November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[Bitterroot]

I'm late to the party, but I'll go ahead and dive in.

Got a bunch of eggs cooking right now. First batch is due to pip new years' eve. Double laced blue barnevelders and BLRWs. Just got some lemon cuckoo orpington eggs today that will go in tomorrow, and another batch of BLRWs that are still floating out in the postal system nightmare 7 days after they were shipped.

My incubation tries this last spring ended with some pretty dismal results. I averaged one chick hatched per dozen eggs I purchased/set. Built a new incubator and bought a couple much more sensitive temp and humidity monitoring devices and so far so good this time. I think shipping in these colder temps has even helped a bit as well. My biggest problem with shipped eggs in may was fragmented, rolling air cells. At least half the eggs I received had shattered air cells. This go 'round it hasn't been nearly so bad. More like 1/8 of my total eggs have had rolling air cells. Think maybe the colder temps are keeping the white thicker and resisting the air cell damage that way? Hmm, just a thought.

 

[gimmie birdies]

with this batch my eggs the lower left one "shilo" had a floating air cell it corrected it's self- now it may be second in line to pip, since it is in aircell.

 

[Heidisgran]

I'm late to the party, but I'll go ahead and dive in.

Got a bunch of eggs cooking right now. First batch is due to pip new years' eve. Double laced blue barnevelders and BLRWs. Just got some lemon cuckoo orpington eggs today that will go in tomorrow, and another batch of BLRWs that are still floating out in the postal system nightmare 7 days after they were shipped.

My incubation tries this last spring ended with some pretty dismal results. I averaged one chick hatched per dozen eggs I purchased/set. Built a new incubator and bought a couple much more sensitive temp and humidity monitoring devices and so far so good this time. I think shipping in these colder temps has even helped a bit as well. My biggest problem with shipped eggs in may was fragmented, rolling air cells. At least half the eggs I received had shattered air cells. This go 'round it hasn't been nearly so bad. More like 1/8 of my total eggs have had rolling air cells. Think maybe the colder temps are keeping the white thicker and resisting the air cell damage that way? Hmm, just a thought.

welcome
I've notice also that the last several months the hatch rate on shipped eggs is better....unless they have the normal usps mishandling or obvious poor parent birds.
I have blue orps hatching right now, candy corn polish due Thursday and ameraucans due sat! I have to check but I believe it's new years eve I have some more black copper marans due!!!
happy hatching!

 

[gimmie birdies]

 

[Farmer Viola]

I have a blue orp pipped too

 

[TwinArrowsFarm]

One has pipped! !!!

 

[DeannaA]

Working on a Christmas present for my girls. A 6' x 16' coop. Yep, right next to the house. This was a a greenhouse and my leftover building materials.

Clean it up and let the chickens even out the dirt for me.

The frame is up. I have to move my apple tree. I hope I don't kill it.

 

[dolfi]

Will be incubating in the next few weeks so hope to hatch in January. Yeeee

 

[gimmie birdies]

mikella- remember this morning-

This is now. it just takes time.

12 hrs progress whoo!

 

[TwinArrowsFarm]

Oh wow! Okay. I will be patient. I promise! This has been the longest day of my life!