May Hatch-a-Long!

[Math]

So do I. The MIL is like a kid at Christmas waiting for these duckies to hatch

Yeah, it's a long wait. What is MIL?

 

[hollyannlamb]

I hope you don't mind a few questions. I'm new to the incubator hatching. I see you all talking about lock down -- what is that? Is it the few days before hatch date when you take the "rocker" out of the incubator?
Also, how often and when do you candle? It won't hurt for the egg to be out of the incubator for the time that takes?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Just had a little Australorp hatch out...three days after the others, even though I started them all at exact same time.
No deformities or anything, and is very active and vocal. Just a late bloomer, I guess.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Yeah, it's a long wait. What is MIL?

Mother-in-law

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

I hope you don't mind a few questions. I'm new to the incubator hatching. I see you all talking about lock down -- what is that? Is it the few days before hatch date when you take the "rocker" out of the incubator?
Also, how often and when do you candle? It won't hurt for the egg to be out of the incubator for the time that takes?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Welcome to the madness!

Lock down begins the final three days before the eggs are due to hatch (usually Day 18 for chickens). You up the humidity, lower the temp just a wee bit, and then pretend the incubator is locked down so that you can't get into it. In other words, you don't open it until after the eggs have hatched. If you are using a separate brooder to hatch the eggs out, then you move them to the brooder on Day 18. Again, once the eggs are in there with the raised humidity, you don't open it until the eggs hatch. Because every time you open it, you let the humidity drop and you run the risk of shrink wrapping the membrane around the chicks inside their eggs, and they won't be able to hatch and so will die fully formed inside their shells.

You can safely candle the eggs daily up until lock down. It doesn't hurt the egg to be out of the incubator for that little bit. Even setting hens usually get up once each day or so in order to void, grab a drink, and a quick bite to eat. And by candling them daily, you quickly learn how developing chicks should look by each incubation day. However there are occasionally some late bloomers, like the one I just had hatch tonight. After the others had all hatched, I candled the unhatched egg and could still see the chick moving around inside, but also noticed that it hadn't made its internal pip yet so I just let it remain in the incubator until it was ready.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Here's the late bloomer, not quite dry yet (picture taken just a few minutes ago).

 

[Cynthia12]

Here's the late bloomer, not quite dry yet (picture taken just a few minutes ago).

 

[Cynthia12]

I have 16 Cream Legbar eggs which go in lockdown on the 28th Fingers crossed!! I just put 9 Penedensecna eggs and 2 green eggers in yesterday. I have very mixed feelings about their chances as 3 of the Pene eggs were broken upon arrival so I expect the box was used as a football.

Have to share this with you. Don't lose hope. I washed off six of them that were not broken, then had them start, then had 3 quit, but..I got three babies! This box had to have been shaken. No way it was done by usual handling. There was not one dent in the box. She wrapped really really well..box within a box, bubble wrap..the works. No, someone, or someones. .. got bored I think..during the night shift maybe?

Opened the box..everything looked great.


Yay, another box inside! This is the best way to ship.


Then I opened it, saw this! All of this yellow stuff! My DH came when I said out loud..
oh nooo!


It was like scrambled eggs in there. I really didn't think I would find any whole! But I
did, washed them gently, wiped them dry gently.

Got 3 babies to hatch.

Can you see three? Two are pretty much the same color, and one is a SG! I was
excited.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

That's AMAZING that you got any of the surviving eggs to even start, much less get two to actually hatch out...you have the magic touch, my friend!

 

[Cynthia12]

That's AMAZING that you got any of the surviving eggs to even start, much less get two to actually hatch out...you have the magic touch, my friend!

I was wrong...changed it, I got 3! They must have been strong little ones in there!