Moon’s first time incubating eggs, and also Hatch-Along!

[MoonMoon]

They are very, very cute chicks! You may want to consider a brooder heat plate as opposed to a heat lamp since you are going to buy something anyway. I have mostly Titan brand but there are many brands and they all work about the same. It mimics the mother hen a bit better than a heat lamp would and tends to be safer.

I have seen on this site that some have made mama heating pads too. If you need something fast and happen to have a heating pad try searching that term here.

I would've bought a brooder plate if it was a little cheaper, but the only option where I checked was 56€ for a 20x30cm brooder plate!

A heating lamp was 7€ which was what I bought(oh yeah I purchased and use the new lamp now btw. Temp is so hard to control but 31-36°C, I will try again to set it to exactly 35°C later when I am home but for now, the chicks will have to endure 32°C
When it was morning anyway. Because I don't have auto radiator room temp always change according to weather, it was 10°C this morning but it's now 18°C at noon so room temp should be 23° instead of 20°.

In retrospective, I could've bought brooder plate online. 22-33€ for one brand and even 10€ for a small 20x20 no brand(chinese's maybe?) brooder plate, but I already purchased a lamp and wasn't planning to waste it so...

Heating pads dirty too fast to be considered an option.
I have a heating fan and this lamp. Honestly just gotta hold out for 4 weeks so I trust this is enough. Thanks for the input anyway though!

Although it does look very sad when the newborn chicks search to huddle under the heat

 

[MoonMoon]

Man I am so tired from work then spending time with the chicks instead of taking pictures and not counting the fact we still have 48 ducks and chickens outside to take care of. Barely mustered the energy to take pictures and post about them haha but I really can’t recall much information without revisiting my BYC posts :|

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The dubious looking white egg didn't hatch. It’s egg number 5 with the huge space and decayed veins but it had movement. Not sure shrink wrapped or what else killed it.

Pulled the plug on three 30th eggs that didn't hatch after several days, on 22nd May, 19:00.

Also pulled out an egg set 2nd or 3rd of May(I don't remember) that when candled just didn’t look good. Full of chunks and space. Also no movement as least as I can see? Could’ve been alive but rip I already removed it. It’s in the fridge(we eat quitters...well, actually only dad do)

Kept the last two eggs, which is still good but one has air cell almost half the size of the egg I don't think that looked good but today it pipped(news from sibling at home I’ve yet to be free from work)so I’m glad I kept it anyway. It also had movements, both eggs did, so like...fair chance nonetheless. Checked 22nd of May 7 pm btw.
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The dirty 29th April egg hatched! Later than everyone(set on the 29th) compared to the 30th April pipper but I am happy it survived the odd regardless dunno who it is now though I already lost track LMAO

Got a weak splayed leg at birth but fine now chick who was born with yet to detach umbilical cord but it’s fine now.

I have yet to get pictures of everyone it has been a long while but so far we got 15 chicks out of 33 eggs. In my opinion, after counting all variables, I think that’s a great hatch rate and will be using this incubator again this year

We still have 2 eggs in the incubator but after 25th of May I will wipe, then disinfect(with isopropyl alcohol) the incubator for next batch which have already been decided for 28-29th of August(not stagger hatching that time)

Quite a few of these chicks will undoubtedly be meat unfortunately as our closed flock can never be sold as pets or next breeder, only raised meat bird which will be sold to our Vietnamese community, but it is what it is

I will raise these as pets regardless. My goal is to get at least some cuddly friendly birds as permament keepers and friendly cockerels to replace my rooster who occasionally spurs me. Good rooster but I don't like him, already resent him.

The goal is to get chicks I bond with anyway. Buying day old chicks is much cheaper than an incubator but the experience and result is valuable regardless, but this culling season, I may see some of these off to a dinner plate

 

[MoonMoon]

Wow I really yapped there. Anyway pictures of all of the chicks this evening probably.

 

[MoonMoon]

Alright roll call.
Days old chicks. Sorry everyone is a bit sleepy due to it being evening. They’re active in the day unfortunately I am always at work. Nobody is getting names yet till they grow feathers so about one or two weeks old, then official names.
“Firstborn”

It seems most of the chicks inherited the father’s silly amount of feathering. The rooster only has at most a dozen leg feathers though so I have no idea why so many chicks are getting fluff on legs. Sorry on a lot of these their leg fluff will be wet, someone put the waterer tilted and the chicks were able to step on them.
“Splayed leg”(still have cord stuck to it and belly button yet fully closed but it’s fine)

“Tuxedo”

“Pointed”

“Secondborn”

“Chipmunk 1”

“Chipmunk 2”

“Triangel”(it hatched from a confirmed Tricolor egg and I love puns)

“Pupol”(slightly lavender color irl)

“Unnamed 1”

“Unnamed 2”(early feathering...)

“Blondy”(look at that eye marking!like lashes!)

“Goldie”

“Unnamed 2”

“Unnamed 3”

“Lastborn” I am thinking of naming it Dasun.

“Triangel” and “Dasun” were from the 2-3 days staggered eggs so staggered hatch in fact, worked but too much work I will not do it again next time. Anyway this is probably the final post of this for quite a while until the chicks get names and bigger I guess. The finally hatch rate is 17 chicks out of 33 eggs.
(Mayhave missed 1 chick but it’s fine.)

 

[MoonMoon]

Misc pictures. Honestly why not.

 

[catsndogs4us]

Lovely batch of chicks! Thanks for sharing your hatching journey .