June Hatch-A-Long

[mamaj323]

Is this a baby chicken??? I checked this morning & this being my first time, I am not exactly sure what I'm looking at.

Is that the air sac at the end you are looking through? If so, (and I'm doing this for my first time too, so....) then I think that's a baby! can you see some veining too?

 

[mamaj323]

Lol, that's what happened to me last time I hatched.. I set 30+ eggs figuring that some wouldn't make it. Well, they ALL hatched! So, yea, this time I set 48 eggs.. Guess I haven't learned my lesson yet. This hatch was not planned so the eggs could've been up to a week old, so I'm sure that doesn't help. I actually hadn't run my incubator since last August but I put the eggs in, plugged it in and it's been keeping perfect temperature for the past week. I was happy not to have to make any adjustments! I have a homemade incubator that I love! I can't afford to spend that much money so this was my less expensive option. It helps that my fiancé is an electrician. He made it for me last summer. I have to admit, I've become a lazy hatcher.. I add water about once a week and humidity stays around 35-40%. Instead of turning multiple times a day I've been tilting the entire incubator by putting something under one side of it, then putting it under the other side. I really turn them every night but I don't have the time turn 40 eggs that often.
Anyway, welcome and good luck

30/30!!! That's so awesome! And 48 now? Holy cow! I'm trying to figure out where to put 24 when we expected maybe 12! Lol! It's just one more excuse to get out and play in the chicken yard I guess. I'm going out this week to secure a nice grow out area and I found enough scrap wood lying around to make them a mini coop in it until they are ready to join the big girls. They might be a bit squished at the end of their growing, but its temporary. And it'll make a sweet spot for a broody if we ever get one.
I swear I'm addicted.

 

[chickengirl1193]

All 8 of my eggs look fertile! And now I think one week after setting them that I have a RIR going broody... how can you tell if they are going to stay with the eggs? Shes a hatchery RIR so I wasnt expecting it... but she has a bare tummy and is sitting on 5 fertile eggs since this morning...

 

[5 Acre Rooster]

My last batch of chicks that hatched I cheated and "stirred" the eggs. It worked but I am not promoting it. As long as the center of gravity on the eggs changes the chicks shouldn't stick to shells. I did as an experiment and it was semi successful 25/36 I think. A few complications with chicks that hatched late (Unabsorbed yolk sack etc.) but overall I have a colorful bunch of fluff balls.

 

[Meca]

Is that the air sac at the end you are looking through? If so, (and I'm doing this for my first time too, so....) then I think that's a baby! can you see some veining too?

looking down on the egg with the big end up. There is some veins too! I checked a couple of the other eggs and there was just veins. This one had a spot in it. Since I'm not sure what it was I thought I better ask.

 

[mamaj323]

All 8 of my eggs look fertile! And now I think one week after setting them that I have a RIR going broody... how can you tell if they are going to stay with the eggs? Shes a hatchery RIR so I wasnt expecting it... but she has a bare tummy and is sitting on 5 fertile eggs since this morning...

I've read on here that you should watch them for two days and they stay on the nest even through the night then they are broody for real and not just practicing. I've also read to just give them a few eggs to start just in case she quits? How cool to get a broody! Of course she went after you set eggs! Lol! Murphys Law! Are you going to let her do a different batch or sneak in some of your bator eggs? Can you do that after a week in?

 

[mamaj323]

looking down on the egg with the big end up. There is some veins too! I checked a couple of the other eggs and there was just veins. This one had a spot in it. Since I'm not sure what it was I thought I better ask.

We'll wait for someone with more experience to chime in, but my money is on baby!!!

 

[Mypeeps2013]

Is this a baby chicken??? I checked this morning & this being my first time, I am not exactly sure what I'm looking at.

That us a baby. the very very dark spot on the right is an eye the slightly lighter blob to the left is the body. What day are you? Wait about 6 days and it will be a big baby and it will move around a lot. It is awesome to watch, but don't watch to long or too often.

 

[Meadowchick]

I am amazed at "y'all" getting such a great photo of candling an embryo...what in the world are you using???? My poor flashlight made for candling does fine with white shells, but I wouldn't be able to photograph the innards! With dark brown or green eggs it's almost impossible to see any shape for certain, and surely no action.

Just hatched 30 of a barnyard mix variety show...mostly PBR/Domi crosses and California Whites...I think...or like I almost said... the "M" word...mutts...

)

HATCH- ALONG INFO:
1. June 1 HATCH we are expecting a broody Domi hen to hatch 4 duck eggs that belong to a friend...nice blue ones...she doesn't know what kind so I don't know how long they should take exactly...up to 35 days I have heard. June 1 is 26 days.
2 JUNE 9/10 HATCH...I have 8 green eggs from a white Ameraucana Hen, 12 white Leghorn eggs, and 10 PBR/Dom eggs. The poppa is a kind beauty of the Dominique or California Grey variety...I can't really confirm that as I don't know if the person I bought him from was being straight with me about his Dominique-ness...I am getting yellow with black spots on babies from white hens and this courtly gentleman...Maybe you can tell me!

Looking forward to YELLOW Spotted with black and BLACK with white trim on
babies for JUNE.

 

[Serenity Lane]

My last batch of chicks that hatched I cheated and "stirred" the eggs. It worked but I am not promoting it. As long as the center of gravity on the eggs changes the chicks shouldn't stick to shells. I did as an experiment and it was semi successful 25/36 I think. A few complications with chicks that hatched late (Unabsorbed yolk sack etc.) but overall I have a colorful bunch of fluff balls.

Yea, I wasn't promoting it either (guess I should've said that) but it has worked for me. We'll see how this hatch goes. I pulled 8 eggs that weren't developing. I'm guessing they were a bit older. As I wrote in my original post, I lost ALL my chickens to the fox last week so I put some of their eggs in the incubator, so I can rebuild my flock and have part of the flock I lost.