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

[r4eboxer]

Just catching up, this thread is moving now ha ha, Out of the 14 eggs I set, 3 were infertile, 11 made it to lock down, I set 5 eggs I had submerged in water for a while while washing eggs for the table, put them in the fridge for 3 weeks, I am testing fertility so I figured it couldn't hurt to put some eggs from the fridge in. the other 6 eggs were pulled from the nest a few days before incubation. Of the 5 fridge eggs, 2 have hatched, 1 is zipping now and the other two are pipped and in the process of beginning the zip. The other 6 eggs 4 have hatched, one is just about to pop out of the egg, 1 is pipped and starting to zip and 1 has not pipped at all. The one that has not pipped is a dark green egg that I could not see inside so it may not even be fertile. All the other dark eggs I couldn't see in had chicks in them. Looks like I am going to have 10 chicks from 11 eggs making it to lock down.

Congrats to all who have fuzzy butts!! and to those who didn't have good hatches, don't get discouraged I had bad chick hatches last year, it does get better.

 

[Farmer-John]

I haven't seen sibling bowling since I hatch in cartons but it sounds hilarious and a little nerve racking.

Great discovery on the possoms before they caused any more problems. Varmits are so sneaky and determined.

Your babies are quick ones, all mine seem to take their own sweet time.

It is a little nerve racking, but they are doing just fine thus far.. I may start hatching in cartons, those eggs get tossed around pretty bad.. Had 7 this morning when I got up and two more pipping.

Sneaky they are, last year I lost four chickens and three rabbits.. I put electric fence up around all the coops and the hutches and believe it or not I put a radio in the main barn and leave it on 24/7.. no issues since.. But those possum's are eating the hog feed,,, that's not a good thing.

Some are rather quick, others taking their good ole sweet time... Hoping the rest will do ok, but you know how that goes.

 

[r4eboxer]

Oh I forgot to mention in my other post, I see some of you are dealing with chicks bowling. I take an egg carton and cut it way down, cut the bottom away and put my eggs in there for hatches. The chicks that hatch cannot bowl with them.

 

[Farmer-John]

Oh I forgot to mention in my other post, I see some of you are dealing with chicks bowling. I take an egg carton and cut it way down, cut the bottom away and put my eggs in there for hatches. The chicks that hatch cannot bowl with them.

That looks like a great idea and it would make me feel a little better about them getting all jossled around. I'm assuming that you center them so they are not right under the heating element, would think they could get a little hot being slightly elevated in that position.

thanks for the tip!

 

[r4eboxer]

It is a little nerve racking, but they are doing just fine thus far.. I may start hatching in cartons, those eggs get tossed around pretty bad.. Had 7 this morning when I got up and two more pipping.

Sneaky they are, last year I lost four chickens and three rabbits.. I put electric fence up around all the coops and the hutches and believe it or not I put a radio in the main barn and leave it on 24/7.. no issues since.. But those possum's are eating the hog feed,,, that's not a good thing.

Some are rather quick, others taking their good ole sweet time... Hoping the rest will do ok, but you know how that goes.

That stinks about the possums, do you have an LGD? we were having possum trouble but since getting our guardian team we don't even shut our coops up. I've taken to breeding them when I get enough interest in guardian pups.

 

[Farmer-John]

We have one but she's afraid of her own shadow. LOL

The electric fencing and the radio seems to be working thus far.. I have six rabbits and 30+ chicken, along with the pig in the barn.. I utilize the old goat shed attached to the back of the barn for a coop, divided in sections with slider doors to let them out and shut them in at night.. The only times they don't go out is when it's snowing like crazy even though their doors are open for them.

I also have the fine old red-tailed hawks that enjoy hovering around, I've only lost one to a hawk.. Which around here isn't to bad. They like to prow the edges of my bean field, and the red-shouldered hawks stay back in the woods along with the great horned owls.

it wouldn't be a bad idea to have a good guard dog out back, but the danged feed is getting outrageous these days. All the farm animals have a purpose in life so that's not an issue, I have four children in which they love their pets.. four cats and 1 dog... Feeding those machines without any "food" return is a tad much, but the kids love them so it's all good.

