Michigan Hatchers! What'cha got cookin?

[Peep-Chicken]

My little 9.5 mo old blue silkie pullet stayed broody for over two weeks, so I gave her 3 BBS Marans eggs. I didn't realize until I counted on the calendar that, if they hatch, it will be Easter Day on day 21.

My cochin stayed broody the [whole summer. Even after she hatched a chick. Good luck with yours.

 

[yoopergirl]

I'm pretty new to all things chicken. We got a mixed backyard flock last summer. Last week we put 7 of their eggs in our almost new brinsea mini

. Fingers crossed!

 

[LisaLouHoo]

I'm pretty new to all things chicken. We got a mixed backyard flock last summer. Last week we put 7 of their eggs in our almost new brinsea mini

. Fingers crossed!

3 weeks ago I hatched out 7 olive egger chicks in my new Brinsea Mini Advanced. Yes, ALL 7 hatched. That little incubator worked great!! I didn't add ANY water until right before lockdown when they'd lost the proper amt. of weight and then added just a little and then filled up both reservoirs with water at lockdown. Because it worked so well, I'm going to pick up 7 expensive CCL eggs and set them on March 25. Hoping for the same luck.

I followed these guidelinea I found on BYC to successfully hatch:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/577310/a-guide-to-humidity-weighing-and-lockdown

Good luck!!

 

[yoopergirl]

Thanks for the info

. I have been candling every other day just to figure out what it's supposed to look like! I know I don't need to candle that often but I figure it's the best way to learn, and this is my learning hatch. Good luck on your next hatch!

 

[WalnutHill]

On March 9, I set 47 eggs for my homemade cabinet incubator's first run. Fertility was unknown on all the eggs, as 17 came from our production layers (110 2 1/2 year old red sex link hens, 2 yearling EE roos) and 30 from a local educational farm where they had the eggs refrigerated for 9-12 days before I got them (no turning, no humidity control). I got test eggs there last year as they are cheap, but the hatch rates were poor. There aren't many flocks with roosters around here so I took what I could get. They have CCL, Marans, Brahma, and many other varieties, with roosters of all sorts that make some very interesting combinations. My two EE roos and two EE hens came from eggs I hatched last year from their fridge.

Today is day 9 and I couldn't wait until day 10 to candle. The new incubator certainly seems to be doing its job! 21 eggs are progressing nicely, 3 eggs had blood rings, and the rest were clear or are so dark shelled that I can't even watch for movement much less veining (EE over Marans). I'll check them again in a few days. I am using a 230 lumen LED lamp, so those suckers are DARK. I put the clears and "couldn't tell" eggs back in, but in a different tray. I want to handle the growing ones as little as possible. Air cells on all are right on target.

All the bantam eggs were clears

. Those little ones are so impractical in a flock of standards and turkeys, but they are oh so cute!

I had the door off for about 10 minutes for candling, and the temp and humidity recovered within 10 minutes. This design is great.

I had forgotten how unpleasant cracking open blood ring eggs can be. It's amazing how quickly they deteriorate compared to the clears.

 

[LisaLouHoo]

On March 9, I set 47 eggs for my homemade cabinet incubator's first run.  Fertility was unknown on all the eggs, as 17 came from our production layers (110 2 1/2 year old red sex link hens, 2 yearling EE roos) and 30 from a local educational farm where they had the eggs refrigerated for 9-12 days before I got them (no turning, no humidity control).  I got test eggs there last year as they are cheap, but the hatch rates were poor.  There aren't many flocks with roosters around here so I took what I could get.  They have CCL, Marans, Brahma, and many other varieties, with roosters of all sorts that make some very interesting combinations.  My two EE roos and two EE hens came from eggs I hatched last year from their fridge.

Today is day 9 and I couldn't wait until day 10 to candle.  The new incubator certainly seems to be doing its job!  21 eggs are progressing nicely, 3 eggs had blood rings, and the rest were clear or are so dark shelled that I can't even watch for movement much less veining (EE over Marans).  I'll check them again in a few days.  I am using a 230 lumen LED lamp, so those suckers are DARK.  I put the clears and "couldn't tell" eggs back in, but in a different tray.  I want to handle the growing ones as little as possible.  Air cells on all are right on target.

All the bantam eggs were clears  .  Those little ones are so impractical in a flock of standards and turkeys, but they are oh so cute!

I had the door off for about 10 minutes for candling, and the temp and humidity recovered within 10 minutes.  This design is great.

I had forgotten how unpleasant cracking open blood ring eggs can be.  It's amazing how quickly they deteriorate compared to the clears.

Sounds like you'll be having fun looking at all kinds of unique chicks on hatch day. Good luck. Next time you crack open a suspect egg, put it in a baggie first. You can still see everything, but don't have to smell it. I know what you mean about the dark eggs. I hatched OE eggs a few weeks ago and could barely see much, but could see some veining and I kept track of the air cells and weighed them each candling and all 7 hatched. Post pics when you get your chickies.

 

[WalnutHill]

I crack them right in the toilet for eggtopsy, or bury them in the garden if clears then smush them with a shovel underground. It's not that they smelled TOO bad...but the slimy consistency was unpleasant.

 

[naglady]

what day did you all set your eggs for the easter hatch.. i set some last sunday in my new bator. i will be adding more in a couple more days.i got a new bator and going to use that for incubating only, and use my old bator for hatching only.. that way i can keep hatching in intervals. i have 7 chicks so far, i was unable to candle the eggs at lockdown my hubby left the good flashlight at work.. so the rest of the eggs that are not doing anything could be duds.. especially i collected them in freezing temps. so between possibly froze prior or infertile. but on a good note, i got a new roo and glad to see he is doing his job.. expecting much better hatch this time around due to warm temps and roo has been here longer.


WalnutHill - thats a good idea to composting necropsy eggs.. i would just put in a bag and toss.. i will bury the ones that dont hatch after i check them..

 

[Peep-Chicken]

I have 3 EE bantams, 2 EE, 5 other pure bantams.

 

[naglady]

here is the chicks that hatched, 6 on st patricks day and 1 yesturday.. 7 in all..