Memorial Day hatch along

[BullChick]

So if I’m candling at 17 days, how can I tell which eggs are still viable? I can’t actually see any movement...

I apologize for not responding sooner. Silence is frustrating.
If you gently tap the eggs, and they don’t explode, assume you’re okay. That sounds like the best option for you right now.
I’ve used sand, but not in the nest box. That sounds interesting only because it is new to me. No, you don’t have to change that. It will work fine.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Ugh, I stopped getting notifications for this thread and fell behind. How are your hatches going?

Mine finished this morning and I just set 10 more eggs under a hen. The hatch was the best I've ever had. I set 28 eggs and 27 hatched. One chick failed to thrive and died within a day. That leaves 26 healthy chicks. I hatched some under hens and some in my incubator, but they're all under hens now. There are two things I did differently with this hatch - I moved my incubator out of the kitchen and into a dark, temperature stable room, and I washed and disinfected the eggs before setting. I'm definitely going to stick with these two changes in the future.

Got chicks?

 

[BullChick]

I have not rechecked the cracked egg since sealing it. As far as I know (I think all eggs were candled now), I only have one clear. I wanted three or four to hatch, and I might get a dozen.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

Wahooooooo! I was cleaning the coop this morning and heard Goldie clucking and moving around, so I peeked in the nest box and found a baby EE x BLRW chick poking her head out! Aaaand, I saw that my light Brahma x BLRW egg is pipping!!

 

[Ms Biddy]

@BullChick that's how it went for me!

@Farmgirl1878

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I’ve seen three babies so far! One is definitely the EE x BLRW, the little black one (the blurry pic) is probably a black Jersey Giant x BLRW, and the third could be anything x BLRW... The EE has already eaten some medicated chick starter and some scrambled egg, the black one has tasted some starter, and the little yellowish-chipmunk hasn’t ventured out yet.

 

[BullChick]

 

[Farmgirl1878]

We are up to five (of seven) hatched! The sixth egg has pipped, the seventh has not yet. Fingers crossed!

Momma has already figured out how to tidbit her babies and is eating like a horse herself. Not sure the babies have figured out the whole drinking thing, but there are some teeny tiny poopies in the sand!

I’ve put up a baby gate in front of the nestbox and taken out the dividers, at least until the last two hatch. Then they will have the run of the coop and run, along with the rest of the flockers. Fingers doubly-crossed that the flockers accept the babies.

 

[Ms Biddy]

This is what I feed my nesting hens and chicks too. The hens look great to the eye, but if I pick them up they feel thin from sitting so long. I scramble eggs in bacon fat with electrolyte/probiotics powder and gamebird starter on top. They looove it.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

This is what I feed my nesting hens and chicks too. The hens look great to the eye, but if I pick them up they feel thin from sitting so long. I scramble eggs in bacon fat with electrolyte/probiotics powder and gamebird starter on top. They looove it. View attachment 1788681

Oooooooooh, bacon fat! Those eggs wouldn’t make it out to the coop! Goldie has been getting a scrambled egg every day or so for the last week mixed with chicken chow. I loved it that she shared her meal with the chicks!