June hatch-a-long!

[MadChickenMama]

I would personally candle just before lock down and mark the air cells.

In the incubation and hatching thread there was a bit that suggested placing the eggs with the lowest top of the air cell up as it's the most likely hatching position and let's you easily see any pips. I thought that sounded like a really good idea!

Thanks! I've positioned them all with the air cell up now since I turned off the turner. The eggs are so small that they were constantly ending up with the small end up on the edge of the turner and i was having to open the thing every hour to fix them. So now I do it myself and turn them once every 3 hours (5 time total). I'll be sure to turn them with the lowest part of the cell up on Saturday.

Aside from that I am hoping things go well. I have no for sure idea where the temp has been at. The reader on the incubator says 98.5, the digital one says 100.2 or 100.4, and the regular one I got from tractor supply says 98. Then the 3 that are under the hen feel much warmer and stay warmer longer when I candled them the other day. I tried turning the temp up .5* in the incubator yesterday and the eggs were warmer and stayed warmer for longer, but my digital one was reading 101.2.

I heard 98 or 97 was the lowest temp the eggs could be at and it would cause them to hatch late.

I checked a few today and movement is certain slower, but with hatch day 5 days away I'm not super concerned, but I still worry. Some eggs I could barely make out anything and so don't know.

The temp issue is frustrating.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

I checked the half hatched little call duck egg again today. It was dead. It hadn't absorbed the yolk and the shell membrane was stuck to it. I don't think it was meant to be She still has 3 eggs but I am not optimistic - none show any signs of anything. It's day 28 today and calls usually go on day 26. I also have a hen sitting on 4 call duck eggs that are about a week behind these. I feel bad for mamma call duck but I don't really want to go swapping eggs around if the ones under the hen are doing well. We'll just see how it goes. Maybe they will hatch late.

 

[Kaylish]

Lockdown today! 15 of 16 (1 didn't develop) Welsh Harlequin duck eggs made it, I'm so! Now I just have to sit on my hands for the next 3-4 days

 

[whippoorwill0328]

Love seeing all the new babies!!! Today is day 17 for me and of the two I have left in the incubator I am fairly certain one stopped developing . Hoping my broody is having better luck!

 

[theuglyduckling]

For the people with broodies, how many times do yours leave the nest in a day or in a week and for how long each time do you notice they leave for?

 

[ldawntaylor]

This time around both broodies are refusing to leave the nests. But that wasn't the case last time.

 

[Robert G]

I just got my eggs to put in my incubator and one of them is questionable. What are your thoughts? Is it viable to even try or just discard?

 

[MadChickenMama]

The broody hen I have seems to get off once, maybe twice a day, but not for very long. Probably only 5 to 10 minutes. She's still a bit wary of another messing with the eggs.

She finally pooped a good one today. I've had her since Saturday night and she's only pooped lile twice before today and each time it was incredibly small. She finally did a big one, but of course because she refuses to actually step out if the crate fully she pooped all over the front of the mat. Had to clean it up and cover it with fresh bedding.

 

[ldawntaylor]

I candled some of the eggs tonight. There is one I am unsure about. The air cell doesn't seem to have changed over the last few days.

I will candle that one again tomorrow night.

 

[Robert G]

Well I started my 7 Serama Eggs today and should be getting my 12 Bantam Cochins tomorrow.