Oregon

[AmericanMom]

I may have some Black Copper Marans, Blue Ameraucana (offspring could be blue, black or splash) and Delaware eggs later in the season but definitely not by February. The New Hampshires are great layers and the only ones I have that are laying consistently right now.

I 'll throw a shout out recommendation here, I'm heading into day six of incubation on 18 Germans I got from you and my test candle last night showed progress in the three I checked

You may hear from me again later this spring, I may get some Marans from you

 

[Zanna]

I 'll throw a shout out recommendation here, I'm heading into day six of incubation on 18 Germans I got from you and my test candle last night showed progress in the three I checked

You may hear from me again later this spring, I may get some Marans from you

Great! My first hatch of the season is going well so far. I think I told you I set 25 New Hampshire and all made it to lockdown. So far I have 13 hatched zooming around the hatcher and today is day 21 at 2PM

 

[AmericanMom]

Great! My first hatch of the season is going well so far. I think I told you I set 25 New Hampshire and all made it to lockdown. So far I have 13 hatched zooming around the hatcher and today is day 21 at 2PM

How exiting!!! I'm not as uptight and nervous this time around, but I so hope I get a good hatch!! So far my temp and humidity has been super stable.. Good luck with your hatch, you will post pics right? I would like to see what the chicks look like

 

[Usagi]

I may have some Black Copper Marans, Blue Ameraucana (offspring could be blue, black or splash) and Delaware eggs later in the season but definitely not by February.   The New Hampshires are great layers and the only ones I have that are laying consistently right now.

Ah. I'm flexible with time. Coordinating all this makes it so my timeline has to be more....wimbly wombly timey whimey.
What's "later" in the seasons, because I'm good with anything before summer really.
Blue Ameraucanas would be absolutely lovely!
I'm also adding lavender orpingtons to my "want" list.. Or any orpingtons that carry the gene but have great builds so I can breed in my own lavender eventually.

Ultimately I realize I might not be able to get all these eggs at one time, but I'll try and get them all together as close as possible to keep things as neat and tidy as possible (in my own mind).

Gonna go make my way to Home Depot to shop around a bit. :yiipchick

 

[Usagi]

Great!  My first hatch of the season is going well so far.  I think I told you I set 25 New Hampshire and all made it to lockdown.  So far I have 13 hatched zooming around the hatcher and today is day 21 at 2PM

Curious as to your preferred hatching method. I was going to go regular humidity, then I wanted to go dry method to avoid drowned chicks, and then I was reading a thread about low humidity adversely affecting the epigenetics of the birds being hatched. I take epigenetics as seriously as regular genetics so now I'm all just cross eyed and confused. Well. That's what more research and chit chatting is for.

 

[Zanna]

Curious as to your preferred hatching method. I was going to go regular humidity, then I wanted to go dry method to avoid drowned chicks, and then I was reading a thread about low humidistat adversely affecting the epigenetics of the birds being hatched. I take epigenetics as seriously as regular genetics so now I'm all just cross eyed and confused. Well. That's what more research and chit chatting is for.

Day 1 - 18, 45 - 55% humidity. I used a new Sportsman digital incubator for this first set and the temp held pretty steady at 99.6 and humidity 48%. I do all the hatching in my old gqf hovabators, humidity 55 - 65% and of course when hatching is happening the humidity rises to as much as 80% at times. I have had sucessfull hatches for years this way even with the Marans which some say are harder to hatch. I have always hatched on their sides but this time tried them standing up in egg cartons. So far, really liking this method. Makes sense that if day 1-18 you have them standing up in auto turners that they would hatch better standing up. If you have them on their sides for day 1 - 18 and manually turn, hatch them on their sides.

Never done it this way before, always set in turners and hatched on their sides. Am sure I probably lost a few due to drowning with the new hatchlings kick boxing the unhatched eggs around but rarely had less than a 90% hatch rate with my own eggs. Shipped eggs.........Gave up on that!

Hope this helps, this is how I do it and it works for me.

 

[Zanna]

Ah. I'm flexible with time. Coordinating all this makes it so my timeline has to be more....wimbly wombly timey whimey.

What's "later" in the seasons, because I'm good with anything before summer really.
Blue Ameraucanas would be absolutely lovely!
I'm also adding lavender orpingtons to my "want" list.. Or any orpingtons that carry the gene but have great builds so I can breed in my own lavender eventually.

Ultimately I realize I might not be able to get all these eggs at one time, but I'll try and get them all together as close as possible to keep things as neat and tidy as possible (in my own mind).

Gonna go make my way to Home Depot to shop around a bit.

Thinking May at the latest. I just have one Ameraucana pair and she just laid her fourth egg today. They need to be at least Medium in size before I will try to hatch them and I always do a test hatch before selling any to make sure of fertility and hatchability.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Soooooo ... gathering eggs for hatching. I'm thinking about starting to maybe think about maybe starting to think about gathering eggs with the "hope" that a bird will go broody ... gathering the eggs over several days from just two birds.

Tips, tricks, procedures?

 

[Zanna]

Soooooo ... gathering eggs for hatching. I'm thinking about starting to maybe think about maybe starting to think about gathering eggs with the "hope" that a bird will go broody ... gathering the eggs over several days from just two birds.

Tips, tricks, procedures?

I have gathered eggs for 14 days and had very successfull hatches. When single mating I want enough eggs to make using the incubator worthwhile so I save for longer. 7 Days is optimum for hatchability. I store them on a shelf in my bedroom closet in egg cartons with a wedge under one end changing ends morning and night (if I remember!), it is about 50 - 55 deg. in there. I don't save anything for hatching that is dirty or lightbulb/oddly shaped.

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

I have gathered eggs for 14 days and had very successfull hatches. When single mating I want enough eggs to make using the incubator worthwhile so I save for longer. 7 Days is optimum for hatchability. I store them on a shelf in my bedroom closet in egg cartons with a wedge under one end changing ends morning and night (if I remember!), it is about 50 - 55 deg. in there. I don't save anything for hatching that is dirty or lightbulb/oddly shaped.

Thanks! Before this, the day I set a broody up with eggs I'd gather all the day's eggs into flats instead of the basket and used gloves or tissues to move them. Then I was able to pick out the most regular looking eggs, usually in a variety of colors, to put 10 or 12 of them under the broody. I made no consideration of breeding ... my hatchery birds all run together ... just egg shell color, cleanliness, size, and "shape."

So this whole "gathering a clutch" thing, and caring about hatch rates, is new territory.

I think I'll keep the eggs in the storage room in the daylight basement where my egg fridge is so I'm sure to go in there multiple times a day so I can "turn" the eggs as you suggest. Obviously NOT in the fridge ... I'll keep the ones I want to hatch on a shelf. The cement walls and floor keep it pretty cool in that room ... its supposed to be a wine cellar. Ha!