JANUARY 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[Purpletie3]

@Renee572. I am so glad you are home! I think your saving grace is that you have a still air incubator which is supposed to incubate at a higher temp than a circulated one. I think you should be ok. Circulated one...maybe not.

I just got up and the humidity in the cabinet dropped to 23 overnight. I have it set at 53 for day 1-18 then 65 18-22. That's what the breeder I bought the eggs from runs at. I did buy the humidity pump too...but, I think that and the spot check thermometer are still due delivery Monday. Crossing my fingers. Really want to hatch some chickens to build my farm. Or else I will sell it all and move to Florida. Lol

 

[Purpletie3]

So I just candled....Day 8. The "longs" are all blue and I'm having trouble seeing anything. One definitely has something in there, not sure about the other five. All six BO eggs have veining/embryo visible! So cool! This is my 2nd attempt (my first was last year, using several collected eggs from my hens by a stray roo, none were viable). I now understand how people get addicted.....! e

That's cool! I think it's addicting because you are creating life. The most addicting part for me is the chicks. I just love them. They are so quirky, beautiful and unique. I went on vacation and missed them the most. They chatter at bedtime and in the morning. I re purposed an old freezer room for brooder space...which I may need to get cracking on building another brooder if this hatch works out well!

 

[CarolinaHen]

I ordered a dozen eggs, seven made it through candling day and today is hatch day!! So far we have three out and 4 pips  I'm as excited as I was the first time I hatched my first chicks!!

 

[Purpletie3]

@ Carolinahen... That's such good news!!! Sounds like they are ready & you are in for an exciting Sunday!

 

[CarolinaHen]

I have wanted this breed for a long time and DH got me the eggs for Christmas. I have heard that the chicks are more fragile than most. Is there anything different I should do for them? I usually add a bit of sugar to the water for a few days and grind the food for a week or so. We keep them in the inside brooder for a few weeks and then they go to the outside brooder to live with the two Silkies that want nothing more than to raise chicks.

That has been our process for raising Seramas. Any advice is more than welcome. I am just so thrilled to finally have these birds and can't wait to show them!!!

 

[Purpletie3]

@Carolina... What type of chicken do you have hatching? What a thoughtful Christmas present...

I like to give my chicks vitamins...poly vi sol with NO iron in their water and grind their feed also or smash it down a little. There is also an electrolyte solution I use.
Keep them warm...95 degrees first week...back it off 5 degrees a week until they are feathered out.
I live in the tundra...so, my chicks are inside for a bit.

 

[CarolinaHen]

@Carolina... What type of chicken do you have hatching? What a thoughtful Christmas present...

I like to give my chicks vitamins...poly vi sol with NO iron in their water and grind their feed also or smash it down a little. There is also an electrolyte solution I use.
Keep them warm...95 degrees first week...back it off 5 degrees a week until they are feathered out.
I live in the tundra...so, my chicks are inside for a bit.

These are Salmon Faverolles. I've wanted them for so long, but it is difficult to find quality birds that also lay well. They are said to be fragile as chicks and very hardy as adults.

We keep ours inside for a few weeks as well,and then let the Silkies take over

I'm so giddy and ridiculously excited about this batch hatching that I keep watching the eggs every few minutes. LOL

I have a feeling these chicks will stay inside longer than the Seramas that are hatching with them just to be extra careful. I don't usually add electrolytes to the water, but that's an excellent idea!!

 

[Purpletie3]

Beautiful!!! I can't wait to see the pics! You are a lucky lady! How do you like serama's? I see a lot of people hatching them in the hatch a long!

 

[Peep_Show]

Day 14 and the 32 TJ's eggs are doing great. With the white shells they're super easy to candle with just a hand-held candling light on top of the eggs, so you don't have to take them out of the turner. Lots of little bobbers are visible and the egg veining looks good.




Don't know what I'll do with all the chicks...maybe venture over to Edgewood's poultry swap. Normally when I've hatched TJ eggs I'll get just a couple per dozen, so this batch I wanted about 3 pullets and figured 3 dozen eggs would net me that. Whoops! Guess the fertility factor has improved as it looks like I'll hatch out more than just six birds. Did not expect the eggs to be of such good quality. This is chicken math gone wonkers.

Darn. I wish Trader Joe's sold marans eggs.

 

[Renee572]

I ordered a dozen eggs, seven made it through candling day and today is hatch day!! So far we have three out and 4 pips  I'm as excited as I was the first time I hatched my first chicks!!

yay, how very exciting! Make sure to post pics when they are all fluffed up. Heck I'd even like to see them all wet and brand new!