June Hatch-A-Long

[CluckNDoodle]

I knowwwwwww. What would you do? Im still thinking I’m going for it.

I'm really not sure...I guess I would let it go and hope for the best since she's so close to hatch.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So the Marans breeder I am getting more eggs from did not have enough eggs to complete my order, so is sending me a few Silver Laced Orpington eggs to fill out the order. So awesome! I will have a total of 26 eggs (including the ameraucanas I just got) this time around.

 

[speckledhen]

There are 3 pips now out of 20 eggs. Day 21 is tomorrow, but from when I actually placed them in there, Day 21 begins in less than 30 minutes at 8:15 p.m. Gonna be a long night.

 

[TheBajan]

There is a noticeable difference in how they grow when I compare a day 7 upright egg and a day 7 flat egg!

Please explain. I've only hatched one batch and it was with auto egg turners upright. What's the difference? Is it better for them to be flat? Do they develop stronger?

 

[FortCluck]

I’ll most likely switch them over, it’s my first time incubating upright as I always incubate flat.

There is a noticeable difference in how they grow when I compare a day 7 upright egg and a day 7 flat egg!

Whats the noticeable difference?

Ive done it both ways except I never have completely hatched upright. I am actually doing that now. I like upright turners until day 18 then I lay them down to hatch. This time I’m keeping them upright in the turner the whole way through. Just unplugged my turner and waiting for some external pips.

I have better hatch rates using the upright turner. I have hand turned with them laying down and I seem to get a lot of malpositions and wrong end pips. I never get those with using an upright turner until day 18.

 

[Elfie4306]

So an update on the eggs I put in last week. Some are so much further along than others. Like some look like they could hatch within a few days while others just have little embryos forming. I have no problem with a staggered hatch, except these are fertile eggs I got from a local farm so I do not know much about them. My main concern is how I should go about stopping turning them. How can/should I know it’s time to stop.

 

[Fur-N-Fowl]

Please explain. I've only hatched one batch and it was with auto egg turners upright. What's the difference? Is it better for them to be flat? Do they develop stronger?

Whats the noticeable difference?

Ive done it both ways except I never have completely hatched upright. I am actually doing that now. I like upright turners until day 18 then I lay them down to hatch. This time I’m keeping them upright in the turner the whole way through. Just unplugged my turner and waiting for some external pips.

I have better hatch rates using the upright turner. I have hand turned with them laying down and I seem to get a lot of malpositions and wrong end pips. I never get those with using an upright turner until day 18.

It’s kinda hard to explain but from what I’ve seen, I can see development clearer in eggs that are incubated flat. The veins seem to spread out more, where as when incubated uptight, development starts more bunched up

Here’s a flat incubated egg:

(Pointy end at the top for this photo)

Here are two upright incubated eggs:

in the upright incubated eggs, I can currently see no air cell at all, just development bunched right at the tops of the eggs which clear gaps at the pointy end.

With flat incubated eggs there is no gap and the pointy end, development starts in the middle of the egg and I can usually always see some air cell from the start.

To me, I’m confused by it but in person I can see a difference. I’m preferring hatching flat as I can see development sooner.

 

[FortCluck]

So an update on the eggs I put in last week. Some are so much further along than others. Like some look like they could hatch within a few days while others just have little embryos forming. I have no problem with a staggered hatch, except these are fertile eggs I got from a local farm so I do not know much about them. My main concern is how I should go about stopping turning them. How can/should I know it’s time to stop.

You’d need to take pics and show us the difference in growth.

Were these incubated before you got them?

If not... They’re all on the same day

 

[jolenesdad]

It’s kinda hard to explain but from what I’ve seen, I can see development clearer in eggs that are incubated flat. The veins seem to spread out more, where as when incubated uptight, development starts more bunched up

Here’s a flat incubated egg:

(Pointy end at the top for this photo)

View attachment 2178850

Here are two upright incubated eggs:

View attachment 2178853
View attachment 2178855

in the upright incubated eggs, I can currently see no air cell at all, just development bunched right at the tops of the eggs which clear gaps at the pointy end.

With flat incubated eggs there is no gap and the pointy end, development starts in the middle of the egg and I can usually always see some air cell from the start.

To me, I’m confused by it but in person I can see a difference. I’m preferring hatching flat as I can see development sooner.

The embryo grows on top of the yolk. So, you get to see more on a side incubation. The entirety of the embryo is visible when that’s not always true on a vertical egg, the embryo can be right below the air cell. I rarely have an egg I can’t see development on at 3 days when on its side. When they’re upright some eggs will not show much until 5 or 6.

 

[jolenesdad]

Okay conundrum....

eggs would be in lockdown. They should start to hatch Sunday.

two days ago I noticed lesions on broody hen 1 that has the lone baby. Thought she was getting back into the nest box and maybe a fight.

yesterday morning she has an explosion of dry fowl pox. She goes EVERYWHERE and we just had lots of rain so I’m sure she found still water somewhere. :-(

today four more birds have it including Broody 2.

broody 3 is almost 2, and had fowl pox when young and should be immune.

I’ve got six chickens that have been through fowl pox and 12 that have not. It’s clearly going to run through those that have not.

if this was early I would break broody 2 for her health. But it’s two days from hatch.

do I break both broodies to hatch the chicks away from fowl pox? Four eggs are polish that are notoriously weak anyway.

do I break the sick broody?

do I roll the dice?

I’m inclined to roll the dice.... I’m already rolling the dice with two broodies. Broody 2 will be eating and drinking normally on Monday...

Thoughts?

@Mixed flock enthusiast what would you do? @FortCluck?

@CluckNDoodle says she might roll the dice since it’s so close but not really sure.