September Hatch-A-Long

[Finge]

Welp, I have eggs that are due to hatch first week of September, so I thought i'd just start the September hatch a long!

I have RIR and hopefully a few polish mix eggs in the incubator due for the first week of September, I just added 13 more eggs in there, same breeding group.

The first batch had 4 clears, while I have 3 eggs that i'm not sure about, they seem to be developing, but not as fast as the rest, so I moved them closer to the heat source to help them a long.

These eggs are my second try at hatching eggs, a test run before I start buying expensive eggs, so I know I can actually hatch chicks. My first batch, I had a rough start and finish, first 4 days with a faulty DIY incubator that probably killed half the eggs in the 2nd day, and during lock down my power went out, all three days, and the temp got to 115 when I locked them down to retain heat.

These eggs, knock on wood, have been doing great, no temp going all over the place, it's been at 99 and gets to 101 during the night, but they seems fine, so hopefully I can get some littles before winter sets in.

 

[Jetblack2004]

Sounds good! I wish I could join you, but I'm afraid I've packed up the incubator for this year. I have a RIR cockerel but his fertility is really bad (due to his age and getting later in the year). I need to get a fresh cockerel for next year.
Maybe if you do a Hatch-A-Long spring-summer time next year, I could join you!

-Jet

 

[Finge]

Ah, I think this batch is my last one for the year, since it'll be hard to keep chicks in an outside brooder in Missouri winter.

 

[Impatient]

Just started a fresh batch of 8 eggs so guess I'm part of the September hatch along lol

 

[ChickenMath101]

Since mine are hatching in September this is probably where I belong. I candled today and was thrilled with what I saw. (Set on 8/24 so day 6.) Shipped eggs, and I knew the supplier was sitting at maybe 60% fertility. I ordered 36 and received (I think?) 70. I had two badly cracked eggs I didn't notice previously. Out of around 68 remaining, I had approx. 36 with good veining. I saw 5 bouncing wiggly babies, which are completely incredible. And probable 8 blood rings but I'm waiting to call it, just in case my inexperience leads to a needless demise. The rest were clears or very difficult to see. So everything went back into the bator and I'm hoping for great development in the next week. Images are one egg with good veins and the other (I think) is a quitter. Lots to learn!
Babies are due approx. September 14.

 

[ChickenMath101]

(This is my first ever incubation attempt. Sportsman 1500 and 1550 incubator and hatcher. Humidity currently approx 43% and temp 99.7 degrees.)

 

[Honora]

Mine are due to hatch Sept. 13. 8 eggs left in the bator, 4 EE's and 4 Orpingtons!

 

[ChickenMath101]

Out of 36 eggs ordered, I received around 70. I discovered two with cracks. Today I did a quick candle (day 9) and saw approximately 15 bouncing baby chicks. 3 Jubilee Orpingtons, 6 Jubilee/Blue Jubilee Orpingtons, and 6 Silver Laced Orpingtons. There are a couple questionables either due to dark shells, or very porous shells. Lots of clears. A couple of blood rings. I expected lots of empties due to low seasonal fertility rates. (Around 60% fertility currently.) So far, for my first ever hatch with shipped eggs on the off season I think we are sitting pretty good. 15/36 ordered puts me at 42%. (Do we count the empties/infertiles when determining hatch rate, or no?) If we only count the ones that started growing and then died, I have maybe 2-3 blood rings and 15 live babies out of 18. If we have to count everybody, it's 15:68. 22% isn't as nice, hah.

 

[Finge]

Math, I only count the ones that develop, as I don't think it's logical to count eggs that weren't going to hatch even before we put them in the incubator. That's just how I look at it.

and for your first batch, do you do dry hatching or normal? I've heard that chicks hatch better with the dry hatching method, that's what I used on my first batch, though Im not a reliable source for that xD

 

[ChickenMath101]

Thanks!
Humidity is sitting @ 43%, I'm using a GQF Sportsman cabinet incubator and they recommend 45-55%. One study I read recommended 45% rather than 55%, based on hatch rates, weight of chicks at birth, growth in the first week, and death rates after hatch. I suppose doing a "dry" hatch is entirely dependent on humidity in room air. Mine is at 20% with no added water, and we haven't had rain in over 50 days.

Math, I only count the ones that develop, as I don't think it's logical to count eggs that weren't going to hatch even before we put them in the incubator. That's just how I look at it.

and for your first batch, do you do dry hatching or normal? I've heard that chicks hatch better with the dry hatching method, that's what I used on my first batch, though Im not a reliable source for that xD