I just set 5-21-11 in my home made incubator

[chicksntexas]

It's just killing me not be be able to candle the dark brown eggs!

pacing, pacing...

oldcluck

sorry about your hatch redonthehead

maybe still a little hope?

I adopted a chick that hatched on day 29!

 

[matlock585]

Did any of ya'll see the thread on here tonight where a lady had 5 eggs under a broody, four hatched and the hen left the fifth. She put it in her bra and placed it back under the hen that night and it pipped, the next day, when the hen got off the nest she put it back in her bra and it started chirping in the shell while she was at work. I hope that one hatches tonight, what a great story to tell.

 

[chicksntexas]

I read it too!

Great story! I hope it hatches for her!

 

[redonthehead]

We broke open the eggs yesterday and it looks like the chicks didn't develop much past day 10 or 12... no idea what happened, but we'll definitely be trying again. I'm disappointed, but will chalk it up to a learning experience and try it again. Meanwhile I'm looking forward to following you guys!

 

[chickenjoefan]

so sorry redonthehead. Its so sad when it goes wrong.

I'm hatching for a friend, her incubator in my house seems to be the best combination. the same incubator in her house 5 miles down the road just doesn't get the same hatch rate. Who knows why. This is my third hatch and it definately seems to be luck rather than judgement. We had a power cut on hatch day on both my previous hatches so all humidity and heat settings went out the window as I moved them in front of the fire.

fingers crossed for your next go.

I'm day 12 now, so might candle a couple tonight, but most of mine are really dark ones and it is killing me not being able to see inside.

Past half way everyone!!

 

[matlock585]

Well I'm kinda starting to worry about my eggs now, I'm a week away from lockdown. I candled last night, I can't really see anything but mass, and the air pocket at the round end of the egg looked kinda small. I've been keeping my humidity around 50%, so I decided to up it some. I added more water and held it closer to 60% most of the day. I candled again tonight, and only 1 egg showed a bigger air pocket, and the other four all looked small. Maybe nickel sized or just smaller. The eggs seems to be developing to me though, as the mass grows each day and the open space is smaller. Ya'll think I'm still good?

 

[LaGeniaLoca]

I don't have too much experience with hatching, yet (2x incubating, 1x broody), but thought I would share what I have seen. When my broody was sitting on 2 eggs, they both looked like they were developing at the same rate. The dark area kept growing in both, and they looked the same when candling. When I didn't have any pips by day 25, I opened them both up. In one, I found a fully formed chick with an almost fully absorbed yolk that died for some reason. In the other, I found a gooey mess, with the beginnings of a tiny embryo. The air pocket always looked pretty much the same to me, too. So, you could be fine, as far as your chicks go. Just keep going. BTW, if anyone is interested in seeing them, I always take pics when I have to break open an egg that doesn't hatch. I think it's interesting.

 

[chickenjoefan]

I agree, keep going. At day 12 its meant to be a large dark mass, and candling is never an exact science. I never throw any out unless they are completely clear. If i think they are iffy but have something going on i just mark them with a question mark and leave them in. then when i get to day 23 and all else has hatched and i have just question marks left i can be more sure they were duds and open them to see. Having said that i have had question marks hatch! so don't give up just yet.

 

[ninnyeggs]

i set 6 silkie eggs on 5 18 11 its day 8

 

[chicksntexas]

I candled all this morning...tossed 10 - 3 with blood rings, 2 with floating yoke and 5 clear/no development. Dang shipped eggs

So, I still have 26 in the bator... 2 LBs, 2 BOs and 3 SSHs moving around nicely. The 10 Ameraucana's I can't see anything but the air pockets and a dark blob. Air pockets look good, though so

I thought I would be able to see more in the blue eggs! And still have 10 Marans (brown eggs) so we'll be down to hatch day with those!

matlock, you're still ok! I say be patient...easy to say right??

10 more days!!