May Hatch Thread--Fill up those bators n' broodies!

[Friar_Tuck]

WOW! It's official, I am sticking with local eggs, or at least ones I can drive to pick up. I had forgotten how nice it was to have the vast majority of the eggs in the incubator do well. The first two hatches this year were dismal at best. Both times the eggs were very well packed, but both times the air cells looked like heck. First batch had a 12.5% hatch rate. Second had an 18.75% hatch rate. Both of these two batches had a lot of early quitters, with a few that never even started. Now I bought a batch of unknown barnyard mix at an auction sale, no idea what they are, other than there a a dozen blue eggs, and no idea how old they were. only paid $7.50 for the whole batch so I figured it would be like my own private surprise hatch. It is now day 13, and my 42 egg incubator still has 39 eggs, with good active life in every one. Unless they all decide to die in the last week, I am in for a great hatch. May 5th, hurry up and get here!
Jim

 

[melina90]

WOW! It's official, I am sticking with local eggs, or at least ones I can drive to pick up. I had forgotten how nice it was to have the vast majority of the eggs in the incubator do well. The first two hatches this year were dismal at best. Both times the eggs were very well packed, but both times the air cells looked like heck. First batch had a 12.5% hatch rate. Second had an 18.75% hatch rate. Both of these two batches had a lot of early quitters, with a few that never even started. Now I bought a batch of unknown barnyard mix at an auction sale, no idea what they are, other than there a a dozen blue eggs, and no idea how old they were. only paid $7.50 for the whole batch so I figured it would be like my own private surprise hatch. It is now day 13, and my 42 egg incubator still has 39 eggs, with good active life in every one. Unless they all decide to die in the last week, I am in for a great hatch. May 5th, hurry up and get here!
Jim

That's awesome! Sorry to hear about your bad hatches on the shipped eggs. Definitely easier to be sure when you've handled them yourself without leaving it to the mail! Sounds like you're going to have a great hatch this time

I've only been hatching eggs from my own flock, but recieving my first batch of shipped eggs next week. I really hope they make it

 

[crazyhen]

Yes, shipped eggs are a crap shoot. I once got some from Calif. I live in NC. Three hatched of 12. That, I thought was actually good considering all they went through. This Spring I got some from 400 miles away and they had frozen, go figure. It was not even freezing there. You never know with shipped eggs. The eggs I have now from Hinkjc look good and they were shipped. I have not gotten rid of but three of the 16, I received from her and today is lockdown. They are all developing. Yeh! Lav. and white orps. I love their little fuzzy butts. Orps are the sweetest ladies. I got some from Bargain and they all hatched good too. That was last yr. It is according to how the po. feels that day and who they are handled by on the way. If they decide to shake and be mean to them they will not hatch. Believe me some people will do just that. There's one in every crowd. I love it when I can go pick up the eggs myself. Then i know how they are handled. Even then you do not know how the Roo was performing.

Yep had some bombs there too. Its a rainy Sun. here. Thats' better than drought though. Have a great Sunday everyone.

 

[Valley Girl]

Well here it is out of 55 eggs I tossed 27 last night after a thorough candling,alot of quitters and the rest were clear.Down to 28 that look pretty good though,just a barnyard mix and 4 buff orpingtons.The bad eggs are still sitting on the table,I can't believe so many were lost. All 14 from off the farm were no good

Oh well that's the way it goes some times.Lock down in 4 days for the remaining eggs

I can't believe how quick the time went. As for the staring at the incubator,I do it all the time,my hubby asks what are you looking at

My very first hatch I was the worst,I would disappear and he knew where to find me,sitting in front of the incubator staring.I love it!!

 

[melina90]

Well here it is out of 55 eggs I tossed 27 last night after a thorough candling,alot of quitters and the rest were clear.Down to 28 that look pretty good though,just a barnyard mix and 4 buff orpingtons.The bad eggs are still sitting on the table,I can't believe so many were lost. All 14 from off the farm were no good

Oh well that's the way it goes some times.Lock down in 4 days for the remaining eggs

I can't believe how quick the time went. As for the staring at the incubator,I do it all the time,my hubby asks what are you looking at

My very first hatch I was the worst,I would disappear and he knew where to find me,sitting in front of the incubator staring.I love it!!

Hahahaha! So relieved that there are more of us that find looking at the still-sitting eggs entertaining. My mom said when I get tired of this show, there's one going on outside alled "grass growing" supposed to be just as entertaining.

As for the eggs you candled and found were not alive: unless there was a bloodring or absolutely clear, mark them and put them back in the incubator. They might suprise you

 

[Bush Chickens]

Ooh, on the norwegian national day! What a great day to have their birthday

I did not know that was a day...

 

[jnjmanning]

How are you all "handeling" shipped eggs? Of course I let mine rest at room temp for 24 hrs. Then when I place in the incubator, I don't turn for 3 days. Is this how you all do it?

 

[hokankai]

I don't turn for the first 3-7 days depending on how the aircells look when I candle. If they are stable I will start turning them. I try not to candle them too often

 

[jnjmanning]

I don't turn for the first 3-7 days depending on how the aircells look when I candle. If they are stable I will start turning them. I try not to candle them too often

Stable, meaning they dont move? Can you define stable?
Mine on my frizzle eggs are weird shaped. But the chick is developing great! My Tolbunts I checked the first time last night, 48 hrs after placing in incubator. Aircells were odd shaped, just like the frizzles were. But I dont roll or move them much.

 

[PoultryGirly]

I candled my broody duck's eggs and only 2 seem to be developing, but I guess that's better than none, right? I also have 16 eggs in the incubator that are a few days ahead of my broody that maybe I could sneak under her once they hatch!