 

[seeda]

I opened my eggs this morning. I did the float test last night and there was no motion so I decided to see what was in one this morning. Nothing. So I proceeded with the rest. My best guess is several things must have happened during incubation because of the varied stages of development but darned if I know what that was. So, here's the run down and maybe someone can help me. Out of 24 eggs 2 which I discarded during float test because they were upside down, I figure the air sacs had a problem or something. The kids opened them in a plastic bag and there was no development. 6 had large yolks with beginning development. Fully developed legs and everything but the bird definitely had a ways to go still had heavy veining in the egg. 5 looked ready to hatch with a tiny yolk and no noticable veining. They really looked like they could have just fluffed up and been ready to go. It just breaks my heart. The rest were just yolks. Nothing smelled. The lady I got them from had tested fertility and guaranteed her eggs and said she would replace anything that didnt hatch so I don't really feel this was a fertility issue. I think it was an incubation issue I just wish I knew what happened. I feel the meter I used for reading was accurate because I spent extra and got a thermometer used for humidors not just a garden therm/hygr. I think what might be the problem is that since we heat with wood the temp swings in the house vary too much but I'm not sure. I keep the incubator in the living room and I fear that when I wasn't home the kids may have gotten the fire too high and the temp may have spiked. That's the only thing I can figure. I might try again and put the incubator in my bedroom. The room is cold but at least it is consistently cold. Better luck next time I guess.

 

[Farmer-John]

I opened my eggs this morning. I did the float test last night and there was no motion so I decided to see what was in one this morning. Nothing. So I proceeded with the rest. My best guess is several things must have happened during incubation because of the varied stages of development but darned if I know what that was. So, here's the run down and maybe someone can help me. Out of 24 eggs 2 which I discarded during float test because they were upside down, I figure the air sacs had a problem or something. The kids opened them in a plastic bag and there was no development. 6 had large yolks with beginning development. Fully developed legs and everything but the bird definitely had a ways to go still had heavy veining in the egg. 5 looked ready to hatch with a tiny yolk and no noticable veining. They really looked like they could have just fluffed up and been ready to go. It just breaks my heart. The rest were just yolks. Nothing smelled. The lady I got them from had tested fertility and guaranteed her eggs and said she would replace anything that didnt hatch so I don't really feel this was a fertility issue. I think it was an incubation issue I just wish I knew what happened. I feel the meter I used for reading was accurate because I spent extra and got a thermometer used for humidors not just a garden therm/hygr. I think what might be the problem is that since we heat with wood the temp swings in the house vary too much but I'm not sure. I keep the incubator in the living room and I fear that when I wasn't home the kids may have gotten the fire too high and the temp may have spiked. That's the only thing I can figure. I might try again and put the incubator in my bedroom. The room is cold but at least it is consistently cold. Better luck next time I guess.

I'm sorry to hear that.. it's tough to see the little chirps not make it.

I keep mine in the family room that no one really uses, since i have zoned heating i can keep a relative constant temp in there. I have a tracable hygrometer/thermometer which does really well, you pay about 150 for them but they can be trusted.

Puting them in your room with a semi-constant temp is a good idea, except you'll never be able to sleep because you'll be watching them thru the sight windows.

Hope it works out better for you next time..

 

[r4eboxer]

10 of the 11 eggs from lock down have hatched, I'm assuming the one dark green egg was not fertile. I'm going to open it up tomorrow. Lord I hope it doesn't explode; maybe I should just open it when I move the chicks to the brooder?

I got 2 Turken/EE cross and 8 Easter Eggers, Diablo is a stud ha ha

 

[r4eboxer]

I opened my eggs this morning. I did the float test last night and there was no motion so I decided to see what was in one this morning. Nothing. So I proceeded with the rest. My best guess is several things must have happened during incubation because of the varied stages of development but darned if I know what that was. So, here's the run down and maybe someone can help me. Out of 24 eggs 2 which I discarded during float test because they were upside down, I figure the air sacs had a problem or something. The kids opened them in a plastic bag and there was no development. 6 had large yolks with beginning development. Fully developed legs and everything but the bird definitely had a ways to go still had heavy veining in the egg. 5 looked ready to hatch with a tiny yolk and no noticable veining. They really looked like they could have just fluffed up and been ready to go. It just breaks my heart. The rest were just yolks. Nothing smelled. The lady I got them from had tested fertility and guaranteed her eggs and said she would replace anything that didnt hatch so I don't really feel this was a fertility issue. I think it was an incubation issue I just wish I knew what happened. I feel the meter I used for reading was accurate because I spent extra and got a thermometer used for humidors not just a garden therm/hygr. I think what might be the problem is that since we heat with wood the temp swings in the house vary too much but I'm not sure. I keep the incubator in the living room and I fear that when I wasn't home the kids may have gotten the fire too high and the temp may have spiked. That's the only thing I can figure. I might try again and put the incubator in my bedroom. The room is cold but at least it is consistently cold. Better luck next time I guess.

So sorry about your chicks, I think you may be right about the temp, what was your humidity like during incubation? Were these shipped eggs or from your own flock? The good thing is 3 weeks isn't a long time, you can have peepers in no time. Practice makes perfect