Setting eggs on 2/8/13 Anyone want to join me?

[OR4-hmom]

I don't wash unless they need it either.

 

[Crisses]

Great tips crisses will have to get some sand, had never thought of giving the chicks live food.

My only problem was getting them to eat worms or slugs... no matter how small, they had a big "Ick!! Wipe beak, wipe beak!" reaction to them.... lol I think my adult birds eat SOME worms, I'm hoping they decide to eat young slugs this spring....

 

[Crisses]

I had to go to town the other day and when I got back temp. was down to 80°. The GFIC got tripped, got temp back up and looks like I'm down to 17 swimmers and a maybe. I'll just give a little more time and see what happens. Would have preferred a Tuesday hatch since I've got jury duty not long after that.

That's probably nothing to be worried about. Mommy got off the nest and had a big meal for a bit....completely normal. While we provide all of mommy's food in a convenient feeder -- in the wild they would have had to hunt down bugs, sprouts, grass, seeds etc. for quite some time to get anything substantial.

I read a science paper where they experimented with cool-downs. They ended up recommending a 6 hour cool-down on day 17 or 18 -- it would mean 1 more egg in 100 would hatch. That means something to the huge producers, not much to us backyard-chicken folk except that a long cool-down is not worth any anxiety. I also figure that the temperature under mommy hen is not always exactly 99.5F -- depending on how many eggs she's sitting on, the ones on the outer rim are going to be cooler for a bit until she shuffles them around.

Does anyone else sing or talk to the eggs through the shell? I heard they get a brain day 1 and ears on day 2. I don't know when they can hear, but I figure they should get used to hearing me, just like human babies learn voices in utero. So I talk to my eggs. LOL

 

[OR4-hmom]

I talk and peep to the eggs and when they go into lock down I try to act as cheerleader. My first chicks are in the laundry room and they know my peeping when I go through.

The sheep leader laughs at me quite often. It cracks her up when I'm talking to the birds during events. She says I talk to them like they are people. I find if I'm talking to them they are less lokely to startle when i'm out doing choirs.

 

[Crisses]

I candled them all again last night -- and they're all doing so well.

I have one batch going into the hatcher tomorrow(!) -- that will be 6 eggs. Then I will have to decide whether to hatch the second batch (7 eggs) in the big incubator, or move babies into the brooder and do lockdown for the 2nd batch in the hatcher....I set the eggs a little too close together, so the first batch may not be ready before the second batch needs to be locked down.

I am letting the humidity go down a bit in the big incubator right now, because I'd like to see a larger air cell in the eggs....then it will go up for the hatching. Why does hatching have to take a whole 21 days? It's actually amazing what happens in so short a time...

Who else is getting close to lockdown? These are banty mutt RIR (Rhode Island Red), with the goal of getting at least 5 pullets.... The countdown to peeps is starting!

 

[OR4-hmom]

I'm probably start lock down on Sunday, had a few hours with low temperature due to GFIC blowing.

I also have smaller air cells than I would like so I pulled all the water I could out. Hoping that a few days will be enough to grow air cells. Last hatch I thought was to dry so I had been trying various things to raise humidity and now I don't like air cell, it will be what it is.

As long as no one comes early I'll good - blasted jury duty

 

[r4eboxer]

I candled them all again last night -- and they're all doing so well.

I have one batch going into the hatcher tomorrow(!) -- that will be 6 eggs. Then I will have to decide whether to hatch the second batch (7 eggs) in the big incubator, or move babies into the brooder and do lockdown for the 2nd batch in the hatcher....I set the eggs a little too close together, so the first batch may not be ready before the second batch needs to be locked down.

I am letting the humidity go down a bit in the big incubator right now, because I'd like to see a larger air cell in the eggs....then it will go up for the hatching. Why does hatching have to take a whole 21 days? It's actually amazing what happens in so short a time...

Who else is getting close to lockdown? These are banty mutt RIR (Rhode Island Red), with the goal of getting at least 5 pullets.... The countdown to peeps is starting!

I'm glad you posted about humidity and air cells. I'll candle on Sunday and if I don't like the cells I now know what to do.

I don't lock down until Weds, I have a staggerd hatch too, one week apart. I'm going to move my eggs to the hatcher and then hopefully my geese and Turkeys will be laying. I cannot wait to incubate those eggs.

I'm probably start lock down on Sunday, had a few hours with low temperature due to GFIC blowing.

I also have smaller air cells than I would like so I pulled all the water I could out. Hoping that a few days will be enough to grow air cells. Last hatch I thought was to dry so I had been trying various things to raise humidity and now I don't like air cell, it will be what it is.

As long as no one comes early I'll good - blasted jury duty

You're three days ahead of me, are you at least on an interesting trial?

 

[OR4-hmom]

No idea on the trial, I call this afternoon to confirm. Lucky me-district court, and hour drive to get there. At least I'm not hearing about pending child cases like last year.

Got all set for lockdown last night. 15 strong ones and 2 questionable. Air cells still have me wondering but it will be what it is


.

Good luck to all of us and the fluffy butts to come!

 

[chucksaway]

Lock down tuesday for me, only 4 of my first batch hve made it this far, wish me luck. 6 more to lock down friday. Good luck every one.

 

[Crisses]

I have 3 pips and one egg rocked while I was watching earlier.... so 4 have activity, one of the other 2 is a day behind the others. I'm excited. I heard soft peeping.... So that's the first 6 in the hatcher.

I tripped and dropped a bottle of cleaner on the incubator and cracked one of the two top panes -- patched it with plastic wrap and double sided tape for now. That batch of 7 is due for lockdown on Thursday...

Anyone else have any activity? I'm thinking about trying to film a little of the activity at each stage. My daughter is turning 18 soon but she's going to miss both hatchings I didn't time them for her to be here, I timed them based on when I had enough eggs from my flock and the equipment set up. Duh! I may have to hatch more just for her lol