Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[purewellspring]

I'm in on this hatch! well, hopefully. This is my first time incubating. I've got 40 banties in a hovabator on loan from a friend. We're testing it out. Her first hatch yielded 5 out of 18 local eggs (mostly full-size, but one of the three banties did hatch for her), but as I've been watching the temp, my other two thermometers register at least 1 degree or so below the 'bator's thermometer. So I'm keeping it slightly warmer than her run, hoping for a little better hatch rate. But trying not to get my hopes up, all at the same time.

Can't wait to see what's in there. The eggs are from a mix, all this lady's bantams are kept together, plus there was at least one full-size rooster in the coop. So who knows?! All I know is that my eggs range in size from 24g to 37g. It's hard to even imagine the chick that might come from that 24g egg! We are at the end of day three, I put them in Saturday night, and starting counting Sunday night (Monday morning, really). Is that the way I'm supposed to do it? And I keep checking on them ALL THE TIME. As if I can see them doing something. Ha! We did look in a book about chicks we got from the library, and my four year old DD found the 3 day embryo drawing, which was fun. My DDs keep asking to candle, since we were there when our friends candled some of theirs, but I'm trying to hold out until day seven. Anyone have any suggestions? How in the world do I candle and weigh 40 eggs...and not completely destroy the temps of the eggs and the bator? I'm super confused, but figure it might be helpful to candle since I can at least cull any duds and gain a bit more room.

 

[chicken pickin]

Welcome to the hatch along purewellspring! Yes that would be the way you count the days Sunday night would be day 1. And Im not sure how you candle and weigh 40 eggs. Ive never weighed before and candling I do quick a fast glance and on to the next sometimes I dont even take them out of the turner, I just shine the light on the top of egg. Your mix sounds fun. I love off Bantam mixes they are the best. I cant wait to add more banties I only have 1 bantam hen and 3 bantam roos(bad straight run luck) I need to get a few more girls for the boys.

 

[gabrielle1976]

I coudnt resest trying, I candled all 8 of the orp eggs on day 5 ish only saw three babies but they are young yet and large thick shelled and porus. Candles all day 4 ish store eggs only saw one that might've had viens againg though big brown pours eggs so i will keep my fingers crosed die all day 3 Serama and saw babies in two they're tiny light eggs so its easy, candle the bobs yeterday at day 4 and thought i saw something in 3 of them and candled my 8 day 7 experiment eggs all use to have babies but last night one hwd deied. Yesterday I also did a quick candle of the 5 under my broody at day 8 ish all had babies. im gonna try to sit on my hands till at least monday now. That will be day 15, 14 , 10, 9, and 7 ??? Its hard to keep strait lol

 

[TheCosmos]

Well, I set my eggs Saturday night and candled them all as you saw in my previous post.

I candled all of the eggs tonight and they all appear to be developing except #3. It was the super poreous one. Eggs 1-5 were all shipped eggs. 6 and 7 were from my flock. I saw veins on 2, 4, 5, 6, 7. Not going to give up on 1 or 3 yet. #1 is so dark I think it is developing but can't see!! I started turning them as soon as I put them in the incubator despite recommendations. I guess I can be the other side of the test!

I did take pictures but I'm going to bed so they will come in the morning.

 

[SilkieSensation]

I'm in on this hatch! well, hopefully. This is my first time incubating. I've got 40 banties in a hovabator on loan from a friend. We're testing it out. Her first hatch yielded 5 out of 18 local eggs (mostly full-size, but one of the three banties did hatch for her), but as I've been watching the temp, my other two thermometers register at least 1 degree or so below the 'bator's thermometer. So I'm keeping it slightly warmer than her run, hoping for a little better hatch rate. But trying not to get my hopes up, all at the same time.

Can't wait to see what's in there. The eggs are from a mix, all this lady's bantams are kept together, plus there was at least one full-size rooster in the coop. So who knows?! All I know is that my eggs range in size from 24g to 37g. It's hard to even imagine the chick that might come from that 24g egg! We are at the end of day three, I put them in Saturday night, and starting counting Sunday night (Monday morning, really). Is that the way I'm supposed to do it? And I keep checking on them ALL THE TIME. As if I can see them doing something. Ha! We did look in a book about chicks we got from the library, and my four year old DD found the 3 day embryo drawing, which was fun. My DDs keep asking to candle, since we were there when our friends candled some of theirs, but I'm trying to hold out until day seven. Anyone have any suggestions? How in the world do I candle and weigh 40 eggs...and not completely destroy the temps of the eggs and the bator? I'm super confused, but figure it might be helpful to candle since I can at least cull any duds and gain a bit more room.

I'm assuming your bator is in the house with room temps ranging high 60's to low 70's. A broody hen will get off her nest for up to an hour in these temps to eat, drink, poop, dust bathe & make sure she retains her place in the pecking order. I personally do not worry about how long candling takes when I do mine because the hen wouldn't be rushing to get back to the nest in 2 minutes so I can certainly have the bator open just as long as she would be off the nest. Internal temps on the eggs do not drop nearly as quickly as surface temps. There is absolutely nothing wrong with occasional cooling periods for the eggs. If you are concerned about the eggs getting too cold take them out 10 at a time, candle, weigh, put them back & take out the next 10. This will minimize the amount of time each group of eggs is exposed to room temps.

 

[LuvMyRoo]

Here's a glimpse at my staggered hatch with my quail babies. The 2 bigger babies in the picture were my New Year's Hatch-a-long babies. They were late & didn't hatch until the evening of the 2nd. The 2 little babies just hatched this evening so that puts them exactly a week apart. This shows you exactly how much a quail grows it's 1st week of life. I'm still waiting on 5 more to hatch from this batch & just set more eggs over the past 3 days.

They are so cute!! I so hope I get something to hatch

Incredible growth on the bigger babies. Thanks Silkie and Brooster- I think I will hold off on candling this batch. The less I screw with them, the better chance they will have, I am sure!

My son and I are starting a blog about the hatch. He is 5 and his cousins back east and his kindergarten class want to follow along. I'd like to set up a web cam for the hatch. Kinda fun

 

[LuvMyRoo]

Welcome to the hatch PureSpring- this has been a great thread/group so far. Silkie and Brooster are providing some GREAT advice and experience and everyone's got neat mixes cookin'. Can't wait to see them all hatch!

 

[Conchis]

Another day down! Everything looks good (like I know what I'm doing....) Still have a long way to go, but I haven't candled yet...hehehe....you candled yet Chicken pickn?

 

[LuvMyRoo]

Ohhhh, you must share those pics Cosmos! I will live vicariously through you all on candling! Congrats on all the life growing so far!

 

[chicken pickin]

Another day down! Everything looks good (like I know what I'm doing....) Still have a long way to go, but I haven't candled yet...hehehe....you candled yet Chicken pickn?

lol I did peek in one last night and I saw a tiny floating dark dot(eye) so I know that one was good. Then I stopped because I wasnt going with my plan I have a serious guilty consious lol Im a rule follower LOL. So candling is still sat night. I did however plug in the turner this morn day 5 so that makes me feel like we are moving forward. Im going to keep an eye on the temps to make sure they dont rise and I added water because the huimidity dropped over night so now its high blagh.