Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[chickydee64]

You call them babies too? So do I! I'm overprotective as well. I end up waking up a few times in the night just to check the temperature in the 'bator- and I'm not one that will compromise my sleep for ANYTHING.. These chicks have me wrapped around their finger and they aren't even at the cute stage yet!

You got it BAD...........................

 

[Aacre]

You got it BAD...........................

I just can't help myself! When it comes to baby animals, I'll fall for anything!

 

[jan12]

Thanks for the warm welcome, I'm gonna hug them and pet them and squeeze them and pat them and pet them and rub them... (bugs bunny reference lol)

LOL!!! Love the reference!!

 

[otis7]

What do you use to make the hole? Will this encourage the chick to pip internally?

 

[dfreas]

You know, this whole process was very exciting the first week. New eggs, getting the temp and humidity just right, candling on day 5 and seeing development. Candling again a few days later and seeing movement. Lots of fun.

And I assume the last week will be excting - going into lock down, hearing peeps, watching them hatch - and then baby chicks.

But I'm on day 13 right now, and this middle week has been BORING. I go to the incubator, check the temp, it's good. Check the humidity, it's good. Eggs are rotating automatically. Nothing to do here. Come back a few hours later, same thing. Nothing to do here.

 

[jan12]

The shipped eggs I just received are somewhat dirty... What are everyone's thoughts on washing/disinfecting eggs? I have staggered hatches, and while I normally don't wash the eggs, I'm afraid of contaminating the ones already in the incubator with these dirty eggs. I lockdown eggs that are on day 19 in separate incubators. Thanks in advance!

 

[Justin F]

The shipped eggs I just received are somewhat dirty... What are everyone's thoughts on washing/disinfecting eggs? I have staggered hatches, and while I normally don't wash the eggs, I'm afraid of contaminating the ones already in the incubator with these dirty eggs. I lockdown eggs that are on day 19 in separate incubators. Thanks in advance!

I gently removed any debris or nastiness on the eggs that I got. I'm not sure if I want to take the chance and wash them or not.

 

[rayray983]

I. I didn't was mine they were not shipped got mine straight from a 2 friends the green dots are food coloring so I could tell eggs apart I firmly believe the hens set and hatch "dirty eggs" all the time mine are on day 17 and 45 out of 47 going strong

 

[dfreas]

The shipped eggs I just received are somewhat dirty... What are everyone's thoughts on washing/disinfecting eggs? I have staggered hatches, and while I normally don't wash the eggs, I'm afraid of contaminating the ones already in the incubator with these dirty eggs. I lockdown eggs that are on day 19 in separate incubators. Thanks in advance!

I used a cottonball with hydrogen peroxide to wipe down the eggs that were especially dirty, and last time I candled they were all alive and developing fine - both the ones I cleaned with peroxide and the ones I didn't have to clean at all. So at least in my experience that method is safe.

 

[dfreas]

I based that decision on this: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/767677/results-for-pre-cleaning-eggs-before-incubation

Which is a very small data set but seemed suggestive at least.