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

[chicken pickin]

A quick Gracie update and a question....

Update- My SO was out with the chicks tonight to give them their evening spoiling and to get Gracie out for a few moments (she's not big on leaving the nest, so we get her out twice a day to stretch) When he did that he checked the eggs for temp... all were warm and the brat candled one without me!! (I am at work till tomorrow morning

) He only did one, and he said it was full of veins!!!!

He was stoked!! But he resisted the urge to bother any more of them for now... the plan was supposed to be for Saturday but he said he couldn't resist...guess I can't blame him, I want to peak too!

Question- We numbered the eggs on both sides, Gracie tucked them under and arranged them to suit herself.... well, she rearranges them frequently (we have seen her doing it at least twice a day ourselves, so don't know how often it happens when we don't see it), we see now how the numbers move around in the nest, front to back, outer edge to middle, etc. Evidently it is her way of controlling temps and humidity.
So now that I am turning this into a book, here's the actual question... do any of you rearrange your eggs in the 'bator to see if it affects the hatch? because the heat and humidity can change in different corners of the 'bator at least by a little, or maybe the air flow is different? I figure if broodies do it maybe it works for 'bators too?

I thought about that also during my last incubation. I think people might do it with still air incubators since air isnt cuirculating to keep all areas the same. I have an incubator with a fan so I leave them in their original spots during the entire incubation.

 

[dblea202]

well we budged and when we went to turn our eggs tonight we candled just one!

We couldn't see to much (we have marans so they are dark) and it is also only day 4 hopefully when we candle all of them on sunday they will have veins

Getting so antsy!!!

 

[fisherlady]

So starting to sound like none of us have any will power!

 

[dblea202]

We agree!!!

 

[SarahJaneB]

It's only the end of day three for me and I can't resist candling a few once a day when we turn them. I really hope to see veins soon. I'll be nervous about them until I see some.

 

[Sally8]

Has anyone candled blue or green eggs with good success? I have at least a doz and I'm waiting until at least Sat or maybe Sun to try. I have broody hens that have been setting for approx. 2 weeks. Our temps are ranging around 20 outside. Would it be risky to try and candle them right out in the coop? Sue

 

[TheCosmos]

Update to my 7...

#3 appears to have made an improvement since 24 hours ago. I know sounds weird but I noticed a growth difference.
#1 is definitely developing. Saw some veins!

So fingers crossed for my little Brinsea Mini Advanced!!

 

[Antgarner]

So I just candled an egg while turning them and it was full of veins! I have a feeling that I'm going to become addicted to this. Haha

 

[SilkieSensation]

A quick Gracie update and a question....

Update- My SO was out with the chicks tonight to give them their evening spoiling and to get Gracie out for a few moments (she's not big on leaving the nest, so we get her out twice a day to stretch) When he did that he checked the eggs for temp... all were warm and the brat candled one without me!! (I am at work till tomorrow morning

) He only did one, and he said it was full of veins!!!!

He was stoked!! But he resisted the urge to bother any more of them for now... the plan was supposed to be for Saturday but he said he couldn't resist...guess I can't blame him, I want to peak too!

Question- We numbered the eggs on both sides, Gracie tucked them under and arranged them to suit herself.... well, she rearranges them frequently (we have seen her doing it at least twice a day ourselves, so don't know how often it happens when we don't see it), we see now how the numbers move around in the nest, front to back, outer edge to middle, etc. Evidently it is her way of controlling temps and humidity.
So now that I am turning this into a book, here's the actual question... do any of you rearrange your eggs in the 'bator to see if it affects the hatch? because the heat and humidity can change in different corners of the 'bator at least by a little, or maybe the air flow is different? I figure if broodies do it maybe it works for 'bators too?

It's actually recommended that you rotate the eggs around the bator, especially a still air bator, for exactly that reason. Bators will have hot spots & cool spots & variances in humidity depending on where they are sitting.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Has anyone candled blue or green eggs with good success? I have at least a doz and I'm waiting until at least Sat or maybe Sun to try. I have broody hens that have been setting for approx. 2 weeks. Our temps are ranging around 20 outside. Would it be risky to try and candle them right out in the coop? Sue

Just pull 1 out at a time & return them quickly. Depending on how many she has she may let you peek in only a few before you get assaulted. It's best to do it at night while she's drowsy & less aware of what you are doing.

As for colored/dark eggs, pretty much my entire setting is colored or dark. I have a few that I may be able to see into by now, but not many. I won't even try until at least Monday (day 7) & even then I most likely won't be able to see much more than the air cell & a dark blob. Veins are usually very hard to see on dark or colored eggs. Sometimes you get lucky & see movement, but even that usually doesn't happen until day 10-14. For the people who have the professional candlers with the high intensity lights on them it may be easier, but not with my little LED flashlight from TSC. All I really look for on the dark/colored eggs is air cell development. If I can steadily see the air cell getting bigger & the yolk & albumen getting darker then I can be pretty confident I have a baby growing. If the line of the edge of the air cell starts to get jagged or "sloshy" then I likely have a dead baby or rotten egg. When it gets close to hatch-time & lockdown you may be able to see movement in the air cell. That would be the baby pressing on the membrane getting into position for an internal pip.