May Hatch-a-Long!

[BohoKnitterChic]

I'll join too!

After my successful first ever hatch that produced 25 beautiful quail, I am going to try to hatch some of my chicken eggs. I want the hatch to coincide with the receipt of my order in the week of May 22 from Meyer, so that I can combine hatchlings with the Meyer chicks. So I am planning to set about 12 chicken eggs on May 1. They'll be barnyard mixes, i have a pure bred Ameraucana rooster and Marans, Ancona and Welsumer hens. The Marans and Welsumer offspring should get me olive eggers, I'm not quite sure what to expect from the Ancona/Ameraucana mix but I think they should be producing blue eggs (since the blue egg gene is dominant and the Anconas lay white eggs with no pigment, it should express itself, I think. Interesting experiment either way.

Meanwhile I have two broodies sitting jointly on 5 eggs (same crosses) but since they are first time mothers (they're 9 months old), I'm not sure this hatch will be successful. They already broke 3 of the 8 eggs I gave them. However, I did see a chick in one of the Ancona eggs that remained. We'll see! These eggs should hatch in about 1.5 to 2 weeks (I didn't write down the date I put them under them).

Hey! Fancy meeting you over here!

 

[COsteveo]

First-timer here with a homemade mini coolerbator. After a day to settle, I set 27 shipped quail eggs this morning fat-side-up. Two were cracked and I sealed them with candle wax. The thermometer was consistently reading 99-100 before adding the eggs so I'm hesitant to adjust the temperature, but I would have expected it to be back there after 12 hours. I don't like having the carton in there but these are shipped eggs so I don't have a better idea yet.



You can see the thermostat probe in the empty spot in the top carton. Would the tilting the incubator trick work for turning these guys? Turning 27 of these little things by hand means keeping the lid off longer than I'm really comfortable with.

 

[ks3030]

I have a handful that will be hatching the 12th

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

My eggs came early! Yay! But one was broken. Boo!

The broken egg spilled yolk onto other eggs. Do you think I should clean them? I'm thinking yes, because the traces of egg might grow bacteria in the warm moist incubator and put all the eggs at risk....versus cleaning 3 or 4 eggs, and hoping those eggs survive without their bloom. What do you guys think?

 

[Kelsykin]

Tossed 4 tonight for being clears. DH and I had marked them and there was no growth. When compared to the other eggs these 4 had not changed at all since the first candling when I put them in. The Questionable duck egg DH and I are giving a few more days. We did mark a few other eggs to recheck come Monday. Monday will be Day 17. I am trying to remember when we should see movement in the egg. These are duck and turkey eggs, so not the same info as for chickens.

 

[Welshchick]

Day 13. Candled my 40 eggs last night and have tossed 10 clears/early quitters. The duck eggs seem to be doing very well with only 1 clear out of 12. Lots of movement and good growth in about 26 of the 30 remaining eggs with 4 i'm uncertain about. Of the 6 blue brahma I am only sure of 1 growing properly which is dissapointing. About 75% of the white orps and lemon pyle brahma are good.

 

[justoldbobo2]

I will probably join in the fun tomorrow. I have 50+ eggs. Most all will be barnyard mix this go around. Few of my own. And some from two friends. In my homemade cooler bator

 

[TnT Poultry]

Five Muscovy eggs went into lockdown today!

What kind of Muscovies? I have black and white pied. I LOVE them. They are the coolest. I have 7 in the bator now, day 6, looks like 5 are fertile.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Lol, just realized I forgot to check when these little buggers are supposed to hatch! The 13th if I counted right. So I am on day 4 today.

If my bator didn't break, I should be on day 6. Least the eggs survived a few days batorless.

 

[foxygoober]

Mine are set to hatch the 13, 17 silkie eggs and 1 other. Hope to see some development this weekend! I am only turning 2xs a day. I've realized I can't use the auto turner because all it does is carry the eggs (if that makes sense)....don't think it was meant for such lightweight eggs.
Days I can, I am turning 3xs, but time isn't on my side!