October Hatch-a-long 2022🎃🐣🍁

[LadiesAndJane]

I am learning so much from these posts!

That makes me so happy! I am glad that my posts/photos are useful to others.

 

[Clodill4rel]

Just pulled another early quitter from the shipped eggs. Down to 9.

Photo of the egg. The eggshell on this one is more opaque but you can clearly see two little blobs instead of a formed embryo. View attachment 3278476View attachment 3278490


Side view of the same egg shows some of the blood pooling. Shown also in black-and-white again to better see details.

View attachment 3278477View attachment 3278489

Compare these to a healthy 8 day embryo in this photo.View attachment 3278478

Great side by side of healthy n quitter!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So results of my first test hatch with my 2 10 month old pullets:

Lili: 6 set, 2 hatched (3 early quitters, 1 DIS).
Both of these chicks are paint and have nice markings, which is what I was hoping for. Though both of them only have four toes on each foot, strangely enough.
All my breeding stock have correct feet, which in Silkies includes five toes on each foot, proper spacing between the 4th and 5th toe and second toe feathering. Although two chicks is not enough to make conclusions (statistical power of sample size), it is enough for me not to want to use her for breeding. I’ll see what the next hatch shows.
I sell my Silkie chicks for a good amount of money and people are expecting birds that meet the SOP for the prices they pay. I sell any birds with clear faults, such as these two chicks, for pet prices. Since amount of work I have to put into them is the same, it only makes sense to use the birds that I will get better chicks from.
Niko: set 8, 5 hatched (1 EQ day 9, 2 DIS)
Niko’s chicks on the other hand all have good feet. Interestingly enough Niko and Lilikoi are full sisters.

The 4th DIS was from one of my older hens.

Both these pullets were bred back to their father i.e. line breeding. Partly because he is the only rooster I currently have. While line breeding is acceptable and often used in chicken breeding, it will bring out any genetic faults as well as strengthen any positive traits.

 

[3KillerBs]

Day 14 candling. Pulled 4 more, leaving 17.

The little eggs mentioned earlier are small but mighty -- all 4 still developing and 3 of them with visible movement.

Only one probable quitter left in the incubator to get a recheck at lockdown on Thursday.

Egg #17, which had been an "uncertain" on day 5 and showing movement on day 9 (why I don't pull until they've failed twice), wasn't moving today but was clearly developed.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Day 14 candling. Pulled 4 more, leaving 17.

The little eggs mentioned earlier are small but mighty -- all 4 still developing and 3 of them with visible movement.

Only one probable quitter left in the incubator to get a recheck at lockdown on Thursday.

Egg #17, which had been an "uncertain" on day 5 and showing movement on day 9 (why I don't pull until they've failed twice), wasn't moving today but was clearly developed.

I agree with your procedure. Kind of like carpenters rules: Measure twice, cut once.
In this case Candle twice, cull once.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree with your procedure. Kind of like carpenters rules: Measure twice, cut once.
In this case Candle twice, cull once.

I'm 80-90% sure of that probable quitter. But I was 70% sure of egg #17 and I was wrong.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

First three moved out to the baby brooder and learning how to eat.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm not going to bother to eggtopsy these. They clearly stopped shortly after starting (the ones pulled at day 5 were plainly clear and never did start).

I'm fortunate in having an acre of woods behind the property where I can lob potential stench bombs as far past the yard fence as my arm will permit.

(And for the ones that I do eggtospy, there is a small clearing that I mentally refer to as "the graveyard of lost chicks" since I do the eggtospy well away from the house and then leave the results for the wildlife).

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

My bantam cochin mix has moved into her new accommodations for hatch day. Today is day 13 of incubation. I cleaned up the baby crib brooder on the front deck (under the overhang) and got it all prepared for the big move out of the bantam pen. Not wanting her to be disturbed or any additional eggs 'donated', this was my best choice. She is sitting on one of her eggs, one of Betty's eggs, and 4 F1 eggs from my project pen. She rode the royal princess 'litter' in style..View attachment 3278416View attachment 3278415Two eggs from this hen and her dad (pictured)View attachment 3278417 And 2 from this hen and same rooster.View attachment 3278418

Your boy is stunning!!!

I am learning so much from these posts!

Ditto!


@LadiesAndJane so I went ahead soon as I realized I was off few hours on Sally Sunshine saying to wait to start turning jiggly cells.
I've only got like 3 that looked promising at all. BUT....it is only day 3 so.i.went ahead and wished em well and started the turner.

Oh n did I confess to yall here on this thread bout my additional hatch for this month...SILKIES ...should be here Tuesday I hope!
My DH is gonna kill me!!!
But after the way those eggs today looked it may not have been a bad idea to do so anyway!

 

[CSolis]

Your boy is stunning!!!

Can you believe he was a gimme? My friend had an eggcess of roos.. I fell in love with him the moment I saw him. He has matured a lot since coming home with me. Same with Shadow Captain my calico splash.