July Hatch-a-Long (including 4th of July hatch-a-long)

[CindyinSD]

Hello!
I’m new to incubating and hatching eggs not to having chickens.
How long does the zipping normally take? Seems I’ve got one going on almost 24 hours. I can see it breathing through the pip hole. I can hear it too!
These are shipped eggs.

It can take a while. If you like--if you're anxious since it's been a long time--you can gently add a half inch or so to the zip line with your fingernail or similar to enable you to see/assess better--but do have a paper towel, etc. handy to apply gentle pressure in case it starts bleeding. Smear a daub of neosporin, vaseline, coconut oil, etc. on any membrane you expose. (NO analgesic!) If the chick is making swallowing-like motions with its beak/bill, that's a sign it's still absorbing yolk and needs leaving alone for a while yet.

It's not unusual for the first to pip to end up being the last to zip & hatch. Sometimes it also doesn't make it. It is truly said, "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Here's wishing you a lovely hatch!

 

[FortCluck]

LOL!
After our bator hatch in June from our own flock we were having a really hard time making and eating scrambled or fried eggs! We could hear the peeping from their siblings while staring at the bullseye eggs in the pan! That was a little unsettling and kiddo kept asking if I was frying up chicks.
(maybe watching those CGI videos on chick development wasn't such a good idea!)

It still is a little strange, and like you I feel a little guilty about using fertilized eggs instead of putting them in the incubator!

My dad tells me I kill a chicken every time I say I’m making my family eggs he loves teasing me. He knows I hatch like crazy.

 

[wolfwalker]

I hear chirping from the incubator. No pips yet though

 

[Oldhallchicks]

here’s our broody girl, Rosie!

I only have two hens right now, so I don’t want to separate them to make them both lonely. the other hen is already seeming a little sad/annoyed that her friend just wants to sit inside!

Just hoping for the best once the babies come along, since Rosie (mama hen) is the gentler of the two hens.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Did you have any trouble seeing into your beilefelder eggs. I candles on day 7 and they looked dark. Could see most air cells but not all. I’m going to recheck them today (day 10) to see if I can see any better. I just hope they are good and not all duds. They didn’t look clear so I’m not sure what o was seeing. Was just wondering what you experienced. This is my first time with shipped eggs. So kinda nervous.

My first shipped eggs too! And the shipped egg nerves!

I'd say not too much trouble seeing into the eggs but my Biele eggs are not very dark either. The one darker speckled one is a little difficult, but I can see the yolk and no development so am thinking it's a clear. I was expecting darker eggs and was surprised that a few were more like beige or like coffee with a lot of cream. I guess that's good from a candle standpoint but disappointing for someone who likes unusual colored eggs.
I think your eggs came from a different seller? Are they nice and dark?
I've heard putting a light at both ends at tthe same time is helpful.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Did you have any trouble seeing into your beilefelder eggs. I candles on day 7 and they looked dark. Could see most air cells but not all. I’m going to recheck them today (day 10) to see if I can see any better. I just hope they are good and not all duds. They didn’t look clear so I’m not sure what o was seeing. Was just wondering what you experienced. This is my first time with shipped eggs. So kinda nervous.

I think I kept this article open on my laptop the whole time the incubator was going last time and would candle every day. They were from my flock though, but maybe these will help.
I doubt you will be able to see in the Biele eggs as well as these bantam eggs-

Good candling reference pics

 

[SnapdragonQ]

My Bielefelder eggs are a grab bag, some I could see partially through, others I could not due to the different colors of brown. I have 8 left of the original 11 on day 15. 2 were quitters and 1 was clear.

They are the eggs I am worried about aircells on. They seem to have drawn way further down than I am ised to seeing. And fhey are saddled. Perhaps that is a contributing factor.

At any rate I know you didn't ask me, I hope you don't mind, just thiught I would add my two cents.

Thanks for chiming in! I should have asked you what your eggs looked like since they are sibling eggs to mine. Most of mine were on the lighter side and a few more porous that I would have liked! Figures the beautiful dark speckled one is a dud.
How are your darker eggs doing? Any movement that you can see?

Some of my wonky air cells do look more round and normal, but not all of them. I'm on day 10 here...and am on pins and needles to see how your hatch goes. (no pressure...right?? )

 

[Hucklekree]

I am on pins and needles too. What with the legbar eggs all kaput. I am hoping these eight bielefelders are successful. My darkest one I think is still kicking (literally) very hard to see anything at all in that one because of chick growth. The lighter ones I have an easier time seeing some small somthing. But at this point I figure if I can't see anything that is not a bad thing.

 

[chickiebaby1]

My Bielefelder eggs are a grab bag, some I could see partially through, others I could not due to the different colors of brown. I have 8 left of the original 11 on day 15. 2 were quitters and 1 was clear.

They are the eggs I am worried about aircells on. They seem to have drawn way further down than I am ised to seeing. And fhey are saddled. Perhaps that is a contributing factor.

At any rate I know you didn't ask me, I hope you don't mind, just thiught I would add my two cents.

Thank you. So it’s normal for the eggs to be different shades of brown. I only have one brown egg layers right now and they are almost always the same shade of light brown. The eggs I got are different shades of brown.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I am on pins and needles too. What with the legbar eggs all kaput. I am hoping these eight bielefelders are successful. My darkest one I think is still kicking (literally) very hard to see anything at all in that one because of chick growth. The lighter ones I have an easier time seeing some small somthing. But at this point I figure if I can't see anything that is not a bad thing.

It's funny that sometimes seeing a black lumpy mass is a good thing!