June Hatch a Long

[jnjmanning]

I should've added, I did not include the 3 shipped eggs I removed before lockdown in my 21. They showed no veins by day 10 so I removed - silkie eggs so super easy to see through. I swear, everytime I get shipped eggs (okay, not a lot of data here...only 3 attempts!) the post office workers take them on a roller coaster ride - a really rough one. I always have to pick out the broken ones and hope for the best.
ALASKAN... let me know if your marans are slow to zip. Mine were so slow compared to the others, which were my own barnyard crosses and bluebells - all were somewhat local unshipped eggs. And yes - don't help them! Lol. Just kidding. That same batch of eggs, half of them had hatched and fluffed up ahead of schedule - all from my backyard eggs (yay home team!) - and I wanted to get them out and into the brooder. I looked through the window and to the best of my ability I could see no other pips so I thought it was safe to quickly scoop them out. Wrong. One was zipped half way around the backside and I noticed while I was getting chicks out. I quickly misted it with warm water and closed the lid. I had to go to work. It got stuck. It was still stuck 9 hrs later when i got home, finally trying to push up the "egg lid" without finishing zipping. Then it gave up and wasn't trying anymore. It had made a large round hole but wasn't going around the egg, I could then see the membrane was dried to its beak and head. By this time I had a few more hatched (bluebells) and could see a few pips (marans) so I had my kids mist with warm water while I opened the lid only enough to get my hand in and out and grabbed the stuck chick. It took a little work but got it unstuck and dried out. It was perfectly healthy - just lost some feathers probably while struggling. The rest of the eggs did fine so I guess my misting assistants did well

I spoke with my post master general today, this is what he told me about anything that they will insure. He said they (meaning PO workers) should be able to drop the package from 3' high and not break the contents. If they break they were not packed properly......Are you kidding me??????

 

[Wrightsx4]

I think they (PO) test that theory every chance they get!

 

[mrsguardian88]

Normal

Candled

Has anyone ever seen eyes at almost 4 days? Or is this a quitter?

 

[Wrightsx4]

I don't think I've ever candled before day 5 so I don't know.

 

[jnjmanning]

Normal
Candled


Has anyone ever seen eyes at almost 4 days? Or is this a quitter?

Way too early to give up on it. Give it till day 10. I candle days 7,10,14,18.

 

[Madpolak]

So now in day 8 of batoring, one of my Sexlink hens has decided to go broody. Not really sure I wants more chicks. Is it going to traumatize her if I reach under and steal the eggs? I've grown kind of fond of my 10 digits in the last 63 years and really don't want to lose any.

 

[Alaskan]

So now in day 8 of batoring, one of my Sexlink hens has decided to go broody. Not really sure I wants more chicks. Is it going to traumatize her if I reach under and steal the eggs? I've grown kind of fond of my 10 digits in the last 63 years and really don't want to lose any.

I haven't had a problem with mine. I just reach under, and feel around and take them. If you don't need her to lay (so are OK with her taking a break) put one or two fake eggs under her, that will keep her happy.

I put one hand over her head, and push her head gently to the side, and hold my hand in such a way so she can't see, and then she is fine with me feeling around under her.

The problem I had is that sometimes an egg would be hiding somehow, maybe under her wing. And if every single real egg isn't gathered every day..... well, it isn't a nice surprise when you start to make your omelet!

 

[CGinJCMO]

I'd like to join in. I have a first time 1 year old Barred Rock that's gone broody. I had a broody bantam that I put 6 eggs under but when I moved her a day later to a better nest, she abandoned them and never went back. Meanwhile, the barred rock started being broody, so I gave her the 6 eggs plus some more. I have an Easter Egger roo and I saved eggs from the one EE hen (all blue eggs), plus one brown egg from a Red Sex-link, and a tan egg from a Barred Rock. If they end up girls, I should have green eggs from them. I really don't need anymore chickens because I have a full coop but I want to try hatching at least once.
I'm estimating the hatch date to be around June 11. That same week is the Cub Scout Day camp so we won't be able to check under mama except late afternoon/evening. Maybe that will be a good thing so we aren't tempted to bother them.

We just had some deaths...son left coop doors open overnight and the bantam coop that can hold 8 bantams now has only 4 (they belong to DS2) -coon(?) got two. DS1 wants to replace with White Crested Black Polish but I don't think I'd find eggs quickly enough to add them to the clutch (don't have an electrical incubator and the broody might get up when the EEs hatch but the Polish would still have a few days to a week to finish). I think Polish would get along with d'uccles (I had Polish as a kid and the full-sized hens plucked the head feathers - I'm hoping the bantams won't be able to reach the white top knots and polish chicks growing up with the d'uccles won't bully the slightly smaller bantams). First I'm going to have to find some Polish.

CG

 

[Alaskan]

I agree with you.....you will have to buy polish chicks, not eggs.

If the broody is nice enough, you might be able to add the chicks that you buy, to the Broodies already hatched out chicks, and that would save you lots of work.

Depends on the Broody. But I had one that let me add new chicks more than a week after I gave her the first set. She was the best.

 

[Alaskan]

OK.... I KNOW, I KNOW!


I did everything wrong.

Just help me figure out what to do now.

I have a forced air incubator so I (dumb sign here) only put my temp probe in one place when setting it all up and deciding when to put in eggs etc.

Now, that the eggs are in the incubator, I find that there ARE differences in temperature in various areas of the incubator.

So...for you'll that have incubators with that problem... WHAT TEMP DO YOU DECIDE TO AIM FOR?

The temp on the middle eggs? The edge eggs? The top of the eggs? Underneath the eggs?

Do you rotate all of the eggs around so that they take turns in the cooler and warmer spots?

I know I can't hit 103...... but just how low can I go and still get a good hatch?


(Alaskan, who is starting to think running into a brick wall would be much less frustrating)