July Hatch-a-long

[misschickenlittle]

I've got 24 eggs set to hatch July 3! All Black Amerucana's. Hoping to add some other AM and Orps to the bunch in a week or 2.

Anyone else??

Come on El, acre and jnj... i know you do...

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Ducky is out! I think it was a little sticky though, as it literally exploded from the shell. It was like it stretched itself out in there and it just cracked into bits and came off. It seems strong though, and it definitely has a healthy set of lungs! I'll post pics when it dries off

 

[Gofygure]

Second pip!

 

[jnjmanning]

well looks like I'm SOL

as I didn't set up my bator for that lol... oh well

I also watch for movement, and listen for sound(peeping) 99% of the time this is day 19 for me. Then I jump the humidity.
My dry hatch was NO water days 1-18(humidity ran a constant 29%) and on day 19(yesterday) I saw rolling, heard a peep, filled both resevors, humidity jumped to 62%, by 11pm last night I had 4 pips, 2 chicks out by 2am. I now have 6 chicks out, 2 pips and 3 doing nothing....lol Once the chicks start hatching the humidity will rise. Mine is setting at 70% right now and I have not added one drop of water.

 

[chickydee64]

This is what's confusing me... I thought only the apocalypse would warrant me opening the bator during lockdown?

If you think in terms of the broody hen, they get off the nest to eat and go potty.............It is during lockdown.the last three days that the
"DO NOT OPEN" is most important........We all seem to have our own style about
I have on occasion opened during lockdown if there is a need. I take the incubator in the bathroom after running hot water in the shower.

 

[chickydee64]

If you do not mind my writing so much.............

.I have a quick story.
Pulled the eggs out for lockdown and somehow missed one that should have gone in the hatcher........
It hatched anyway, even with my screw up...and I was doing dry incubation.
You just never know, mother nature in control again................

 

[sharol]

that's the thing with artificial incubation- we have basic guidelines, but there are so many factors with difference in bators, areas where you live- your climate where you live- elevations etc, where the eggs come from, shipped eggs or your own & the list goes on & on- so no 2 hatches are alike. I've had 100% hatches, then 3 days later the next in a staggered hatch that was treated in the exact same manner in the same bator will have 100% fail! Then 3 days later the next set I might have half of them make it. You just never know. I've heard several ppl describe things to do or that happen during their hatch & they have all these chicks from it, I just cringe because I KNOW if I did those same things I wouldn't have a single chick make it LOL

speaking of this, today while I was outside we had a power outage that I didn't know about until a while ago when I came back in. I have no idea how long it lasted or what effect if any it will have on my eggs in lockdown. just figures right

 

[Gen9]

Oh geez... I can't sleep. I saw some eggs wiggle around. now I know why ya'll call it hover-bator

 

[SilkieStepHen]

So it's NOT just me!! I seen a wiggling egg right before I went to bed last night ... I got about an hour and a half of sleep total.
Y'all ... I don't know how people do this all the time! It's like waiting for a human baby to be born!
I knew when we decided to raise chickens that it wasn't going to be the easiest thing, but GOOD LORD! I'm exhausted! Won't go to bed though because I might miss something!

COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE!!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

So many cute chicks!! Congrats to all the new hatches

Brooster but where does the color come from and why has it change what color are they now

Dolfi, the base color of a chicken's egg shell is either white or blue, depending on the breed. And then many breeds coat the egg with a brown tint, some darker, some lighter. The Ameraucanas lay bright blue eggs. The Easter Eggers are a mix of blue egg layers with other breeds, so they lay a blue egg with a brown tint on top, which usually makes some shade of green. The color of the egg depends on how dark parent's egg was. So if you pair a blue-egg-laying Ameraucana with a dark brown egg layer, like a Marans, you get a dark green egg. EEs can lay eggs that are just about any color. There was someone in one of the spring hatchalongs hatching purple EE eggs! They were so cool. My eggs are brightly colored in winter when the chickens first start laying, but by midsummer, they aren't producing as much pigment, so the eggs aren't as brightly colored. They're more pastel.

I did a day 10 candle last night. It looks like 6 of the 7 eggs are progressing nicely. I think the double yolk egg may have stopped developing, but I can't say for certain. The egg is so big, that it's hard to see the tiny chicks inside.