Ended Official 2020 BYC Halloween Hatch-Along

[Sara L]

I was off in my count: I set 96 eggs in incubator 1, not 92. I candled last night and removed 22 clears. There was one iffy that stayed too, and 73 looked developing. 6 clears were Celadon. All eggs in incubator 1 now fit on the quail rails.

I will be candling incubator 2 on Wednesday. That one should have 143 eggs. (240 received - 1 cracked = 239 total)

I candled the eggs in the second incubator last night. Had 143 set, removed 36 clears and 2 early quitters. 105 left in the second incubator, it's so much easier to move the eggs to turn them now. There were one or two that were easy to see into but the rest were difficult to see through the shell. Happy little blobs!

I'm pretty happy with the fertility of the shipped eggs: 180/239 = 75%, and that's after being in the mail for 5 days and then sitting for 3-5 days before making it into the incubator.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I weighed and candled eggs this morning. I candled at week 1 but really couldn't see much.
Today I identified 3 clears out of the 28 set but I don't remove any that aren't leaking or stinking. I just mark iffy eggs and put them in a separate row or tray.
Obvious clears after 2 weeks I remove.
I finally use a reliable hygrometer but still rely on weight loss more for proper humidity.
This morning I discovered all the eggs range from 2-3 grams heavy compared to what they should be. So I'm going to let it dry out till Friday and they should be about right. I'll weigh 3 or 4 on Wednesday to verify.
I find this is so much simpler than constant candling.
I have 6 of the ;future chicks sold and have to find out where to house the other 19.
I ordered some 72 hour heat packs so I can include one in the box with the shipped chicks.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I put up a pic of her egg (top)before but the color was not coming in well enough to see, this pic seems to show the color alright, white behind my hand is snow. The egg looks and is gray, in her case it is the bloom, I have had solid gay eggs with out it being the bloom. I like the color so I am keeping it, just like I don't wash the bloom off a BCM egg... below the same egg but washed...

Same egg...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That is a big egg for a pullet's first.

As for the bloom, they say the same thing about Croad Langshan eggs that appear plum colored.
I occasionally get plum colored eggs but it isn't the bloom but it is due to a layer of calcium applied after the pigment.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I broke down and bid on a candler on E-bay that I won for $7.70 counting tax.
It is supposed to be here by Thursday - we'll see how it works.
At that price, I couldn't pass it up.

 

[Allthefloofs]

Just put the eggs in lockdown! Super nervous, but saw movement in all of them at candling. so fingers crossed for most if not all to come through hatching in a few days!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Just put the eggs in lockdown! Super nervous, but saw movement in all of them at candling. so fingers crossed for most if not all to come through hatching in a few days!

Fingers crossed for a great hatch!

 

[Allthefloofs]

Fingers crossed for a great hatch!

Thank you! It's so much nicer hatching with support like this. I wish I had been braver in 2018 and had jumped in with both feet here. Our first hatch was a hot mess and it made me not want to do it again, but this has been really great. Everyone is so amazing on here!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thank you! It's so much nicer hatching with support like this. I wish I had been braver in 2018 and had jumped in with both feet here. Our first hatch was a hot mess and it made me not want to do it again, but this has been really great. Everyone is so amazing on here!

My first hatch was under a broody hen and "hot mess" would be an understatement, lol. I thought for sure I would never try hatching anything ever again but after my first hatch-a-long here at BYC I've been completely addicted! I have 3 incubators now and that's only because I gave away/sold my least favorite models.

 

[Allthefloofs]

My first hatch was under a broody hen and "hot mess" would be an understatement, lol. I thought for sure I wouldn't never try hatching anything ever again but after my first hatch-a-long here at BYC I've been completely addicted! I have 3 incubators now and that's only because I gave away/sold my least favorite models.

I'm a little scared of this outcome now! Or maybe my husband should be scared of this outcome now? I have really been loving seeing all the different eggs going in and getting feedback has been really helpful and made it so enjoyable! I was looking at Amazon and thinking "Well, next time I need a Harris Farms 360 instead of this inexpensive incubator..."