My homemade bator batch-started 4/29 **Questions on page 3**

[PTFarmer]

Guitarist wrote

OMG!!! Little chickies inside really move! Like they're dancin a little dance I guess I kinda thought they just laid there


There saying "hey turn that light off"

Good Luck on the hatch

Brian

 

[Guitartists]

Ok, I put these in on the 29th... in the evening.. I think it was around 8 pm or so. Trying to make sure I have the dates right for the hatch. By my estimates..... Stop turning Sat the 17th and bump up humidity for hatching Sun - Tues. Does that sound right??? Or should I wait until Sun morning to bump up the humidity??? Will that amount of time even matter?

So far the eggs are looking good. Gonna candle tonight and check them all for duds. I think one of my EE's might be a double yolker... it is long and just looks different. Even though I know the chances of it hatching is like ... none... I will leave it so long as it is developing. Down to 2 d'uccle eggs. Keeping my fingers crossed for them.

My temps and humidity have been pretty constant..... however... I wish the hot water heater thermostat had a smaller range of difference. It's lets it get a bit hotter than I would like before shutting off, but if I turn it down it let's it get far too cold before turning it back on. So, hopefully all is well

Got my shed!

Is 8 x 10 and I can't wait to get it up. I also have plans to build an addition for my bantams. It'll have adjoined coops and runs...... for my frizzles, silkies and I want to get seramas.

My daughter REALLY wants a black japanese. Would it be too big to go in with the seramas?

I'll take candling pics tonight to post

Thanks guys for all the words of encouragement

It won't be much longer now!

 

[wilds of pa]

eggs in a nest can set anyway they want. Ive seen eggs in a turkey nest that where upside down for periods and they still hatched under the hens.

The reason the eggs sit up in turners is you can get more eggs in a in a rack this way, which means a good full incubator full.

hope you get a good hatch...looks like a nicely built bater to..

CHARLIE

 

[Guitartists]

Candled my eggs last night!

Here's the breakdown.....

25 eggs with happy kickin little chicks in em!

2 had dead chickies that didn't make it past day 6 or so. - 1 was shipped and 1 was from friend's son
1 had a scrambled yolk - one that was shipped
2 just never did anything (clear) - 1 was EE and 1 was from son's friend
1 not sure, but it was dead - don't remember which one this was.

I didn't get any better pics. I'd have to pull my real camera out, and by the time I got the film developed, they'd probably be here..LOL Next batch I will set up my camera rig and get some good pics

My DH was thrilled to see the little chickies in them. It's so neat to see them move and kick. One we got to see the profile and you could see the little feet

Oh, and the 2 remaining d'uccles are still doing good. I'm just worried because their air cells look so big in such a small egg. I think next time I have small eggs I will do all small eggs so I can adjust for them. The large eggs look fine.

Here are the pics I did manage to get....

This one is blurry but you can see the veins

And this was one that was clear

 

[Guitartists]

Well, I bumped my humidity up!

Put all the male eggs in one carton and all the females in another (If you're wondering... check out https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=54612 ) divided by a piece of hardware cloth ... I found a piece I forgot I had left

So now I guess it's all about trying to pretend that nothing is happening in that bator for the next 3 days so that I don't end up craaaaazy! loco! mad! bald!!