MARCH HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[chickenmeadow]

PandoraTaylor: Yes, please tell us more about the weights! Love your record keeping.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Quote:
Maybe a stupid question but why do you weigh them?

I forget who posted it, but the eggs are supposed to loose 10-14% of their weight (moisture) during incubation. The orginal poster of this used the egg weights to increase or decrease the humidity depending on where the weights were on Candling days. So I thought I would try it out.
Since I candle fairly regularly, it would not be that difficult to use my Digital Kitchen scale to check egg weight as well. I probably won't try adjusting my humidity according to the weights, as I don't have all the information needed to accurately do that.
But I thought I might monitor the weights.

ETA: one more chart to fill out when incubating! like I don't check the incubator often enough already.
I thought it would be interesting to see if this was a workable way to tell what humidity they needed.

I have made candling charts, temp/humidity charts and now an egg weight Chart. lol

Also has anyone else read that the last 3 days of incubation is done at 1 degree lower temperature?
Texas A&M incubating & hatching guide mentions this.....

ETA Link :

http://posc.tamu.edu/library/extpublications/b6092.pdf

https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-DryIncubation.html

 

[chickenmeadow]

PandoraTaylor: You're brilliant! The weights are a great thing to chart. I don't have the post that you are referring to at hand but here's one that rounds the % of weight loss to 13%. If you recall someday the post site on that & on the "Texas A&M incubating & hatching guide ," then please share it with us. I'm very curious about all of this too. Thanks!

 

[arbucklemurphy]

Thank You. We are still new to incubating and my son is really into the "science" part of it. We will try this with the next batch we set. Thanks for the explanation. Also in all of your opinion does it hurt to take them out frequently to candle. I always worry about taking them out so I only candle a couple of times during incubation. I'd love to do it daily but I never was sure.

 

[hcammack]

I have 5 black ameraucana bantams due on thursday and I just set 24 eggs a dozen silver penciled rock bantams and a dozen assorted D'uccles 7 lavenders 3 millie fluers and 2 butterscotch project eggs.

Henry

 

[chickenmeadow]

hcammack: What a nice assortment of breeds you're starting. I really look forward to seeing pics of the many different chicks.

Well, I came home to find 2 chicks that had hatched while I was at work, sorry I missed it but just happy they're out. Also there are 3 pips & 3 more eggs to go. Of course, it's sleeptime for me & I'll just have to look for the surprises in the morning. Happy hatching everyone!

This is the first one to hatch today in bator #1 from Bantam Blue Salmon Faverolles eggs that were shipped to me by hcammack. Thanks Henry!

Here's the next one to hatch today in bator #2 from the same bunch of eggs

 

[Illia]

Adorable chicks everyone! Congrats!

I posted here 21 days ago. . . Put in a load of Wheaten/Blue Wheaten and Black Copper Marans eggs as well as a load of BBS Ameraucana eggs.

WELL it dwindled down to 3 BBS Ameraucana eggs, 6 Wheaties, and still all 11 Black Copper eggs. . .


And I hear PEEPING!!!! And I see movement!!! AAHHH!! I was a part of the February hatch along, and it was my first. . . But I had no chicks come out alive in the end, so this is SO exciting for me!! I'm up late, just wondering if they'll hatch tonight or tomorrow morning or midday or night or. . . . I'm excited.

I will post pics once the pipping, zipping, and hatching happens.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

Congratulations -

awaiting pictures of the new Chicks.

 

[arbucklemurphy]

I can't wait for my chick's to hatch today is day 20 for me and nothing yet. I have dwindled down to 3 that I think are going to hatch but since I'm new to candeling I left the other egg's just in case! It seem's like they wait til you leave or go to sleep to hatch we had a duck hatch about a week ago I watched it all day and all night as soon as I left for just 30 min I came home and it was out of the egg. I hope this time I can watch at least one of them. Congrats to everyone who has already hatched!

 

[chickenmeadow]

Just an update on my hatch that started March 18th. At about 4:30am this morning, we were awakened by "Pinta" (one of our Chihuahuas, pictured earlier in this thread) who was on her self-appointed "chick watch." I got out of bed to see what she was barking about & 2 more chicks had hatched. Haven't opened either of the 2 bators still, so I don't dry out the zippers & pippers. It will probably be around 24 hrs or so from the 1st chick to the last. The brooder is all ready with the red heat lamp, food & water, floor covered in layers of pine wood shavings, paper towel, waffle shelf liner (giving them good traction to avoid spraddle/splayed leg) & ground organic starter crumbles. Oh yeah, & a temp guage for brooder. I'm ready to open bator when all have hatched! I'm ready for a nap I mean, this watching & waiting is hard work!

Report as of 3/19:
Hatch 3/18/10
Bantam Blue Salmon Faverolles
4 hatched
2 zipping
1 pip
1 pending