LOCKDOWN! Let the hatching begin

[Beckey2054]

To date this will be the largest hatch we have had. We have tried multiple times to have a large hatch, but due to circumstances beyond our control (mostly USPS) we have never had more than 50 eggs in the incubator at one time. This time, we had a total of 250 eggs shipped. Of those 78 were damaged (ok, destroyed is the better description..darn USPS).
Then due to the nature of eggs, we have gradually eliminated the "duds" or quitters so we now have 133 eggs in the incubator that are now in lockdown. Keeping my fingers crossed for a really good hatch!
here are some photos of my Hubbies great homemade incubator, and all the eggs ready to go (do not pay attention to temps or humidity, I took photo right after taking everyone out of the turner and placing them on the bottom).. Cannot wait to see eggs wiggling and babies pipping / hatching.. think this is the worst part of incubating eggs.. I end up checking on them every 5 minutes I swear!! Kids are super excited too.. especially as this is the last hatch before school starts (and maybe the last hatch of the year.. not sure about that one just yet though)

View from right up close looking through the window. Love that my hubby put in a nice large window so we can see so well!

View from above (right as I am getting ready to close it up for the next few days)

Incubator my hubby built... Its a nice LARGE incubator.

 

[speedy2020]

I hope the hatch going well. My will be lock down on the next week. All the eggs from my stock and they are 13-17 grams each. I am still working on to get 13oz and larger bird.

 

[chefchick]

Good Luck! I am locking down what's left of my 60 shipped quail eggs tomorrow. Some were broke, a few dud's and lots I couldn't see through. I hope I get at least some...or I am swearing off shipped eggs for good.

 

[Beckey2054]

Good Luck! I am locking down what's left of my 60 shipped quail eggs tomorrow. Some were broke, a few dud's and lots I couldn't see through. I hope I get at least some...or I am swearing off shipped eggs for good.

Good Luck with your hatch as well... If you do think you would like more eggs, let me know. The last lady I ordered from did the BEST job on packing and shipping!! And I also have a great place to get Bob White eggs with excellent shipping/packing. Both were from Ebay, but I kept their info and now contact them via email for ordering. My last batch probably would not have had so many damaged, but I think they literally THREW the package forcing some of them out of the great packing. But still very good packaging, as otherwise we would have lost all eggs.. And don't you just hate it when you cannot see anything when candling on some of the eggs... I can see at least the "air bubble" at the top most of the time, but I have at least 20 I couldn't see anything.. they are the back ones, just in case they are not going to hatch I don't have to search for them.. ;-)

 

[chefchick]

I am starting out with Coturnix for now, but some bobwhites would be cool too Maybe in the spring though. thanks!

 

[Beckey2054]

Hatching has commenced!!! We have 6 babies out now, with #7 & 8 working on it.. Looks like we got our very first A&M! My husband will be so excited when he gets home (he has wanted one from day 1, and none of the eggs ever hatched) Come on babies.. hatch, hatch, hatch.. 8 babies out, 125 to go ;-)
Here are 4 of the babies.. the other two that were out of their eggs are over in a corner snuggling.. (can anyone tell from this photo what the one in the center back is? Not a brown, not a&m, and not a tibetan.. its another coloring we have not seen yet..Ill get a better photo in a little while when she starts moving around)

 

[Beckey2054]

Up to 11 babies hatched now!!! and several pipped.. We have 3 of these ones that I could only describe as blonde .. they are not the yellow not the brown but a mix.. Need help if anyone can tell me what they are or what they will look like once their true color comes in??
The one that is closest to front, back is to us, yellow with brown mixed in... Have not had one with this coloring yet wondering what she might be..

here she is again with the all yellow one..

 

[Peacerose]

The chicks with mostly yellow and a little black are Italians.

 

[chefchick]

OMG! They are so CUTE! Fingers crossed that I get some. hatch day is tomorrow. I have no idea which ones are good and which ones are duds now. I could see through a few of them in the beginning and saw some veins, but most of them were so hard to see through at all except for the air cells. So I kept them all. when I put them in lockdown, some of them felt very light for some reason... almost like they were empty dried out shells. I guess i will wait and see. I keep checking for wiggling eggs...nothing yet. Can you hear them peep in their shells like you can chicks?

 

[Peacerose]

It's very hard to wait for the hatching. Don't panic if they don't hatch "on time". And get your brooder ready! They might come early. They might come late. Just be patient.