March 2023 hatch-a-long

[notasilkie]

Tomorrow I have to leave around 11am and not home till probably midnight. Ugh. I will be waking up on the early side and will turn them, then right before I leave but then they will go around 13+ hrs maybe till I can turn them again. I hope this doesn't harm them....

I was reading an article here that did say the first 2 days were the most critical, but not by a lot really. Then days 3-7 were second most critical and after that it didn't seem to make much difference. They were talking about turning 24-96 times a day though

I suppose there are sooo many factors going into successful or not - shipped eggs, possible damaged air cells. Is extra rest more beneficial than early turning? I hope so because mine only went into the auto turner yday on day 2 so we are in a similar position!

 

[BobMcDuff]

Did a brief candling this morning (roughly day 6), had 1 clear, all the rest had veins. A couple of the lights color eggs I could even spot the eyeballs. Darker color eggs are much more difficult to see though.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have 31 in the NR360 right now. If you want extras, I would stick with 28 (my original stack plan). In the middle of the two turner rings, there are 6 triangle shapes. I put my 6 smallest eggs in those spaces. They won’t turn correctly (and some underneath them may get stuck too, so I set all eggs to one marked side 3 xs a day, rotating to the other marked side each time. If some eggs get extra turns, great! But this way I know at minimum they are all getting turned 3 times.

This is what I have been doing as well.

I also shuffle the eggs around every other day -- moving the inner ring and stacked eggs to the outer ring where they are more likely to turn and putting the outer eggs in the inner ring and stacked positions.

I will be candling today, day 5, and then again on Tuesday, to pull clears. Except for very obvious clears or blood rings, I never pull eggs unless they fail two candles.

I have several healthy chicks and chickens that had "possible quitter" or "dubious" in the notes on their records at one candling.

 

[CragbornCottage]

yes what others say. the cheapo rubber shelf liner from walmart cut to size works GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Thanks everyone! No walmart in Australia but I'm sure I'll find some elsewhere

 

[CragbornCottage]

Candled this morning for day 17 (guineas) and 14 (chickens). 5/6 guineas looked great - one quitter but I'm pretty happy with that amount. There was movement in all 5 chickens eggs, although one looked significantly behind the rest of them. It was still moving through so I guess I'll keep it in and see what happens. Can't wait for next weekend!

 

[junior67]

This is what I have been doing as well.

I also shuffle the eggs around every other day -- moving the inner ring and stacked eggs to the outer ring where they are more likely to turn and putting the outer eggs in the inner ring and stacked positions.

I will be candling today, day 5, and then again on Tuesday, to pull clears. Except for very obvious clears or blood rings, I never pull eggs unless they fail two candles.

I have several healthy chicks and chickens that had "possible quitter" or "dubious" in the notes on their records at one candling.

Me too on healthy chicks on ? Ones. So I wait till I am 100% sure.

 

[3KillerBs]

Did my first candling at about day 4.5. Thoroughly inconclusive.

7 probable clears, only one of which I can be reasonably certain because it's in a white-shelled egg.

8 with definite veins.

3 olive eggs that are simply too dark to see anything whatsoever even with my Ovascope.

All the rest are questionable -- just not able to see anything clearly enough to say anything meaningful.

I'll candle again on Tuesday.

 

[Fluster Cluck Acres]

I have 31 in the NR360 right now. If you want extras, I would stick with 28 (my original stack plan). In the middle of the two turner rings, there are 6 triangle shapes. I put my 6 smallest eggs in those spaces. They won’t turn correctly (and some underneath them may get stuck too, so I set all eggs to one marked side 3 xs a day, rotating to the other marked side each time. If some eggs get extra turns, great! But this way I know at minimum they are all getting turned 3 times.

I was really excited about the prospect of being able to overfill the incubator, but after thinking about the situation with the turning, I think I should stick to what the incubator can turn for me. My work schedule is not condusive to egg turning, lol.

 

[Iluveggers]

I was really excited about the prospect of being able to overfill the incubator, but after thinking about the situation with the turning, I think I should stick to what the incubator can turn for me. My work schedule is not condusive to egg turning, lol.

I understand! I was off this week, so it was a good time to over fill!

 

[Cochinlover92]

My 13 are on day 14 and all are doing great so far! Very active little guys all practically doing somersaults. 1 more week to go! Woo hoo!!