October Hatch-a-long!

[jinsing]

Here's my October 18th hatchlings.

 

[marmca]

Hi All,
I joined too late to participate in the "Hatch-a-long" but I do have some 40 sultan, jap, silkie, frizzle, sizzle eggs in a store bought incubator. Caught the chick fever one night and bought Way Too many eggs to hatch at one time. So I am experimenting with insulated styrafoam cooler with an electric blanket, 40 wat clip-on lamp and two thermometer/hygrometers 1 is indoor outdoor so I can see without taking off lid, other is laid amongst the eggs. Too worried to candle the ones in the blanket. Taken to 'rolling'' them instead of turning to "x" and "o"' on different sides of egg.

We had a cold snap here (40 is cold snap in FL) I know temp did not stay constant. Not sure if I baked them or let them get too cold. A couple started beading sticky liquid, I did not candle, removed them. I had one that was cracked partially open but did not pierce the membrane, could see the dark wet feathers, I did not 'operate' 3rd time I checked it somehow not as 'puffed up' believed to be dead, discarded. I don't know why I am being so squeamish, years ago I had the timing and enough of "a bird brain" to deal with abnormalities & bring most all to a healthy hatching. This is the Hardest part of hatching eggs. I have 12 from last hatch Silkie crosses 3 from my production flock in the yard look like all roosters; will be a month old on Nov 3. Sultan /bantam clutch due Nov 5.

Learned (too late?) that still air temp should be 103 as apposed to circulated air at 99.5 both with humidity no higher than 50 for the first 16 days or so and then stop turning at 18 days bring humidity up to about 75 should hatch at 21 days.

On a somewhat different note. youtube had an interesting home made incubator, woman used small smooth rocks partitioned into one corner of cooler, a light bulb over the rocks this supposed to keep temp / humidity more constant. I thought it was a clever idea.
I've talked too long. Thanks for reading / commenting. I will let anyone who wants to know how electric blanket eggs fared in Nov. still feeling disheartened but suddenly more hopeful about these.

 

[marmca]

 

[marmca]

Thought all were lost. The chicken eggs I got from our egg person turned out to be those that "might" have been in the fridge, so most had eggs with no embryos at all, plus the turkey eggs ended up not fertile as well. I ended up with only two that looked "promising", and of those two, one sported a blood ring last week and stopped developing. But lo and behold, the one remaining egg is pipping (and very vocal) right now. Not counting my chick before it completely hatches, but if it does, what am I going to do with one little lone chick????

Spoil it rotten, raise a true Pet Chicken.
It is sad to think it won't have a flock to integrate into and grow with though.

 

[marmca]

Quote: try looking at the grocery for corn meal With Out baking soda or other such addatives, then see if local home improvement or Wal - mart has some wild bird seed, put this in a coffee grinder they should do well. The wild seed is primarily milo, millet I guess it is high in protein. I used to feed my young ones this when / if I ran out of starter.


Best of Luck,

 

[Cebarmlds]

try looking at the grocery for corn meal With Out baking soda or other such addatives, then see if local home improvement or Wal - mart has some wild bird seed, put this in a coffee grinder they should do well. The wild seed is primarily milo, millet I guess it is high in protein. I used to feed my young ones this when / if I ran out of starter.


Best of Luck,

I got chick starter the monday after hatch and also picked up bags of grower so they will be good for awhile. I pulled out the layer so all will be eating grower until the chicks are older.
They are 2 weeks old now and running all over the coop!



Squash for breakfast today

 

[Cebarmlds]

Here they are at 9 weeks old still snuggleing with mom at night which is good cause it's so stinking cold here, I know one for sure is a roo but not sure of the others yet.