October Hatch-a-long 2022🎃🐣🍁

[3KillerBs]

There really is no reason to candle under lockdown. So if what is working for you is working for you, then no reason to change it.
Opening the lid briefly to remove dry chicks should not affect the hatching chicks significantly though, so probably not the reason you were having issues.

I'm trying to be philosophical about it, figuring that as I move my flock forward the chicks will be descended from those that DO hatch well.

Obviously, the story of Slowpoke reveals that there was something less than desirable somewhere in the flock (though the mother has now been sold to someone as a pet/eggs only flock where the new owner has no intention of hatching or breeding).

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So here this morning 6:30 AM there are 7 chicks in the incubator.
The last one, a porcelain, is still working on hatching. There was one DIS, one of the white ones.
Assuming this last one hatches that will be 8 out of 16 that were set and 8 out of 9 that went to lockdown. Pretty fantastic hatch rate for shipped eggs!
The porcelain chick is quite gorgeous with a lavender colored body and a buff colored head. The one that was marked lemon cuckoo I have no idea what color to call, but I do not think it is lemon cuckoo. From what I understand about this color it is almost a light yellow buff with subtle white barring. This chick is a silvery color with some buff around the face.
I’ll have to check with the breeder to see what she thinks.
Several of them have significant vaults which I’m actually trying to breed away from, so I’m not sure how valuable these will be for my breeding program. Will have to wait and see.
Photo of all of them in the incubator now. I’ll get cuter photos later when they’re all fluffed up and the last one has hatched!

 

[3KillerBs]

Assuming this last one hatches that will be 8 out of 16 that were set and 8 out of 9 that went to lockdown. Pretty fantastic hatch rate for shipped eggs!

Wonderful!

 

[kurby22]

So here this morning 6:30 AM there are 7 chicks in the incubator.
The last one, a porcelain, is still working on hatching. There was one DIS, one of the white ones.
Assuming this last one hatches that will be 8 out of 16 that were set and 8 out of 9 that went to lockdown. Pretty fantastic hatch rate for shipped eggs!
The porcelain chick is quite gorgeous with a lavender colored body and a buff colored head. The one that was marked lemon cuckoo I have no idea what color to call, but I do not think it is lemon cuckoo. From what I understand about this color it is almost a light yellow buff with subtle white barring. This chick is a silvery color with some buff around the face.
I’ll have to check with the breeder to see what she thinks.
Several of them have significant vaults which I’m actually trying to breed away from, so I’m not sure how valuable these will be for my breeding program. Will have to wait and see.
Photo of all of them in the incubator now. I’ll get cuter photos later when they’re all fluffed up and the last one has hatched!View attachment 3292150

Hehehehe look at that adorable fluffy booty!!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Hehehehe look at that adorable fluffy booty!!

Yes, that’s one of the porcelains!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Two buffs, the “lemon cuckoo“ and black chick are out in the brooder learning how to eat! The other four are still in the incubator, not quite ready for prime time.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So just reached out to the breeder, she thinks that the egg came from her crele project pen which is right next to her lemon cuckoo project pen and was mislabeled. Excited to see how this one feathers out! Close up of what the chick down looks like.

 

[Obsessed With Silkies]

There's alot of poof on that baby!

 

[LadiesAndJane]

There's alot of poof on that baby!

It’s got a significant vaulted skull.

 

[Pinedale Silkies]

Several of them have significant vaults which I’m actually trying to breed away from, so I’m not sure how valuable these will be for my breeding program. Will have to wait and see.

So you’re trying to breed away from the vaulted skulls? That’s pretty cool, I’m trying to do the same thing. Got some fertile eggs arriving on the 20th, and if all goes to plan (and there isn’t too many broken eggs/infertile eggs from transit) I’m planning to cull pretty heavily. Not necessarily kill, I’m sure theres some people out there that’ll be willing to buy them off me when they’re a bit older, but personally I don’t really like the whole “vaulted skull” thing, and if I have to sacrifice a bit of poof on top of the head for their health and safety, I think that’s okay. Your babies are adorable btw.