Question:
What would cause a hen to suddenly lay an egg much darker than ever before? Same feed, same everything since I got these hens as pullets last Spring. Could it somehow be related to shorter daylight hours?
IDK I am having issues with porous eggs on candle right now, even in serama coup, we switched to a lower protein food, and switched coops, and then light change combo of things, feed delivery is thursday. the eggs are incubating just fine though. first time ever happened,
Those notes are a great idea, @Sally Sunshine .
now if I can keep up with them!
ummm Hawk12 what did I quote ?? its empty?? ha ha ha
Ok for what its worth I have a 1588 and have only hatched ONCE. Bout four years ago.
I bought a reptile thermometer/hygrometer and NEVER touched any calibration what so ever. I set Araucana eggs and Gunea Fowl eggs at the same time. All from pullets all gathered from the floor of the coop. The guinea eggs had sat out in full sun being Jack booted by the guineas. I gathered up the cleanest of all. it was summer time. So temperatures were in the high nineties.
Broght the eggs down to San Diego and set em all. Six Auracana and Four Guinea. Put them in the inucbator and timed it I did Candle but ONly saw movement in the Guinea eggs. I only candled twice. before lockdown for the chicken eggs. I locked em all down at the same time knowing I was early by a couple of days for the Guineas.
None of the Auracanas hatched.... But three our of four Guineas hatched. It was like watching popcorn... as soon as a pip happened the zip was about a third of the way around and POP... OMG they were so tiny and soo cute...
I did everything wrong... Nothing should have hatched. I consider myself luckey.
I havent hatched since.
deb
hmmmmm bet the pullets were inferts
and you think you did it wrong ha ha ha
whens bear season? after thanksgivin?
and @Peep-Chicken . @mymilliefleur and everyone who helped along the way, Thanks! I checked my internal thermometers to be sure temps were right (I rechecked over the last 24hrs to be sure it was calibrated correctly), humidity was good. I'm sure not realizing our house thermostat changes at night because of the programming until day 21 had a lot to do with how it ended. from what i've read that produces weak chicks possibly unable to get out of the shell.
For the future I've figured out how to turn te thermostat programming off during hatch to reduce outside temp flux.
I have my incubator cleaned and plugged back in to be sure I can check for cold/hot spots before the next incubation. I'm planning on getting another set of eggs on the 22nd so I have plenty of time to regulated the incubator to where it needs to be!
WHATCHA getting where how what who???
sorry I cant help with silkies, I cant see them very well either males have like longer straight stick like feathers coming out of their head, and saddle like feathering yours may be too young? and bigger nugget combs for males and stand taller
I have three thermometers in there one in the center, and one on both sides. Center one is resting on top of the eggs. I don't think I'll set any more cause I ordered these off eBay... If I don't get a good hatch I'll go to the hatchery and get Silkie babies in the spring lol I live right down the road from cackle lol
@Flockmama87
but at what level is the 100 degrees? I dont want you too cold, but you MUST be calibrated too.... I forget if you were on when I posted this before.....
I just want to avoid a delayed and death of chicks like
ambe0487 just had.....
Hatching Eggs 101 - BackYard Chickens Community
when using a Still Air incubator (no fan) run at 102º F.
The reason for different temperatures is that with a fan model the circulating air warms all around the egg while still air temperatures are warmer at the top of the egg than at the bottom. The temperature is measured at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the HORIZONTAL egg). NOTE:
If the eggs are in vertical position, elevate the thermometer just below the top of the egg. The temperature is measured at the level where the embryos develop (at the top of the egg). Never allow the thermometer to touch the eggs or incubator because incorrect readings can result.
A high temperature tends to produce early hatches. A consistently cooler temperature tends to increase incubation times and produce weakened chicks. In both cases the total chicks hatched will be reduced. Prepare your incubator and run it for several days before adding eggs, to be positive you are maintaining correct incubation temperature.
Then the past couple of weeks I've had someone break into my shed twice. The first time they took a cage of finches, the second they actually pulled a nestbox out of the aviary and kill the finch inside - who was sitting on eggs. They also broke the locks on one of the chicken coops but, thank god, didn't touch the hens. It's made me very wary though - I worry that now they know the chooks are here, they might try and come back.
