I set eggs 2/27/10 ** DUE 3/20th-3/21st** WE"RE HATCHING!!!!

[Sparkelrose]

OK so when we are counting the 21 days do you start the day you put the eggs in or the next day? I just want to make sure I have my days right. I put my eggs in on the 26Th so are they due to hatch on the 18Th or the 19Th?

I am starting to get nervous this is my first hatch and candling isn't going well because I can't seam to find a strong enough flashlight and I have brown and green eggs. I haven't bought a Thermometer/hydrometer so this whole time I have had no idea what the humidity has been (I plan on getting one before lock down). I know I'm being a silly mommy.

 

[Sparkelrose]

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Last year, i got three baby Mallards (two Gray, one White). When the little runty White one died, the other two looked lonely, so I spent a good chunk of an entire day knitting this for them to snuggle with:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/3620682120_9e1b66f32d_m.jpg

Boy, did my family think I was nuts!

It worked great for about a week (they slept curled up against the knitty's belly), until they started trying to preen it and pulled out some stuffing.

I totally get giving a super-fuzzy scarf to a chick that's going to poo on it. You're a good chickie-momma (unlike your hen, it seems).

That is so cute! What a nice mommy!

 

[fordmommy]

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Day one is the next day.

 

[Happy Chooks]

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Here's my Chipmunk:

 

[prncssprplfrog]

I just can't help myself. I candled tonight to see how the air sacs from my shipped BC Maran eggs fared. One still has a bubble that moves like one of those bubble levelers. If I keep them upright in an egg carton to hatch- how do I "turn" them?
I'm going to try (

) to leave them alone and only candle them on day 14 & 18..........

I have 2 of the origional 2/27 left, but I think the one is a dud & I can't tell if the dark in the cochin egg is chick or some nasty bacteria growth.....can that happen? It was cracked early on & I sealed it. The chick was growing when (before) the unplugged incident....
One of the 5 3/5 eggs has a blood ring that wasn't there last night- at least I think it's a blood ring- I'll try to get better pics of it to post- they were all veined & kicking last night.

Just when I think I'm doing something right- I loose more....

I bought 6 BCM eggs, but was sent 8- which is a plus. They arrived in great shape, except for the one air bubble issue.

 

[bbrannon1]

Little late on my reply; (Eggs in incubator on 3/09/10)

I also placed my eggs in the bator on this date, however, I have had problems with the Temp/Hum over the week, this being the 1st week. I believe it to be right, now, however I worry about the hatch ALLREADY~

Glad I was taking time to read post's. I had my temps set backwards until today.

 

[KDbeads]

Alright.... dumb question on broodies. I've never had one before, even growing up with all our hundreds of chickens then....

My broody silkie will NOT leave the nest to poo. She has more than enough room in the crate to get up and move around too but no.... she piles it up right next to her in the back corner. I've had to trim her vent feathers of crusted goop and overall she looks terrible, shabby, unkempt. I've taken to physically removing her from the crate every day for at least 5 minutes for her to stretch and poo. But she is screaming at me the entire time, pecking anything that gets near her and generally being a bit of a witch until I let her back in the crate. Today she even tried her hand at climbing my leg to get back up to the crate without pooing. Honestly she reeks and could use a bath.

Please tell me this is normal! Please?????

 

[carriehelene]

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Unfortunately, sometimes hens are too broody. Try leaving her out for a longer period of time. I know it's hard on both of you. Also, you can take the eggs out, and completely clean the crate while she's out. That way, even if she doesn't poo outside, there won't be such a build-up in there, hopefully keeping her a little cleaner. Either way, it gets somewhat nasty in there, sorry. Wish I had more advice for you.

 

[carriehelene]

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Sorry it took so long for me to reply Buffs. Between the week-long hatch and a very hard week at work, my brain has been comatose the last couple of days from lack of sleep. I didn't dare to try and write something that would come out coherent. Anyways, with the staggered hatch, you could end up with the humidity way too high for almost a week. If you raise the humidity on day 18, and the eggs don't hatch until day 22 or 23 (which does happen sometimes), your second set of eggs won't have enough weight-loss from evaporation. It also can effect the chicks development. A week isn't much for us, but in chick development, it's an eternity. Have you ever hatched before? If you haven't, you've never smelled the incubator after hatch

trust me, it's nasty, and powerful. You will need to clean, disinfect, and dry your incubator after your first hatch, which means the 2nd set will be out of the incubator for as long as it takes for you to accomplish this. As far as what problems I'm encountering, I won't get into those, unless it's just because you're curious, only because they don't apply to your situation, so would not be helpful to you. You have a larger time frame between your settings, and I did mine everyday over a 3 day period, so it makes the issues between our hatchings completely different. As far as LG or hovabator? I have both, and have positive and negative issues with both. For incubating, the hova holds it's temp rock steady, the LG can have fluctuations. The hova will lose humidity alot faster that my LG, and I'm not sure I care for the fan running during the hatch, I think it's actually causing some moisture loss after pip. Not sure yet. However, I've found with LF breeds, they burn their little heads on the LG heating element. They climb all over in there, on top of eggs and everywhere, and the chicks are large enough to hit the element. The hova's are taller, and the element is enclosed. If I had to pick only one, I'd go with the hova, but if you are only using it as a hatcher, not an incubator, the LG is alot cheaper, and should fulfill your needs nicely. Good luck, and please keep us posted on how you are making out.

 

[newchickens2009]

Hello everyone. I haven't been on here much lately so I just found this post. I also set eggs on 2/27 with a mix of Dominiques, Ee and a few mutts. I candled on day 10 and had to toss out a few that had blood rings. Will candle again on day 18. Just can't wait for hatch day! Sending all hatching vibes and hopefully we will all have great hatches!