March 2023 hatch-a-long

[ssferret]

I hatch a few eggs a year from my light brahmas. I'm trying to keep my egg production from going down as I my girls get older. I have been doing it the last couple of years and I'm still just as excited as I was the first time. I don't think I'll ever get tired of it.

 

[abpatchy]

It's not going to be a great hatch. Out of the 54 eggs only 23 are left in the incubator. Two of which are with a big questionmark.
It caused me to exchange a rooster (actually I joined two breeding groups). I know it was cold but I am still watching my roosters fertility closely. Hope they get busy. Usually the old roosters seem to take a little more time to get active... not so with mine. He was doing great! I will keep him for sure for another year.
I am collecting eggs again for March 18th. Hoping for better results.

 

[SA Farm]

Jumping on! Haven’t hatched in a few years, but I’ve dug the incubators out of the closet and started incubating again. I’ll be going until June or so probably (staggered hatches since I have 2 incubators), but might not have the time to keep posting after this hatch. We’ll see how it goes

42 purchased hatching eggs went in last week, all but 7 good so far

3 dozen gold-laced Sebright, 6 Silkie (far right).
5 Sebright and 2 Silkie eggs pulled for infertility or blood rings. One I think is a quitter, but giving it more time. The rest are going strong.
3 days of development:

7 days:

 

[kurby22]

I set some eggs on Friday, due March 3! I wasn't sure I would join, as they are shipped eggs from Ohio and there is only 7 of them...but maybe I will get lucky and one or two will make it. They were an impulse buy on eBay from a lady I got birds from last year. 7 porcelain d'Anvers. I got self-blues last year, but I'm pretty sure the two that hatched came from 14 eggs. Odds were much better! I haven't candled yet to see what is developing, should do tonight. Fingers crossed!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Day 5, and I just candled a few of the 39 eggs I have in two incubators. I couldn't see much yet; enough doubt about a few of them that I just put the lids back them all on and put my light away. I could just *barely* make out embryos and blood veins in some of them, and air cells - when I could find it - were very tiny, about nickel-sized. I'll try again on Day 7.

I'm keeping logs on these eggs - weight, air cell size, and tracking temp and humidity 3-4 times a day. I love the little Kebonnixs incubator - always constant temperature and humidity, and turns the eggs completely over through its rotations. Hands-free except to add water to the external reservoir once every day or so. My IncuView, on the other hand, is a hassle; temperature fluctuates, and I have to watch humidity very closely. Have to take the lid off to add water internally. Also it only turns them about 1/3 right or left, so every night I turn them all over to a different marking I've made on the eggs.

Live and learn. I see another new incubator in my future someday - but now I know exactly what features I'll be looking for.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I put some of my eggs in last night.
3 Ameraucanas
7 Marans
10 Bielefelders
19 Buckeyes

 

[itkn]

I'll join too. I set Icelandic eggs on Tuesday with a hatch date of 3/7. These are from my own hens finally, not shipped eggs, so I'm a bit less stressed.

 

[AUChickenGal]

Just set 22 eggs that should theoretically produce Easter Eggers. My rooster is an Ameraucana/Olive Egger cross, and the hens are a Delaware, a Barred Rock, a Sapphire Gem, and possibly (but I doubt, based on the egg colors/sizes/shapes) a Speckled Sussex. The last group I set from this flock resulted in 6/7 clear and 1/7 early quitter, so…cross ALL your appendages for me, please!

 

[Kwoka]

Well, we lost power here, and all my beautiful shipped eggs probably won’t make it. The incubator has gone down to 25 C… I kinda want to cry

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Well, we lost power here, and all my beautiful shipped eggs probably won’t make it. The incubator has gone down to 25 C… I kinda want to cry

How long has the power been out? Can you wrap the whole incubator in a blanket?