March 13th 2016 Hatch-A-long

[Faraday40]

There are now 2 pips, and the first one got a little bigger...started chirping a little bit....Maybe we'll get to see some zipping action going on later!!

So how many hours of sleep do you plan to get tonight? LOL (I joke b/c I always this the most exciting part.)

I also believe that the 1st egg to pip may actually take longer. While it's absorbing the last of the yolk & calling out to the others to hatch, the rest get busy & begin their work. Many times my 1st egg to pip may take 10-14 hrs, but the following day several will go from pip to zip to hatch in 4 hrs. or less! They pop like popcorn. Perhaps they don't want to be left out once that 1st chick starts rolling their eggs around and pecking at them. Has anyone else noticed some of this?

It could also be a case of the watched pot takes longer to boil, but my kids usually record such things like pip & hatch times. (Each egg is labeled so we also record our hatch predictions as we candle.)

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Quote: Goodness, yes it never gets old! I am peering in the bator like every half hour once I hear peeping. I agree, once the first chick hatches, the rest go like crazy.

 

[KeyFlock]

It hatched!!!

Looks like a GLW cross with the black around his eyes.
We now have a chick and 2 pips! Can't wait till they start hatching...lol I may not get any sleep tonight!

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

It hatched!!!

Looks like a GLW cross with the black around his eyes.
We now have a chick and 2 pips! Can't wait till they start hatching...lol I may not get any sleep tonight!

Awesome! Keep us posted!

 

[Faraday40]

Candled tonight (day 13)
The good news is that I didn't kill most of the eggs. In fact I'm glad I am doing this test hatch. I discovered that 2 of my lav orps had fertile eggs, but all 4 eggs from Snuggles were clears. (Thinking someone either needs a trim or to allow the boys to catch her.) My black split orp who has a very round shape has 4 out of 4 growing. I also threw in some barred hens' eggs to make sex-links, but all were clear. Not sure what happened.

At most I have 4 out of 6 Bielefelders. I also added 6 more biele eggs last week. Perhaps I'm out of practice but I couldn't see much (day5/6). I'll check again when the others go into lockdown.

I suppose the other good news is that I won't be getting all 3 doz chicks.

Besides trimming, any other suggestions to increase my flock's future egg fertility?

 

[Nin315]

Hi all. Just joined this site recently. Ive got a batch of eggs in new bday present incubator. I have hatched a lot in the past but its been several years ago. QUESTION- this may sound dumb, but I have never used the digital kind b4,, just the big old cabinet kind many yrs ago. So, here I am, close to lockdown and im trying to figure out when to go to lockdown mode. I set the eggs on feb 18th. The digital thing counts down from 21, obviously, but it now says 6 days left,, if I look at calendar, it says 4 days left...,,21 days is spozed to b simple math but I looked and I wrote 21 on the first day in calandar,, so im guessing I should have started counting on 2nd day,,24 hrs after starting them,, I know I sound like a complete dumbbell here but...does lockdown startwhen digital thing says 3 days left? That would b when my calendar says day 20,, so even if I acct for wrong starting point on it,, they still wont match up..grrrr

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Candled tonight (day 13)
The good news is that I didn't kill most of the eggs. In fact I'm glad I am doing this test hatch. I discovered that 2 of my lav orps had fertile eggs, but all 4 eggs from Snuggles were clears. (Thinking someone either needs a trim or to allow the boys to catch her.) My black split orp who has a very round shape has 4 out of 4 growing. I also threw in some barred hens' eggs to make sex-links, but all were clear. Not sure what happened.

At most I have 4 out of 6 Bielefelders. I also added 6 more biele eggs last week. Perhaps I'm out of practice but I couldn't see much (day5/6). I'll check again when the others go into lockdown.

I suppose the other good news is that I won't be getting all 3 doz chicks.

Besides trimming, any other suggestions to increase my flock's future egg fertility?

Just make sure protein is good on the feed, oyster shell or egg shells for calcium. As long as everyone's trimmed, rooster too, I can't think of anything else.

Hi all. Just joined this site recently. Ive got a batch of eggs in new bday present incubator. I have hatched a lot in the past but its been several years ago. QUESTION- this may sound dumb, but I have never used the digital kind b4,, just the big old cabinet kind many yrs ago. So, here I am, close to lockdown and im trying to figure out when to go to lockdown mode. I set the eggs on feb 18th. The digital thing counts down from 21, obviously, but it now says 6 days left,, if I look at calendar, it says 4 days left...,,21 days is spozed to b simple math but I looked and I wrote 21 on the first day in calandar,, so im guessing I should have started counting on 2nd day,,24 hrs after starting them,, I know I sound like a complete dumbbell here but...does lockdown startwhen digital thing says 3 days left? That would b when my calendar says day 20,, so even if I acct for wrong starting point on it,, they still wont match up..grrrr

thursday the 10th is your likely hatch date, the 11th if you count the next day as day one. I would lock down the 7th to be safe.

 

[Nin315]

Ok thanks. I go to 70 percent then and remove turning trays,, right? My dad and I hatched when I was a teen. Dad died 3 yrs ago..he knew so much! So im trying to find info on the net now,, its SO conflicting..one site said 60 on humidity was perfect and 100 deg...another said 45 to 50,, let alone the different opinions on lockdown numbers, lol

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

Ok thanks. I go to 70 percent then and remove turning trays,, right? My dad and I hatched when I was a teen. Dad died 3 yrs ago..he knew so much! So im trying to find info on the net now,, its SO conflicting..one site said 60 on humidity was perfect and 100 deg...another said 45 to 50,, let alone the different opinions on lockdown numbers, lol

It is pretty confusing. I try to get around 70% humidity at lockdown. And welcome to BYC!

 

[BuffsAndReds]

Hi Everyone,
Can I join?

I just set 35 eggs. 10 Lavander Orpingtons, 12 Easter eggers, 13 back yard mixed. I can't wait to see what I get.