***SEPTEMBER HATCH-A-LONG come join in***

[SilverPhoenix]

Nice to see all this happy hatching and candling and setting going on! It's so interesting, exciting, and encouraging hearing about everyone's hatches!

Day 12 just ended and day 13 is beginning, and of course I couldn't resist candling again. I saw definite movement in every single one of the sixteen serama eggs! I must say, it never gets old candling. Watching the little embryo move around, spotting body parts, seeing the veins and the umbilical cord... I just love it! It feels so miraculous every time, especially when the eggs were shipped halfway across the country. Just a little over a week to go, and as you all know it's going to be the longest week plus ever.

Candled the four eggs under my broody serama hen and they're doing great as well! I've got to move her inside soon so she has a safe place for her chicks to hatch. I think there are still at least three to five days to go on those (hard to say for certain as I don't know what day she started setting, but based off the candling and estimation), but I guess I'll find out when they hatch.

Sending good thoughts and happy hatching vibes out to everyone.

May we all have lots of cute, healthy chicks (ducklings/quail/peafowl/guineas/whatever you're hatching) soon!

 

[callducklover20]

Pip #3

come on out babies

 

[Gerbil]

4 pips!!!!!

 

[Lesalynn]

Hey Rita, you're not alone in going through a bit of confusion when it comes to candleing and incubating. There are no 'set' days for candleing, really. I try and wait til after 8 or so days...and that's just because I'd like to be able to at least see some 'veining' when I do. If you see some veining, then your egg is usually doing good. Sometimes I candle every few days, sometimes I only candle 3 times...around day 8 or so, then half-way through, and again on lockdown day. When I candle at the half-way period, I take a sharpie marker in the closet with me, that way I can put a '?' on the ones that look a little 'iffy'. (Yeah, I candle in my closet...darkest spot in the house....can't tell you how many times I've scared the daylights out of my BF

) Now, if you mark those 'iffy' eggs, then when you candle them on lockdown day, you can tell right off the bat whether or not they're doing anything. If still looking the same, of course you toss them at that point. Now, I'm not saying you should do it 'my' way, just sharing my experiences with ya. You'll find what works for you, just dig in and don't give up. Good luck with your hatch, I'm sure you'll do fine.

Lesa

 

[Lesalynn]

Hooray, Gerbil!!

Come on chickies

 

[Gerbil]

Both of the white Silkies are piped!!! Please let them be showgirls! Please let them be showgirls! PLEASE!!!!! I want show girls....

 

[Lesalynn]

I am so jealous!!!! I want silkies....and I want 'em bad.

I tried hatching out some shipped silkie eggs in my last batch. They made it to lockdown, but had power outages that weekend.

On the bright side....my friend is sending me a second shipment of eggs today. We're gonna try, try again. They'll be lucky around here if I even let the bator out of my sight this time. Thinking I'll bed down on the sofa during lockdown.....

Can't wait to see pics of those Showgirls, Gerbil. (Maybe if we call them that enough, you'll get what you're wishing for

)

 

[callducklover20]

I know Im so

come on everyone make it out-I love hatch day

 

[featherbaby]

Today is my 21st day. Yesterday I had one hatch out and one pip. This morning the pipped one was out. I hope they were just early and that the other 9 will pip soon. I checked them all this morning...no pips.

How long should I wait before I cry?

They were shipped eggs, but came in looking good and have been under faithful broodies ever since. I had a very poor hatch rate when I used an incubator in the spring, so this is my first (and possibly last) attempt at hatching the old fashioned way...under a hot hen!

I promised myself I wouldn't check them again until after lunch today. COME ON BABIES! PIP AND ZIP! PIP AND ZIP! PIP AND ZIP!

 

[Lotsapaints]

I candled and only tossed out 4 eggs so still have 14 that are looking good next week lock down