Mid January Hatch thread....

[lilcritters]

I didn't candle last night so will have to tonight. Will be 7 days. I have a feeling though I won't see anything... I sure hope so! If not I have a dozen ready to go in if these are no good.


April

 

[bigdawg]

i have 12 muscovy eggs do jan 16 all are showing nice veins

 

[Jay262]

Im at day 8 most of mine that i thought were good seemed to be just blood spots no real veining now. 3 look ok one possible blood vein and one looks perfect the other the air sac is kinda wonky. I didnt expect much they got stuck int he mail way to long and some of them were frozen. Still hoping for a male and female fingers crossed you never know.

 

[joneus]

I know I said I wouldnt, but count me in, too! My EE "Matilda" has decided to go broody and very stubbornly refuses to be broken, so I bought her some mixed bantam eggs to appease her (and hopefully get that olive-green-egg-layin', fluffy, black, diva-butt back to work!). They just arrived today, so I think I'll let them settle & put them under her on Saturday night.

I've read of people in much colder climates having successful hatches this time of year, but I'm still worried about the cold. If history is any indication, these eggs will be hatching just in time for the January deep freeze where the temperature hangs out in the -10 range for 10-14 days. I havent quite decided what I'm going to do with her... I _could_ just leave her where she is, which happens to be in a raised nest in front of the egg door, but there will be a draft & a 12" drop for the little ones after they hatch. I could move her to the floor... but I dont have enough room in there to fence off anything to keep the other hens out. I worry that my Boss hen will attack the babies. I could also bring her inside to spend the winter on the enclosed front porch... along with the other 4 chicks that hatched in November- but then I'll have to deal with reintroducing Matilda & her brood to the others in the spring.

Maybe this was a bad idea?

 

[ambrosia]

It will be just fine! If all else fails, bring the babies into the house

 

[silkie4]

One of our silkie hens decided to sit on 1 egg on Dec 19th. Have now moved her into the garage in a dog crate. We candled it the other night and from what I can tell it looks good. She is very protective of the egg. I hope to have 1 little chickie around the 10th or so of January! We weren't planning on hatching any eggs this soon but I guess she knows what she is doing. Wish us luck!

 

[Sphinx]

Woot! Good luck to all the newbies to the thread!

I am planning to keep my chicks indoors for at least two months when/if they hatch.

I candled 3 of mine today, and they have grown so much! They're 12 days along now. They're getting far enough along that I think candling won't be as big of a temptation. I'll probably candle upon lockdown. That way, I'll have an idea of how many will probably hatch.

 

[SChunn]

Candled the cracked egg tonight and she's still going strong. I'm going to need a good name for her if she hatches. Not sure of the breed. It's one of my mystery eggs, but I'm thinking either barred rock or silver laced wyandotte(OH, Please be a Wyandotte pullet!!!!). It may be a good thread to start. LOL. I went ahead and candle the rest. Why not? I already had the window open... I found one blank that I missed on Tuesday, one quitter and one that I think is stuck to the side of the egg with no movement. I'll check it again on Tuesday, my normal candle day, to confirm. That leaves me 12 viable eggs. Not a bad number. Both polish are doing good. Those are the eggs I wanted in the first place. Halfway through incubation of a long in transit clutch, I'm happy. 1 BR 1 SLW 2 Polish 4 RIR and 4 mystery eggs. Hope some of the mystery eggs are either SLW or BR. I can't tell the difference.

 

[Triplell]

I just got a still air incubator for Christmas and wonder how to inc and raise chicks in January in MN winter?

I have been able to keep the heat in the coop above 20 degrees. I also have one broody hen but no rooster. 4 RR,2 BR,2 White Leghorns, 2 NH, 1 light brown leghorn. Looking to get 25 Delawares and roosters any advice? Looking for great layers of large to ex-large eggs and broodyness.

 

[ambrosia]

Quote:
Welcome

I am incubating and I live in Minnesota!! The chicks will just have to live in my house for a few weeks, then move to the wood shop... so hatch along with us