I've completed a few hatches with our own chickens and some shipped quail eggs. I've had anywhere from 85% to 100% hatch rates. This is my first hatch with shipped eggs, I know i could have picked a breed that was a little less pricey and easier but hey, i like a challenge!
DH really wanted to get some nice breeding stock of one breed. I've always liked the really dark chocolate color eggs of marans. He looked around and decided he wanted BCM so we ended up buying from three buyers on ebay while we (not so patiently) wait for some from Bev Davis (she said possibly in the spring). We have a total of 31 eggs that were set on 9/5. I am going to chronicle the hatch here for reference and if anyone has any pointers at all, I'd love to hear them! As I said, this is my first time hatching BCM and I know we have lots of experts here so I'll take any advice I can get!
**I am going to refer to the sellers by initial only.**
our first shipment was from *R* and had 16 eggs (auction was for 10+). All eggs were shipped well and arrived unharmed. They are not nearly as dark as i expected but the seller assured me they are BCM but at the end of their cycle right now. Eggs are numbered 1-16.
our second shipment was from *D* and had 8 eggs (auction was for 6+). all eggs were shipped well and arrived unharmed. They are darker than the first shipment. Eggs are numbered 17-24.
our third shipment was from *J* and had 7 eggs (auction was for 6+). All eggs arrived safely and unharmed. These eggs are the darkest of all, it's difficult to see in this pic but you can tell in the others which ones they are. Eggs are numbered 25-31.
So, 31 eggs total ranging in color from what my own brown layers lay to a beautiful chocolate brown. I let them sit a little over 24 hours to settle, made sure the bator was at 99.5, humidity 40% and set them in. Seller R's eggs are at the top of this pic, D is in the middle and J is at the bottom, see how much darker?
I was going to put them in the evening of 9/4 but ended up waiting until the morning of 9/5 so the date does say 9/4 on them, oops. Sunday morning while turning, i accidentally hit one against another (D'OH!!!) and cracked egg #26.
I could just kick myself for it too!
I didn't want to just pitch it so I put some wax on the crack (after reading how others did it) and put it back. i don't have high hopes for that one but figured it's worth a shot.
keeping an eye (and nose) on it and will remove it as soon as i suspect any 'foul' play. lol If you look at the egg to the left of the thermomter in the next pic you can kinda see the purple wax on the left side of that egg.
I have two bator's but the favorite of the two was in the process of hatching out quail eggs so I initially put them in bator#2 until 9/7. After all quail hatched I gave it a very thorough cleaning and got it back up to temp/humidity. They have been here since Monday evening and all is well so far.
I plan on candling on day 7(this friday!!!!), 10, 14 and possibly before lockdown. I have a chart with egg #, seller and a column for results of each candling. I want to keep track of which seller had the better hatch rate and stock. I love charts and statistics, this just feeds into that obsession.
I do need to figure out a way to divide off the bator so I can keep them separate, i had read something about making an X with wood, need to look for that post again. Last time (with my own eggs) I tried dividing the brown from the EE's with a cardboard cut out, guess it wasn't tall enough b/c they jumped over it.
Anyone have any ideas? the obvious thought of just splitting the two smaller orders into bator #2 is not an option as I have duck eggs (addicted much??) set to arrive tomorrow so they will be growing away while i am in chicken lockdown 9/22-9/25. I guess i still have time to find another bator! maybe i could try to make one but i'm not really very handy, i'd hate to lose the hatch b/c of my inability to build one.
If only i could convince DH i NEED another bator!!! I've been dropping hints on the Brinsea Octagon 20 b/c i found it on sale and just love the design.
<<sigh>> maybe next spring...
so, the fun is just beginning, anyone wanna join? anyone else have a hatch set to go around 9/25? I'd love some company.
DH really wanted to get some nice breeding stock of one breed. I've always liked the really dark chocolate color eggs of marans. He looked around and decided he wanted BCM so we ended up buying from three buyers on ebay while we (not so patiently) wait for some from Bev Davis (she said possibly in the spring). We have a total of 31 eggs that were set on 9/5. I am going to chronicle the hatch here for reference and if anyone has any pointers at all, I'd love to hear them! As I said, this is my first time hatching BCM and I know we have lots of experts here so I'll take any advice I can get!
**I am going to refer to the sellers by initial only.**
our first shipment was from *R* and had 16 eggs (auction was for 10+). All eggs were shipped well and arrived unharmed. They are not nearly as dark as i expected but the seller assured me they are BCM but at the end of their cycle right now. Eggs are numbered 1-16.
our second shipment was from *D* and had 8 eggs (auction was for 6+). all eggs were shipped well and arrived unharmed. They are darker than the first shipment. Eggs are numbered 17-24.
our third shipment was from *J* and had 7 eggs (auction was for 6+). All eggs arrived safely and unharmed. These eggs are the darkest of all, it's difficult to see in this pic but you can tell in the others which ones they are. Eggs are numbered 25-31.
So, 31 eggs total ranging in color from what my own brown layers lay to a beautiful chocolate brown. I let them sit a little over 24 hours to settle, made sure the bator was at 99.5, humidity 40% and set them in. Seller R's eggs are at the top of this pic, D is in the middle and J is at the bottom, see how much darker?
I was going to put them in the evening of 9/4 but ended up waiting until the morning of 9/5 so the date does say 9/4 on them, oops. Sunday morning while turning, i accidentally hit one against another (D'OH!!!) and cracked egg #26.
I didn't want to just pitch it so I put some wax on the crack (after reading how others did it) and put it back. i don't have high hopes for that one but figured it's worth a shot.
I have two bator's but the favorite of the two was in the process of hatching out quail eggs so I initially put them in bator#2 until 9/7. After all quail hatched I gave it a very thorough cleaning and got it back up to temp/humidity. They have been here since Monday evening and all is well so far.
I plan on candling on day 7(this friday!!!!), 10, 14 and possibly before lockdown. I have a chart with egg #, seller and a column for results of each candling. I want to keep track of which seller had the better hatch rate and stock. I love charts and statistics, this just feeds into that obsession.
I do need to figure out a way to divide off the bator so I can keep them separate, i had read something about making an X with wood, need to look for that post again. Last time (with my own eggs) I tried dividing the brown from the EE's with a cardboard cut out, guess it wasn't tall enough b/c they jumped over it.
If only i could convince DH i NEED another bator!!! I've been dropping hints on the Brinsea Octagon 20 b/c i found it on sale and just love the design.
so, the fun is just beginning, anyone wanna join? anyone else have a hatch set to go around 9/25? I'd love some company.
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