June 2022 Hatch-a-long

[Perris]

usually she leaves every morning but she hasn't got off yet today, I don't know if that means they are close to hatching or what!!!

yes, typically the broody will sit tight while hatching is going on underneath, so she keeps them all at the ideal temperature and humidity for hatching

 

[Bird fanatic]

yes, typically the broody will sit tight while hatching is going on underneath, so she keeps them all at the ideal temperature and humidity for hatching

Yay!!!! I hope they come soon, its been 6 months since I had chicks and it still feels like to long hahah

 

[Iluveggers]

I had 2 little miracle hatches. After I called it & shut off the incubator I had these 2 hatch Miracle & Houdini. I now know to make sure I double check all of the eggs before shutting it down. My totals for this hatch for sure now (all eggs were opened after Houdini hatched)
Chicken - 12 - 66% (half shipped cross country)
Quail - 16 - 84%

Congratulations and they are adorable!

 

[MROO]

I have two dozen Nankin bantam eggs under a pair of broody bantams. One's a Buff Cochin with ten under her. The other is a bantam EE with the rest all tucked up underneath. The eggs were shipped, but the Post Office "lost" them for a bit. They came in a damaged box, four days late in 90 degree heat, so I'm not sure how many, if any, will hatch. Both have taken to their duties so seriously that they won't let me in to candle without seriously stressing. They're both first-time mamas, so I'm afraid to force them off or "steal" their egglets. It wouldn't be the first time I've had a new broody break over a disturbance. So far, so good, though. Gem, the Cochin, is just going into week three. Summer's clutch is a few days behind Gem's. Fingers crossed that we'll have some June babies, soon!

UPDATE! I haven't seen nor heard any littles, yet, but I found a zipped half-shell in Gem's pen and my usually sweet-natured little cochin went from growly, stink-eyed broody to full-on Henzilla. It may only be ONE, so far ... but WE HAZ BABEEZ!

 

[Iluveggers]

Day 19…I HEAR TEENY CHIRPING!!!

 

[MROO]

I’m kind of bummed right now. The shipped eggs either weren’t labeled “hold for pickup” or USPS missed it. They’ve updated as “out for delivery”. This mail route is rough. Lots of transitions from paved to gravel road, hwy speeds, and bumping around. Typical for semi rural areas.

I’m still cautiously optimistic for a good hatch but time will tell. If not it’s probably for the best. My current chicks are so precious. I love them all. A lower hatch rate would mean less culling in the near future.

This was my first time using shipped eggs, and not only did the PO miss the "Hold For Pickup" label, but they lost the box for four days in 90 deg heat! It arrived late, with a big, all-the-way-through-the-top-of-the-box ding in the middle of it. I let my ladies set them anyway, not really expecting any hatching at all ... but here we are with our first zip! So ... fingers crossed for new babies all around!

 

[MROO]

Day 19…I HEAR TEENY CHIRPING!!!

I LOVE it when the egglets talk back to us!

 

[MROO]

Ok I went and checked on my hen, nobody pipped or hatched. I know I'm off on the dates, by like 3 days so they could come anytime!! And the broody won't get off her nest, usually she leaves every morning but she hasn't got off yet today, I don't know if that means they are close to hatching or what!!!

(Edited for spelling)

I don't know if it's true for others, but my broodies (all bantams) generally follow the same pattern. They are up and down about once a day or so while setting - sometimes more often during the very middle of the set - but once the actual hatching starts, they don't budge. Once they determine the hatch is over, they dump a big broody-poo in the middle of the nest (even if there are still unhatched eggs) and move their brood away. I usually candle as soon as I see that. I've actually and a couple of late hatchers surprise me, so anything showing signs of life goes into the incubator for a day or two, just in case. My up-and-coming cockerel is one of those. He's little and feisty and his nest looked like a war zone ... so he's Colonel Potter, from M*A*S*H!

 

[Iluveggers]

I have never had a broody…some day!

Look!

The first pip!

 

[Bird fanatic]

I don't know if it's true for others, but my broodies (all bantams) generally follow the same pattern. They are up and down about once a day or so while setting - sometimes more often during the very middle of the set - but once the actual hatching starts, they don't budge. Once they determine the hatch is over, they dump a big broody-poo in the middle of the nest (even if there are still unhatched eggs) and move their brood away. I usually candle as soon as I see that. I've actually and a couple of late hatchers surprise me, so anything showing signs of life goes into the incubator for a day or two, just in case. My up-and-coming cockerel is one of those. He's little and feisty and his nest looked like a war zone ... so he's Colonel Potter, from M*A*S*H!

Wow my hen that is hatching these eggs is a first timer but my polish has hatched chicks 3 times and has stayed on that nest until all have hatched and if there are unfertilized eggs still there she won't get up until I take them away and show her there are no more eggs to hatch, she is very determined hahaha