Hatching Updates for this weekend, MORE PICS!!!

[d_rooster]

<<I've updated the title of this post for this weekend's hatchers. 12/12/07, d_rooster>>

Well, it's Day 14 here and I candled again this morning. I saw at least some movement in all five eggs. The egg contents are much darker than just a few days ago and it's really hard to see much in the lower end of the egg, but I could almost swear I can see wet feathers. The air cells are increasing in size like they should, I hope. I have taken speckled hen's advice and have maintained the humidity in the 40-50% range. Humidity has been hovering around 43% the last few days. With only one week to go I have high hopes.

Broody Betty has the other six Silkie eggs in her cozy nest outside in the coop end of the chicken tractor (Day 15 for her). This is her first time being broody and she is learning what it's all about. She's been a very religious sitter and yesterday I finally saw her get off the nest on her own to come eat with her two cell mates when food was tossed on the ground. I think Charlie, the little red pyle rooster in my avatar photo, was the one who convinced her that the treat was worth leaving the nest for a moment. I threw the food down, Charlie ran out of the coop area, stood over the food and clucked excitedly as if to say, "It's good stuff, everybody come get some." Betty was off the nest like a shot, pecked up a few bites, then ran back in the coop and was back on the nest in less than a minute. I am so thankful to Charlie, since I had been having to remove Betty from the nest each morning and put her right in front of some food to convince her to eat. Maybe she had been sneaking out when I'm not watching, but now I'm reassured to have seen her leave the nest on her own at least once.

How is the incubating going for you other guys who are due around the 14th, 15th, 16th (next weekend)?

 

[LoneCowboy]

looks like it's going good for you. Not so good for me. I think I only have one that's growing and I had a mild spike last night but it shouldn't be enough to hurt it. We have snow here and the humidity when into the toilet, so trying to get it back up threw off the temps.

Well, I wish I was more optomistic about this hatch as you are. I'll really be lucky to get one.

 

[d_rooster]

LoneCowboy, if your's don't turn out well, don't get too discouraged, but start planning for the next hatch. I credit most of my luck, thus far, to being able to get fresh hatching eggs locally from Dipsy Doodle Doo.

Also, for my own sanity, I stopped agonizing over every little 0.1- 0.5 degree change since I'm using the water wiggler with what I think is a really good laboratory quality mercury thermometer inserted into it. The temp in the 'bator can change by +/- 0.5 degrees with almost no notable change in the water wiggler thermometer reading. Once I realized this I quit making minor adjustments to the incubator heater control settings and just left it where it is. I found that I can close one of the vent holes in the top of the 'bator to keep temps up at night without greatly increasing the humidity. I add warmed distilled water with aquarium tubing and a 50ml syringe right after I've opened the incubator for turning the eggs. This helps to quickly bring the temp back up to where it was before opening.

I've got the second incubator on order and more eggs are supposed to be in the mail. I'm already trying not to get my hopes up on the next batch because it seems that fertility/hatchability, on the whole, is less reliable on shipped eggs.

Good luck with your hatch and I will keep my feathers crossed for you.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Wow Donald! Another incubator and more eggs?
What're you getting? I might need some

Happy Hatching!
Lisa

 

[d_rooster]

Dipsy,

I'm expecting a dozen Salmon Favorelles Bantam eggs in the mail from an eBay seller out of Florida. She had good feedback on her shipping and packaging. I would only need to hatch one hen and a roo to get started.

So, I figure why not take a chance on the shipped eggs. Since they are coming from south of where we are, perhaps there will be less chance of the eggs getting frozen in the mail.

Here's a link to the American Favorelles Fanciers with some pics of what they look like:

http://faverollesfanciers.org/index.html

Here's another website from Denmark with great photo galleries of Salmon Favorelles including the Blue Salmon Favorelles.

http://home19.inet.tele.dk/faverolles/

Look at the beautiful colors on this Blue Salmon Favorelles Rooster:
http://home19.inet.tele.dk/faverolles/2006/original/t_PICT1020.jpg

 

[LoneCowboy]

I'm in the process of trying to find eggs. I answered an ad on Craigslist, but I haven't heard back.

There aren't very many crazy chicken people here as there seems to be back east

I'm trying to convert them as fast as I can though.

I'm using a water wiggler too, I only worry about the temp in that not the temp in the bator. I was only about .7 off when I checked it yesterday against a good thermometer so I've not been terribly off. However, it got up to 101.1 this morning which would make it 101.8 so it might have done them in. I don't think it was that high for very long, so I'm holding my breath.

 

[msbliss]

Coming down to the wire, eh? Finally! Tomorrow morning (Wed) is day 18. I started out with 34 eggs, after day 14 candling I have 22 which all looked great. We'll see tomorrow morning how they're doing. We should all have some chicks appearing in the next few days!!

 

[Tsagirl]

Me too Me too

so excited about the hatch that might be on Saturday!
I have a dry air incubator one of the hova bators and it has stayed anywhere from 100 to 102 degrees in there.
I have candled them all and they all are moving around and kicking, so I guess they are doing well.
Now it is time to bring up the humidity and sit back and not touch and just watch.
Gosh that is so hard to even say.....grrrrrrr

but I am anxiously awaiting my little fuzzy buts!

 

[d_rooster]

flying_squirrel,
Yes, I am starting to get my hopes up a little, now. I started getting lots of things ready today for the big incubator siege (3 days of waiting without opening the 'bator). I've got the sponges, the bowl of water with pebbles, the chenille wire, and the grip mat shelf liner.

I also got some plastic canvas to cut to fit over my computer fan that I wired to turn my incubator into a forced air instead of still air. I don't want chickies wondering into exposed spinning fan blades. I didn't mount my fan on the lid and I don't won't to be fiddling with it too much at this point. So it's getting a plastic canvas cover that I will hot glue into place on the back of the little fan for now. If I can find a suitable place on the top of the lid, I may use velcro to attach the fan to the inside of the lid quickly. I used the velcro to attach a thermometer/hygrometer to the underside of the viewing window already. That way I can easily read it.

Now I just have to go buy some fresh chick starter food and I think I'll be prepared. I plan to remove the styrofoam rack holding my five Silkie eggs tomorrow evening and put the eggs on the grip mat. I'll add the bowl of water with the wet sponge and quickly modify the fan and put it back in the incubator. Then the lid gets closed and I wait and stare at them until they hatch, hopefully starting Saturday. I may need eyedrops for all of the staring I plan to do after Wednesday.

The candling for these five eggs looked good on day 14. I may just skip the candling for day 18 and hope for the best. Good luck to the other expectant hatchers for this weekend.

 

[msbliss]

Donald, what is the chenille for?? Thanks for mentioning the pebbles for the humidity water bowl - I have it for their water drinking bowl but dang, I might have drowned a chick trying to keep the humidity up. Got the fresh chick feed, brooder made, etc. WooHoo!

Oh, and congrats on your new (second!! I knew it!) incubator!

I'll be looking for your updates!!

tsa, congrats and good luck on your hatch too!!