Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[Candy442]

Our 15 chicken eggs are officially in lock down as of last night. We have 7 Iowa Blues, 3 RSL cross, 3 Delaware cross, and 2 Easter Eggers in that all look good for the hatch day

. I am starting to get nervous now, but have the brooder all ready to go. After this first time incubation effort, hope I will not go though the nerves again... keeping good records, humidity was dry during development and now 65-70 percent.

sigh...now the waiting begins I sure hope something hatches!

 

[aart]

Good Luck Candy!

 

[gladahmae]

WOOO HOOOO! hatch little chicks! hatch!

 

[jorey]

Yea!!!

 

[Candy442]

... So what will be will be with these last four eggs, I am happy with what I got as I collected when we had single degree days and minus nights and this run was really to see if I could incubate with any success at all. Who knows, maybe I'll be surprised!

How is it going with the last four Jackie?

 

[jorey]

@aart what happened with the leg issue chick? Mines still doing good but I did cull 2 others. Had not grown at all, peeping non-stop, and just very weak.

 

[JackieandChicks]

How is it going with the last four Jackie?

Nothing so far. They are cooking one way or the other

. I think I might let them go to 30 days - they are on 24 right now and I did have some slight temp variations at one point.

 

[Candy442]

Nothing so far. They are cooking one way or the other

. I think I might let them go to 30 days - they are on 24 right now and I did have some slight temp variations at one point.

I hope something does, I can't imagine how to make those types of choices at your stage of the hatch. Heck, we removed two of the 17 left that were "iffy" last night (day 18) and that was difficult to do. We are newbs....! But these two were only 1/3 dark in the middle and you could see through 2/3 the rest of the egg. The 15 others were totally dark except the air sac. Still, I was reluctant to take them out anyway...

Keeping fingers and toes crossed for you and those four left!

 

[Candy442]

@aart what happened with the leg issue chick? Mines still doing good but I did cull 2 others. Had not grown at all, peeping non-stop, and just very weak.

another difficult thing I hope we don't have to face, but I am sure that will happen eventually..culling. I found through internet research what seems to be a nice way to "put them to sleep" in a container with a separate container in it with baking soda and vinegar poured over it to make a mini gas chamber....sigh.

My DH said some just twist the neck...I would not be able to do that!!!

 

[jorey]

Its very hard to decide to continue incubating eggs past hatch day or deciding to cull. When we chose to put that bator plug in the wall we decided we would make those choices. Not fun being a grown up sometimes. In my case I need hardy chickens. I was afraid if I did to muxh they would be sickly adults if they made it that far.