May 2020 Hatch-A-Long

[CluckNDoodle]

Question: anyone set pullet sizes eggs from mature hens? Should I skip that one? Also, what’s the max time that you’ll wait to put real eggs under your broody?

I actually just had a great hatch of Ameraucanas last month and there were 3 or 4 tiny pullet sized eggs from a flock of mature hens, they all hatched without issue.

I try not to leave my hens sitting longer than a month but one of my current broodies is on week 6 I think? I'm going to be putting Marans under her when they hatch next week.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I actually just had a great hatch of Ameraucanas last month and there were 3 or 4 tiny pullet sized eggs from a flock of mature hens, they all hatched without issue.

I try not to leave my hens sitting longer than a month but one of my current broodies is on week 6 I think? I'm going to be putting Marans under her when they hatch next week.

Thanks for the help! You have so much broody experience! I’m wondering if other people have trouble hatching marans... Or maybe I’m looking at inbred purebred birds vs crosses with hybrid vigor? Naruto has been broody (staying on the nest) since last Saturday, and I’d like to collect another 4 days of eggs, so we’d be looking at about 1 month of sitting. Sounds ok.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks for the help! You have so much broody experience! I’m wondering if other people have trouble hatching marans... Or maybe I’m looking at inbred purebred birds vs crosses with hybrid vigor? Naruto has been broody (staying on the nest) since last Saturday, and I’d like to collect another 4 days of eggs, so we’d be looking at about 1 month of sitting. Sounds ok.

Glad I could be of assistance!

A couple months ago we were ALL having bad luck hatching Marans but I've also had 100% fertility / 100% hatches from Marans so it's a toss up. The Marans I currently have set are from the same flock that I had 100% from last year but this year 2 of my worst hatches came from them. Low fertility in the first round and on the second round I had a couple terribly deformed chicks. Like nothing I've ever seen before. I've had several Marans quitters in the current batch but if I end up with any more deformed chicks this time I'm going to have to take a break from them unless I try another source.

 

[MINNIEMOUSE21]

Hello all! So day 4 so I candled today to see what was going on . I know its probs a bit early . One seems to have split so that's been taken out .
I have two that look like picture 1 and the rest look like this !
So at least 3 doing really well . Do I give egg 1 a couple more days and check ?
View attachment 2134749View attachment 2134750View attachment 2134752

all of mine looked like at on day 3 and by day 14 were moving around, Infact, I didn't see any veins until the next time I candled at day 8

 

[CindyinSD]

Hello all! So day 4 so I candled today to see what was going on . I know its probs a bit early . One seems to have split so that's been taken out .
I have two that look like picture 1 and the rest look like this !
So at least 3 doing really well . Do I give egg 1 a couple more days and check ?
View attachment 2134749View attachment 2134750View attachment 2134752

Some eggs will "show" much earlier than others. Most will (I think) hold out until day 10 unless they have some compelling reason not to. It doesn't hurt, after all. Most will show by day 7, but there are many that will not be obvious by day 4.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Some eggs will "show" much earlier than others. Most will (I think) hold out until day 10 unless they have some compelling reason not to. It doesn't hurt, after all. Most will show by day 7, but there are many that will not be obvious by day 4.

I agree, I usually know by day 3 or 4 but I still put question marks on the clears and I don't usually toss them until day 7, even later for Marans.

 

[matlock585]

Well I'm at the end of day 15. I kept 55 eggs after my day 7 candling. Over this last week I've thinned that down to 48. The ones I have remaining look pretty good.
I'm still incubating dry and the rh has stayed about 40% most of the time. I'm still a little worried though because the air cells look to me to be on the small side. It has been a few years since my last hatch though so I'm probably overthinking some of it.
So who else is due to hatch this week? Sunday is day 21 for me.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Ok lovely people, I have a question. First time hatching shipped eggs. Just did 7 day candling on 16 silkie eggs. One looks to be infertile, 13 look great and have veining and nice aircells. 2 have "funky" aircells, not quite saddle, more "heart" shaped after I outlined them in pencil. The embryos appear to be developing in these eggs as well. Should I do anything different with the 2 "funky" eggs? I have read different threads here, as well as the articles, but I am not sure what to do with these two now 7 days in. I am hatching in a Brinsea Max II with auto turner.
Thanks so much for any advise you wise owls may have!

 

[Knighstar679]

All but one of my Welsh eggs has pipped. I have one that pipped backwards and that one I assisted just waiting for it to decide to finish escaping. The others are poking and working on bashing their way out.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Ok lovely people, I have a question. First time hatching shipped eggs. Just did 7 day candling on 16 silkie eggs. One looks to be infertile, 13 look great and have veining and nice aircells. 2 have "funky" aircells, not quite saddle, more "heart" shaped after I outlined them in pencil. The embryos appear to be developing in these eggs as well. Should I do anything different with the 2 "funky" eggs? I have read different threads here, as well as the articles, but I am not sure what to do with these two now 7 days in. I am hatching in a Brinsea Max II with auto turner.
Thanks so much for any advise you wise owls may have!

I don't usually do anything differently for my wonky air cells. I just keep an eye on them, especially during hatch to make sure that it does't hinder their ability to hatch. Most of them hatch without assistance in my experience.