October-hatch-along 2019

[BlueBaby]

@flgardengirl Congrats! Does the white spot on the head mean that it's a boy?

 

[FortCluck]

I hope so but most the other eggs were in the normal incubator that was running at the proper temperature lol. If I have to get him out in a day or so i will. I usually just open the bator real quick do what I have to, and have a little cup of warm water ready, and dump it on the sponges. Then I close the bator and close up all the holes/plugs for a minute or two then open the holes/plugs back up again.

What incubator are you using?

 

[flgardengirl]

Little Giant incubators- the old school kind with the dials, not digital. I have computer fans in them. They are a PIA! One is fine the other crazy. I havent incubated in a few yrs because I usually always have broodys lol. Since we are redoing all our breeding coops etc and runs, I have different breeds grouped together and no one is going broody.
For some reason during this chaos, I decided it would be a good idea to order a bunch of orpington eggs lol.

Bluebaby I am pretty sure this is a little roo. He is big and already clearly has a defined comb haha. Just my luck. My dh always says, the first one out is always a roo lol.

 

[flgardengirl]

Usually the cuckoo chicks with the larger white spots on their heads are male and the darker ones female. I will have to see when he's dried off all the way. Im thinking male.
He's awfully dark for a golden cuckoo marans. Mine's babies are more brownish. This one came as an xtra w the orp eggs. It kinda looks like a regular Cuckoo Marans.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I noticed some people can get away with opening during lock down and some can not. I don't know all the details of others hatches to compare them to mine but I am one who creates problems when I open up even briefly after the first pip. I actually opened up on hatch day to move my thermometer because none had pipped and put it at a better location to find my Incubator was 4 degrees too cold... which is why no one had pipped I assumed. I am concerned because some have not pipped at all and maybe those internally pipped and were shrink wrapped from my opening. Who knows, I am still learning. If I had a larger bathroom I would incubate in there so if I had to open during lock down I would crank up the hot shower and get it nice and steamy then open it up. When I move I am getting a larger bathroom.

I wonder if part of the some get away with it thing is the incubator in use and how fast it recovers humidity? I tinker during hatches.... usually have more trouble with sticky chicks than shrink wrap, when I hatch in my brinsea with added water containers to keep humidity high. Of course I could be wrong and just lucky?

 

[LynnaePB]

I wonder if part of the some get away with it thing is the incubator in use and how fast it recovers humidity? I tinker during hatches.... usually have more trouble with sticky chicks than shrink wrap, when I hatch in my brinsea with added water containers to keep humidity high. Of course I could be wrong and just lucky?

Hmm it wouldn't surprise me if the type of incubator would affect who can get away with it. I've had two instances where a single egg out of a group of 9+ got shrink wrapped, both in my brinsea octagon eco 20 (I mostly get excellent hatches out of it though). I haven't had any issues with shrink wrapping yet in my nurture right 360. The humidity doesn't drop much and returns back to the desired level quickly in both my incubators. I've had to open the incubators and assist quite a few times (mostly with shipped eggs) and I have yet to have an egg shrink wrap after I opened the incubator, I try to keep my humidity a little on the higher side during hatching so I can assist if needed. The two times shrink wrapping did happen were times I hadn't had to open the incubator.

It would be really interesting to hear others experiences with shrink wrap.

I'm also curious as to how everyone actually defines shrink wrap. I've always thought it was when the tough outer membrane shrinks and tightens around the chick but most pictures I've seen titled shrink wrap it's just the thin inner membrane, are both considered shrink wrap?

 

[Rita Jones]

Hi! My first post here. I have 22 Ameraucana/Easter Eggers set to hatch on 10/21/2019. This is my second group of hatching ever. I have had chickens for 8 years. Until grandchildren took an interest, I purchased new chicks from local breeders. In the Spring I will have Cream Legbar, Death Layers, Lavendar Ameraucana, and Salmon Favorelles eggs. This is fun!

 

[FortCluck]

Hi! My first post here. I have 22 Ameraucana/Easter Eggers set to hatch on 10/21/2019. This is my second group of hatching ever. I have had chickens for 8 years. Until grandchildren took an interest, I purchased new chicks from local breeders. In the Spring I will have Cream Legbar, Death Layers, Lavendar Ameraucana, and Salmon Favorelles eggs. This is fun!

Can't wait to see your chicks when they hatch!

 

[john_wrightson2003]

His crying might entice others to come out sooner. He will have a friend soon!

Yes he will.

Hi! My first post here. I have 22 Ameraucana/Easter Eggers set to hatch on 10/21/2019. This is my second group of hatching ever. I have had chickens for 8 years. Until grandchildren took an interest, I purchased new chicks from local breeders. In the Spring I will have Cream Legbar, Death Layers, Lavendar Ameraucana, and Salmon Favorelles eggs. This is fun!

Oooh, awesome mix, best of luck! When is hatch day?

 

[john_wrightson2003]

I have 3 CCLBs, a couple cochins, and a couple of seramas due to hatch next thursday. I have already removed all duds or quitters, so hopefully we get alot of hatchers, but the breed of my focus is the legbars, they sell at ridicoulous prices, so if i could just get a breeding pair, i would be off! But I am of course aloso hoping for the seramas and cochins to hatch as well. But Especially cochins, as I dont have any, these are shipped eggs btw.