Results of my first candling are in!! Update Second candling results!!

[Serrin]

And YAAAAAY!!!

I HAVE MOVEMENT!!! :

Out of 24 eggs set on 2-13, four are clear and look as though they never even started. Perhaps a fertility issue?

One egg is questionable. I'll leave it in there for now and candle again just before lockdown. Eight definitely have developement in them but I'm not sure if I saw movement or not. They may simply be sleeping right now.

I hope that's what they were doing!

Ten of the eggs not only have development, but also pronounced movement! Down right vigorous is what I'd call it. In fact, I think I even heard dance music coming from one of those eggs! I swear that little one is having himself/herself their own little private party in there, so much movement was happening!!!

What'cha wanna bet that one is a ROO!!!

Only one egg out of the whole bunch appears to have started, got to maybe day 3 or so, and then quit.

It looks just like what Silkiechicken shows in her tutorial of what a day three quitter looks like. I hope I'm wrong. I'll give that little booger the benefit of the doubt and leave it in there for now, unless of course, it starts smelling badly. Since this is my first time ever incubating, I'd feel better about leaving it in and give it every chance to prove that I don't know enough of what I'm looking at yet!

Now, if I've done my math right, and I understand this counting business correctly, come March 6th, give or take 48 hours, I should have little fuzzy butts popping out all over the place!

I set the eggs by 11:30 in the morning on 2-13. If I have counted wrong, please! PLEASE! Somebody smack me upside of the head and let me know! I'd hate to have come all this way only to mess it up at the very end just because I don't know how to count my incubation days!

To my reckoning, day 18 and lock-down should happen mid morning of March 3.

EEEEEEE!!! I'm so excited! They're MOVING in there!! There is LIFE in there!!! Fuzzy Butts are coming!! Fuzzy Butts are coming!!!

Please Great Spirit...don't let anything go wrong. Please watch over these wonderful little lives.

 

[mylittlezoo]

YAY!!! I'm so excited for you!! I candled yesterday on day 9 - it's so much fun to see them developing!! I have some eggs here with your name on, I'll be sure to sneak the odd funny little mix in there

Congrats on the little peeps....

 

[Red&Yellow]

YAYYYYYYY! FUZZY BUTTS!!!!!

As to the counting, I set them 6 PM, and was FREAKNIG OUT when they didn't hatch at what I THOUGHT was day 21, but to them it was only day 20......I heard that if it's after 12noon, then don't count that as day 1....least I THINK that's what I read...

Either way, I got 7 out of 10 FUZZY

BUTTS peeping happily downstairs, not allowing me to do any school work

so did SOMETHIN right. (sorry, post-hatch makes me ramble...I think it does it to everyone)

 

[speckledhen]

Pretty good results, Amy.

 

[Serrin]

I performed my second, and I believe my final candling, for this batch. Out of the 24 eggs originally set on 2-13-10, 16 will be going into lock down with all but one showing good and vigorous movement. I SAW TOES!!! I SAW TOES!!! Can't mistake those little chickie toes!

Not when they show up that pronounced!

On my first candling, I had two that were questionable. They are now out of the incubator along with the other five that never even started. Apparently those were never fertile to begin with. The one that I thought might have been a day 3 quitter was indeed just that.

The one that I mentioned as questionable shows good development, but it appears to be behind the others. It might have quit just a few days ago perhaps.

I have no idea. I'm still so very new to all f this. I'm going to go ahead and once again give this little egg the benefit of the doubt. So long as nobody trips over it in the middle of a hatching frenzy, it should be just fine to leave it in there. If it shows no sign of hatching by the time everyone else is out, then I guess I'll have my answer, won't I?

I have just about everything ready with regards to the brooder. WOW! If I actually have 15 or 16 hatch out, I'm really going to be overrun with chickens!!

Picked up a new pair of feeder and water dishes at the feed store yesterday, along with some of that loosely woven non-slip shelf liner stuff to put down on the inside of the incubator so that the wee ones will have good traction as well as good circulation.

That will also be what I use to line the bottom of their brooder. Since I picked up enough for two sets for the bottom of the brooder, it will be a simple matter of unrolling a fresh clean one while at the same time as rolling up the dirty set. Less stress for the wee ones that way!

I might have to pick up one more roll in about a week or so. Something tells me I might be needing to change the bottom of their brooder more than twice a day in very short order! Or so I hope at any rate!

So, not much left to do but sit back, check the 'bator from time to time. This feels like that old commercial for the Ice Tea Pot, made by the same folks that brought us the Mr. Coffee coffee pot. Remember that one?

Yeah! Something like that!!

Oh what to do with oneself in the meantime while waiting for chickies to hatch!! It will probably be a good time for me to work on updates to my Facebook account, get caught up on emails and maybe build my page here!!

All the things I've been putting off in favor of more exciting things to do! Like watching eggs in the incubator!!!

I'll update either after the hatch is all done, or as they progress...depending on the time of day/night it all happens!

 

[speckledhen]

Sounds like a promising hatch, Amy!

 

[joletabey]

Amy, I can't wait!!!I love living vicariously through you 'bator people! I hope you get all 16 safely now!

 

[fordmommy]

 

[Serrin]

Quote:
Thanks Cyn. 2 of the ones that showed proper development and movement today are EE's. I'm really hoping for those to make it. But as much as I want those chicks, I want two of them to be BR's even more!!!

Got names picked out for those (hopefully) two little pullets already!

Beth! Does that mean you're going to keep me company all Saturday night while I watch for signs of hatching???

 

[joletabey]

Amy, considering our time difference- I just might be able to "be there" for at least part of it- if I didn't have a church job I would stay up with you, but I will have to get some sleep, just so i don't play any more wrong notes than I usually do!!!

I hope little Ivy and Little Cynthia hatch out as pullets!!!!