***JULY HATCH-A-LONG come join in***

[SportChick]

Ok, I am trying again! My 10 eggs arrived today. My incubator (still air, LG) has been running for 24 hours. My temps are pretty steady at about 100, but just as before, am having a tough time finding the 101 spot (I either get 100 or 102). I am recalibrating my hygrometers as I write. After 3 hours, it looks like my digital one, which was pretty close to accurate is now off by +15 and the dial is off by +10 (which it was last time too).

I tried to make the water wiggler thing, but my ziplocs keep springing leaks. i will keep my eyes open for one. I found one at Rainforest Cafe but it was full of sparkles and plastic toys so I figured it wasn't a good choice, plus it was $12 which is stupid!

I have 3 Black Copper Marans, 4 Golden Laced Wyandottes and 3 Wheaten Ameraucanas. Hatch day is July 19th. By the way, my 6 Barred Rocks from my June hatch are darling but at least 4 of them are roos and I'm suspicious about the 5th. We are spoiling the one for-certain-hen rotten!

Good luck everyone.

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

Lots of hatchers this time!

(((Ked, sorry about Twenty-Six.)))

Checked the all the eggs tonight. Everyone (even the 2 from the 18th) are dancing around in the shells. That's a relief. Will try not to candle again until lockdown (Friday). I like to mark my air cells. By the time my eggs hatch they have graffiti all over them!

 

[ChksontheRun]

Just turned eggs and temp was up to 102.9. Dont know when the temp went up as i was holding steady at 101. Hope they are ok........ Candleing tomorrow.

 

[Sequin]

So, Wow - two of my girls are broody now!! I candled a week or so ago and marked all the eggs that were in the first broody hens nest. Good thing I did - because there was probably double the number by the time I checked last night(I was gone for the weekend). So, I sorted the eggs found in both nests. If they were further along and darker and I saw movement they went in the first broodies nest; if they had veining and the dark embryo spot and/or some sort of movement they went in the second broodies nest. So, looks like we will be having two hatches in July - roughly 2 weeks apart. My first broody is a welsummer and she is pretty docile and relaxed about things. My second is a BO and she is ready to nip if anyone tries to disturb her flattened pancake self. I am Really hoping that at least One of my green eggs hatches. We lost our EE roo that everyone loved( he was such a gentle giant), so we are really hoping that one of his babies makes it. In total, I think we have about 24 eggs that we are setting on right now. My DH wanted me to just take all the eggs away(thinking this would signal to them to stop being broody). But after candling last night - there is no way I could do it. We will just have to wait it out, keep the girls and, sadly, send the boys off to camp. We have so many roos right now - I cannot wait until Autumn when we will be thinning the flock(to put it gently).

Looking forward to sharing this months hatch with everyone!!!

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

Since my eggs were doing well I thought I'd go mow the yard. I hadn't seen the quail pair all day, so I thought I'd check to see if she really was laying eggs in that tall grass before getting too close with the mower. I pull back the grass and *fwoosh* out she flies... immediately I left the clump so she wouldn't think I was after the eggs.
She flew over to the fence row ...chirping trash about me

-- even after her hubby showed up.

So instead of mowing, I spend some time with the hens and let the favored ones have a break from the roos to sunbathe.
When she and the male quail left I ran in and grabbed my camera....

WOW

And the best part.... she came back

In fact Mr Quail sat on the back of the chair by the chicken tractor, guarding her. (Really made the roo mad, he couldn't crow loud enough to scare them away.)

So if they all hatch, that would be 15 little fuzzy stripped pompoms following them around the yard.

I'm just happy they came back.

 

[SportChick]

What a handsome pair!

 

[jeremy]

These are due on the 4th! Blue/Black/Splash Copper Marans and Barred Olive Eggers and a couple Marans crosses!

 

[Kedreeva]

@ Sweet: Oh WOW, I think those are a pair of Valley Quail! Those guys are REALLY hard to find to buy here at bird swaps; my friend has been trying to get hold of a breeding pair ever since I met her like 8 years ago, but she's never been able to buy a pair here for less than $20-30 a bird. You lucky bum, you've got a whole nest of them!

 

[jossanne]

Day 1 on 19 bantam eggs under two broody hens. My barred rock, Barbara, has 11 b/b/s bantam cochin eggs, and my bantam cochin, Jane, has 5 b/b/s bantam cochin, 2 silkie, and 1 bantam dark cornish. All eggs came from Little Ameraucana Mom in Indiana. My last batch of eggs from her, though packaged beautifully, ended up with 1 out of 11 hatching under a broody hen. I've got one beautiful pullet who is 9 weeks old, and she needs at least a mate so I can get started on some beautiful bantam cochins of my own.

The silkie and bantam cornish were bonus eggs, thanks Little Ameraucana Mom!!!

Looks like we're due July 19! Go eggies go!!!

 

[jossanne]

Oh, and how could I forget? One other broody hen, a welsummer named Wanda, sitting on 13 barnyard mix brown, green and white eggs from my own hens. She's due July 2!

My last broody, a silkie named Mrs. Party, hatched out 5 bantam cochins and 4 silkies last Friday, June 25. So we're going to have a BUNCH of babies around here before too long...

Now please, no one else go broody on me!