March 2022 Hatch-A-Long

[kurby22]

Okay, those of you with a lot of hatching experience—when the air sac is running the length of one side of the egg…is that a saddled air sac? If so, how likely will it hatch? And is there anything special I should consider/prepare to do to help it?Because quail eggs are so dark I’ve never really seen examples of saddled air sacs. I’ve read a lot of people put the eggs in egg cartons to keep them more upright during lockdown. Would this help?

 

[Skyle]

Okay, those of you with a lot of hatching experience—when the air sac is running the length of one side of the egg…is that a saddled air sac? If so, how likely will it hatch? And is there anything special I should consider/prepare to do to help it?Because quail eggs are so dark I’ve never really seen examples of saddled air sacs. I’ve read a lot of people put the eggs in egg cartons to keep them more upright during lockdown. Would this help?

I hatched chicken eggs with saddled air cells just fine, without doing anything. But they were not too bad.
Could you provide a photo?
A saddled air cell usually doesn't move (if it does as you rotate the egg it's a detached air cell). These cells are like a normal air cell, but with a "bump" on the side more or less big. It's called saddle air sac because, if you watch the egg from the side, it looks a bit like a saddle on the egg.
I don't think it would hurt trying hatching upright, it's usually done with shipped eggs which sometimes have damaged air cells.

We call the quail hatching popcorn time. When one pops, they all seem to

I only hatched quails two times, but this never happened to me, I wanted really bad watching baby quail popcorn lol. They hatched like chicken chicks, one at the time. Maybe it was because there weren't so many eggs (3 the first time and 10 the second). This year I'd like to hatch two 30 egg batches or one 60 egg batch (my incubators hold 64 eggs each).


Today is lockdown day for my 14 Brahma eggs, I'm too excited. Every time it's like the first one!

 

[wolfwalker]

Well, candled the second batch last night. Of the 12 I put in seven were clear and the other five are iffy. 2 of the new pens are almost done, so I can split the girls up and give them new roo's soon. As soon as this cold snap is over that is.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

0/3 for the silkies

Luckily we have 6/6 BYM that are super active, I’ll definitely wait for local silkies before trying shipped again

Yes, shipped eggs can be heartbreaking.
My cockerel in my avatar was the only 1 that hatched out of nearly 40 from the last time I did shipped eggs. Only way to get certain breeds though.
Edited for clarity

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Okay, those of you with a lot of hatching experience—when the air sac is running the length of one side of the egg…is that a saddled air sac? If so, how likely will it hatch? And is there anything special I should consider/prepare to do to help it?Because quail eggs are so dark I’ve never really seen examples of saddled air sacs. I’ve read a lot of people put the eggs in egg cartons to keep them more upright during lockdown. Would this help?

I usually hatch saddled aircells upright.
Can you post a photo?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Candling Day 10 for the first set of March eggs and looks like I have one early quitter:

All the rest have a great veining and movement.

For my own birds’ eggs this is when I will see early quitters by. Blood rings usually by DAY 7. From now until lockdown they’ll look great and then may lose some after lockdown (DIS).

DAY 4 for the second set of March eggs, to check for development, and all look like this:

I can usually see signs of development already at DAY 2 1/2 but here at DAY 4, it becomes obvious.

 

[Kelsykin]

That’s tragic! I’m sorry. Maybe one of mine will go broody come spring. I can dream lol.

Got to love her determination & focus though even if it could kill her!

It happens a bunch. I have idiots for neighbors. Everybody knows I will deal with their dogs how the law says I can. Most make sure their dogs don't return here

 

[Kelsykin]

I know how that is. After months- years of waiting for a broody, wild (abandoned) dogs came and destroyed almost all my flock. I haven't had a broody since.

These weren't abandoned. The owner was just irresponsible and let them roam all over the place. She locked them up after one of her dogs came home with a bullet in it.
Tried to say it was me. It wasn't me though and I won't ever say who it was.

 

[Kelsykin]

I only hatched quails two times, but this never happened to me, I wanted really bad watching baby quail popcorn lol. They hatched like chicken chicks, one at the time. Maybe it was because there weren't so many eggs (3 the first time and 10 the second). This year I'd like to hatch two 30 egg batches or one 60 egg batch (my incubators hold 64 eggs each).


Today is lockdown day for my 14 Brahma eggs, I'm too excited. Every time it's like the first one!

It tends to be the bigger batches of quail that get the popcorn hatches, I have done as small as 30 and as much as 330. The bigger the batch the more popcorn like the hatching. lol

 

[Kelsykin]

So I put the first round of bantam Cochins, the Brahmas, and the barnyard mixed eggs in lockdown. By my calculations via the spreadsheet lockdown would be Monday, and hatch Thursday, but the Hatch Keeper app says lockdown is today and hatch is due Monday. I think I may have the wrong start date in one or the other.

Candling will happen for those due this week will be on the 6th. I am down to two muscovy eggs. I am hoping the ones I have out in the yard lay well and produce a ton of babies this year.