March 2023 hatch-a-long

[abpatchy]

The first one hatched. He/she was in a hurry

 

[Dinoroar]

Day 2 the green eggs from grocery store, but from a local farm. I had good luck in the past.

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I candled, maybe just a couple with out a love dot...so far.
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My health food store eggs from another local farm were not fertile. I had good luck with them in the past, when they had 3 roosters. I think they don't have roosters any longer. I was sad about it because the eggs were pretty. What I am glad about is since I am hand turning 12 is a better number-get in get out.

That is a bummer, those really were beautiful eggs.

 

[abpatchy]

How come they are under the hardware cloth?

This is a special hatching tray. I can devide the tray and keep track what chick goes where. I can trace the parentage. The hardware cloth is to help keep them in place.

 

[Dinoroar]

The first one hatched. He/she was in a hurry

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Yay! Congrats. Hope you get a great hatch! It sounds like there doing really well for shipped eggs!

I’m curious about your incubator. Have you posted about it before? I don’t think I’ve seen one like that in the states.

 

[abpatchy]

Yay! Congrats. Hope you get a great hatch! It sounds like there doing really well for shipped eggs!

I’m curious about your incubator. Have you posted about it before? I don’t think I’ve seen one like that in the states.

Actually this is my first March hatch... those are my own eggs. The next hatch in about 2 weeks will have the shipped eggs. This year my chickens have an issue with fertility. Not very happy at all. But the shipped eggs are doing great!
This is a Heka incubator. It is made here in Germany. They work like a charm. Beautiful to look at too. https://www.heka-brutgeraete.de/en/home/

 

[Dinoroar]

Actually this is my first March hatch... those are my own eggs. The next hatch in about 2 weeks will have the shipped eggs. This year my chickens have an issue with fertility. Not very happy at all. But the shipped eggs are doing great!
This is a Heka incubator. It is made here in Germany. They work like a charm. Beautiful to look at too. https://www.heka-brutgeraete.de/en/home/

Actually this is my first March hatch... those are my own eggs. The next hatch in about 2 weeks will have the shipped eggs. This year my chickens have an issue with fertility. Not very happy at all. But the shipped eggs are doing great!
This is a Heka incubator. It is made here in Germany. They work like a charm. Beautiful to look at too. https://www.heka-brutgeraete.de/en/home/

Ooh. Thank you for the link, those look very nice. My incubator gets the job done but no one would call it pretty .

Sorry you’ve had fertility issues. That sounds frustrating.

 

[abpatchy]

Ooh. Thank you for the link, those look very nice. My incubator gets the job done but no one would call it pretty .

Sorry you’ve had fertility issues. That sounds frustrating.

It is.... it's very frustrating. Next year will be better.

 

[Iluveggers]

I’m excited to do my first candling tonight! (Day 4). I can’t wait to see how they’re doing (and I’m also nervous as I don’t expect high fertility).

Any advice for a first timer? The last time I candled it was only 6 eggs under a broody, and we only checked for development. This go-round I have 26 eggs and am planning to also weigh them and mark air sacks. I’m going to do it in the bathroom with the baseboard heater on and steam. I’m open to any advice (unless you’re going to tell me to wait longer to candle- I’ve already pushed it back a day from my original plan of Day 3. That was all the patience I could muster, lol!)

Also, last time we used a flashlight and that worked well. (We did drop an egg but caught it- no issues). This time we’re going to try the candling light on the NR360, but keep the flashlights for backup. I’m contemplating sitting on the floor on a towel or blanket in case we get butterfingers.

My candler has a cord, so I find a dark spot, put all eggs in the incubator in a clean carton lined with new paper towels (to keep them sterile), and carry the carton to my candling area. I keep a blanket under me in case I drop one. I set up my notebook and pencil beforehand, and candle/draw/record as quickly as possible. I can do 30 eggs in less than 5 minutes. Then I immediately return them all to the incubator.

A hen leaves the nest and the eggs coop for longer than that, so to me it’s a similar time away from the incubator

 

[SA Farm]

Should be about done now. Total of 18/28 hatched, 4 with help and still a few pips, but my guess is they got shrink wrapped too. Humidity was where it was supposed to be, but still…not the best. Not the worst either for bought eggs, though, so I’m happy enough all-in-all.
1/4 Silkie and 17/24 Sebright.


The Silkie is the pure black one that looks a little shiny still. Bottom left in last pic.

I’ll give the stragglers another day, then clean up the incubator for the next batch. Though, is it really a batch when there’s only one egg?

 

[3KillerBs]

The first one hatched. He/she was in a hurry

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You can name him/her "Early Bird".