Hatching buddy? Set today, due May 18th

[hokankai]

Candled again today, day 5 (even though I told myself I'd wait until day 7

) and was a little confused by the results. 2 had VERY obvious vascular networks on the inside of the shell, and the others were not so obvious, some looked just like the yolk still. At what point would the eggs start to go bad and obviously be infertile? 2 out of 6 doesn't sound that great and leaves for very little margin of error! Kind of makes me nervous :S

 

[jettgirl24]

I set last Thursday and I'm probably due sometime between the 17th and 20th... I've got 22 Banty Silkies + a Marans and a BO/Marans from my flock to fill up the cartons

I just candled to see what's happening in the Silkies. I normally wait until day 7 but since they're white I figured I'd go ahead. I've got about a dozen definites and a bunch of maybes. Doesn't look like the cracked ones are developing but I probably won't make that determination for sure until day 10 or so. It DOES look like most of the ones with semi-detached air cells are developing so that is VERY exciting

Saw several bl/lav splits developing and the white egg that wasn't cracked is looking good... Fingers crossed that one pops out. I REALLY want a white and a lav

 

[jettgirl24]

hokankai - I wouldn't worry yet. Unless they start to smell I usually leave them until at least day 10 just in case. With dark eggs like my Marans I leave them until I do my day 18 candling (unless they smell). At that point you can definitely tell the clears but it's still pretty hard to tell if you candle on day 7 or day 10.

 

[hokankai]

Oook, I'll hold my breath a little longer! I'm just so antsy about this whole thing. I will NOT candle them again until Thursday. I also got a Mini Mag flashlight to shine on top of the egg so I have light going in both sides. Hopefully that will give me a better view of what's going on!

 

[BooBear]

you could probably check to candle when the broody is on her daily break. I would just do the sniff test and make sure none were weaping/oozing which are signs of bad egg. If all looks good I wouldn't bother with them. Broody Hens do a great job of hatching on their own.

Mrs. Grumpy has been in such a deep trance. I could not tell if she had been up so I made her get up these past few days to make sure she got her break.
Today I picked her up gently from her cozy nest and put her on the cold ground and let her snap out of her trance. She got up and ran outside to play in the grass, hang with the other girls, poop (gas mask anyone?), and eat some bugs. Lester was so happy to see her out and about. He ran over to dance and um....yeah he tried. Males!
Poor Mrs. Grumpy immediately ran straight back to the coop and plooped back on her nest. Poor thing, hope this does not keep her from taking her break tomorrow.

 

[hokankai]

One reason we got all pullets! Haha

Molly's still going strong. She isn't interested in eating on her breaks, but instead poops and then runs STRAIGHT to the dust bathing spot and is distracted from everything else. But I let her out for 10 minutes and then put her back in the pen where she immediately goes back to the nest. I've also discovered that leaving a red measuring cup with water in it in the corner of the nest has caused her to actually drink it. That and I put some pellets on the edge of the nest and they're always gone when I go check on her. She has more food and water a neck stretch away as well

 

[empireranch]

So I'm on day 7 now. Tried to candle a couple of eggs this evening with a flashlight out in the pen. Can't really say what I saw - even when using one thread that has excellent pix as a reference - I was using a small flashlight - perhaps I need a better light? Does the broody really know which ones are good? Do they start kicking out the bad eggs? I too have left a small plastic cup of water and scratch close by - I take her off the nest every morning - she doesn't really eat but just runs arounds and shrieks at the other hens.

 

[hokankai]

I'm nervous to candle tomorrow night (my day 7) just because my eggs are blue and I'm hearing it's a lot harder to "read" the blue ones. Since this is my first time candling is more out of curiosity than anything. Two of them were definitely developing because there was black on on the inside of the shell like a placenta or something. The other 4 I wasn't sure of. Dark globs in the center and air sacs but no obvious chick placenta or anything. We'll see!

 

[mycutekitties]

I candled tonight and ALL of my eggs are growing nicely. I have 40 eggs in the incubator with 12 being shipped Buff Polish eggs. I have never incubated shipped eggs before and I am very happy they are all growing and look perfect. Anyway how is everyone else doing?

 

[SierraView]

I have 39 with 12 being shipped eggs and wasn't going to candle them all, but since you did 40 I thought I can do 39. All of mine are good! Even all the shipped egg