We’re holding at 12 at the end of day 22. They have until tomorrow night before I’ll need to empty and clean the incubator, go out of town and be back in time for the next set to start.
I’m wondering what I did wrong. Fresh eggs should have done better than 50%. The temperature really was all over the place, but still 19 eggs developed (and two more started to) and made it to lockdown. I do think the temp made a difference with the wide variation in hatch date, so next time I will do the rotation by row that UThobbyfarmer recommended. I didn’t realize just how many changes the temp would make and how little consistency I would get even with three thermometers.
I’m wondering about trauma to the unhatched eggs from the hatched chicks. My boyfriend thinks that’s the culprit. I think next time I will also get some small baskets and try to contain new hatches for a little bit. A second incubator isn’t in the financial cards right now, but maybe I can help the situation some with corralling the babies away from those still baking.
Anyway, a few of the cutest pictures. They’re a beautiful variety, a couple very light yellow, a sable, a couple black and yellow, a couple blue and yellow, the almost solid black one. The banty chick made it out, along with another that looks like a roadrunner and not a chicken, lol.
I’m wondering what I did wrong. Fresh eggs should have done better than 50%. The temperature really was all over the place, but still 19 eggs developed (and two more started to) and made it to lockdown. I do think the temp made a difference with the wide variation in hatch date, so next time I will do the rotation by row that UThobbyfarmer recommended. I didn’t realize just how many changes the temp would make and how little consistency I would get even with three thermometers.
I’m wondering about trauma to the unhatched eggs from the hatched chicks. My boyfriend thinks that’s the culprit. I think next time I will also get some small baskets and try to contain new hatches for a little bit. A second incubator isn’t in the financial cards right now, but maybe I can help the situation some with corralling the babies away from those still baking.
Anyway, a few of the cutest pictures. They’re a beautiful variety, a couple very light yellow, a sable, a couple black and yellow, a couple blue and yellow, the almost solid black one. The banty chick made it out, along with another that looks like a roadrunner and not a chicken, lol.
2 of them made it, one died shortly after hatching 
. The calls, one pipped at the right end but below the air cell (she was the first to hatch of the bunch), and the other did everything right and hatched almost all by itself 
Embarrassing confession: The first large egg that pipped at the narrow end, I thought I had accidentally hit the egg with the post in the lid of the 'bator, the thing that turns the turning tray, so I DUCT (duck haha) TAPED it shut. Then I thought "Wait, what if that's a pip???" and quickly took the duck tape off (but it was hours and hours later). Sure enough, that is what it was. Sheesh. Despite my stupidity, she made it just fine 
The brown one had a really weak leg at first but some PolyViSol took care of that (or maybe he just got stronger with rest). Super happy with my new babies 
