September 2023 Hatch-A-Long

[Honora]

Great to see all the chicks! Mine have started hatching also. I was predicting a staggered hatch based on what I saw when I candled, but it hasn’t been too bad. One hatched yesterday morning, one last night, and 2 today. So I now have 2 in the brooder, 2 drying off in the bator
and 2 still in the eggs.

 

[NCchickentender]

I have a question @AusHen. I'm just curious but how can you tell Bob was a boy by the white on his head?

 

[AusHen]

I have a question @AusHen. I'm just curious but how can you tell Bob was a boy by the white on his head?

He's from a sex-link pairing. Bella the mother is barred and the frizzle rooster isn't, hens only pass the barring gene to their sons so I know any that have a head spot (which is barred) will be boys, any without are girls. I wasn't expecting both to be split possibly wheaten? and produce the yellow, but if they are wheaten I can sex them when they start to feather in

 

[Canadian Wind]

He's from a sex-link pairing. Bella the mother is barred and the frizzle rooster isn't, hens only pass the barring gene to their sons so I know any that have a head spot (which is barred) will be boys, any without are girls. I wasn't expecting both to be split possibly wheaten? and produce the yellow, but if they are wheaten I can sex them when they start to feather in

Oh, guess that means a lot of my chicks from late August are males then. Dang! Mom is barred, dad isn't.

 

[NCchickentender]

Oh cool! That's good to know. Thank you!

 

[Kwoka]

So, I got cold feet after about 12 hours of the incubator running… those beautiful eggs became egg salad. Turns out husband got the date for his knee surgery, which will be the first week of October. I have to deal with that, plus two young kids, my 36 ADULT chickens , 6 geese, kitten, PLUS newly hatched chicks? Big ol’ nope. I’ll just have to watch everyone else’s babies hatching until my life settles down a bit.

 

[impr3]

Candled for the first time yesterday on Day 13 (I've been on call at the hospital so didn't have a chance to do so sooner). 11/18 are not developing, either clears or only early development with a blood ring. 5 of the remaining 7 look great, the other two are questionable but definitely have some development based on the amount of shadow and the dark shell limits seeing much else. *Fingers crossed for the remaining 7*

Well, I candled again on day 18 when I locked them down and was pretty sure only 1 was still going at that point with another vaguely possible. Because I'm an optimistic sucker I left all 7 of the remaining eggs even though I'm pretty sure some are definite quitters (I know it's an explosion risk...).

We're now at the end of day 21 and I risked a quick open of the bator after spritzing the whole surrounding area with water to up the humidity. No external pips and I don't think any internal pips either as I did a quick candle of our most promising egg. However, the promising egg's chick has gone from filling only 90% of the available space to 100% shadow other than the air cell so there's definitely been at least some growth since day 18. *fingers crossed*

Unless I hear peeps, I'm leaving it closed for the next two days to ensure I don't shrink wrap anyone...

 

[AusHen]

My broody enclosure needed repairs so missed putting the eggs under Bella. So I'll slip all 12 Silkies under her once they have hatched. Two have pipped so far

 

[NCchickentender]

Happy hatching!

 

[gimmie birdies]

22 were fertile
18 or 19 made it to lockdown
14 hatched.