Mid-May Hatch-A-Long 2018

[Cerise1924]

Ah, Silkies! Such sweet birds. @Julie SC - thanks for joining our little group! I would LOVE to see pics of your 9 Silkies-and-More chicks that just hatched.

-Cerise

 

[RowanTheRed]

@RowanTheRed Welcome to the hatchalong! It's very exciting to follow along with your first time incubating, especially with such a lovely variety of eggs. That does sound tricking having eggs that might hatch early, as it complicates the timing of lockdown, perhaps. I think that 18 out of 22 by Day 14 is a pretty good rate!

Looking forward to your updates.

-Cerise

Thanks. And yes, I think 18 or of 22 is a decent start. 3 of them I knew early on that they probably were duds and they were. The 4th I'm thinking was a casualty from the fan cover that fell off. I didn't see any obvious cracks. However a few days later I noticed 2 tiny spots that looked like something had seeped out. That's why I candle on day 10 just to check. And sure enough, that one was a quitter.

 

[Cerise1924]

Thanks. And yes, I think 18 or of 22 is a decent start. 3 of them I knew early on that they probably were duds and they were. The 4th I'm thinking was a casualty from the fan cover that fell off. I didn't see any obvious cracks. However a few days later I noticed 2 tiny spots that looked like something had seeped out. That's why I candle on day 10 just to check. And sure enough, that one was a quitter.

Good that you checked. My Day 9 candling confirmed a blood ring on one of my Crested Cream Legbars, so out it went. I just put my two healthy Lemon Orp eggs under my broody Sebright. So, I have just a couple of eggs in the incubator now, and I really can't tell what's going on with them. Porous eggs can be hard to candle.

 

[Cerise1924]

Well, the Cream Legbar eggs were no good. I checked the one under the broody, and it looked awful. I'm glad I pulled it before it exploded. The Jubilee Orp egg in the incubator was completely undeveloped at Day 13, so it went out, too. I have an empty incubator, now, and two possibly viable eggs under my broody.

I've had great hatches from shipped eggs. This isn't one of them. Hope yours are going well!

 

[RowanTheRed]

So I was correct about the one egg being garter along. I thought about 4 days, turns out it was 5 days ahead. Tuesday around 8pm it had an internal pip. Then had an external pip around noon yesterday. And I missed the finale but found it completely out of the shell around 9 pm last night.

Here is the sweetest little blue baby ever lol

One down, 17 more to go....

 

[beckycrouch5115]

Hi, friends!

Anyone is welcome to join this little hatch-a-long for chicks due in mid May. I find I can get a bit overwhelmed by the really busy hatch-a-long threads, so this one is bound to be a bit smaller and maybe easier to manage because of the narrower time frame.

Right now, I have just five eggs in the incubator: two Crested Cream Legbars, one Jubilee Orpington, and two Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, all shipped eggs from Papa's Poultry. Anticipated hatch date is May 18. Thankfully, I have the day off work!

I did have six eggs, but I donated one Crested Cream Legbar egg to my little Sebright who has gone broody. Let's see what she can do with it!

What are you hatching? Incubator or broody? New hatcher, or experienced? I'd like to know who else has chicks due the second or third week or May!

I would like to join in!!! I'm hatching 4 eggs under my first broody hen. But I am on day 20 right now. I'm so excited!! This is my first experience hatching!! Good luck on your hatching!!!

 

[RobinWesel]

I would love to join in I have 31 Black Copper Maran eggs in my incubator right now. They are due to hatch May 19th. We are due to be out of town for the weekend so that should be a fun surprise to come home to. I am going to get a neighbor to check on them while I am gone. This will be my third hatch but the first with shipped eggs.

 

[beckycrouch5115]

Woke up this morning to 3 pretty fluffy babies!! I did have one baby that didn't make it. The egg was squashed, I guess momma accidentally stepped on it.

 

[Cerise1924]

So I was correct about the one egg being garter along. I thought about 4 days, turns out it was 5 days ahead. Tuesday around 8pm it had an internal pip. Then had an external pip around noon yesterday. And I missed the finale but found it completely out of the shell around 9 pm last night.

Here is the sweetest little blue baby ever lol
View attachment 1380193

One down, 17 more to go....

Aww, what a cutie! So, you didn't end up having that chick in "lockdown," that is higher humidity? Did you stop turning it? Or did it just hatch without any special conditions?

Looking forward to more chick pics!

-Cerise

 

[Cerise1924]

I would like to join in!!! I'm hatching 4 eggs under my first broody hen. But I am on day 20 right now. I'm so excited!! This is my first experience hatching!! Good luck on your hatching!!!

Welcome!! We are both working with our first broodies, then. Are you peeking under her to see what's going on, or are you waiting? So exciting!

-Cerise