September Hatch-A-Long

[JekkaLynn]

I feel ya on the long wait, but you'll have a collection of wonderful egg pictures too!!!





I know!!!  Being able to check the temp constantly is probably not a good idea.  You sound like the kind of hatcher that I am.
What day are your eggs on?
There's a thread (I think) search "candling pics" and you should be able to find a thread that has pictures of candling of almost every day.  You might check that out.
I hit the chocolate hard when I'm hatching too.  I'm looking forward to an incubator with a thermostat and automatic turner, so I don't blow up like a balloon every time I want to hatch eggs.  Turning them five times a day and checking the temp and fretting when it gets up around 105 and all that other stuff that goes along with that level of interaction with the eggs...

I think I am on day 7 but the broody started the hatch bad I stole the eggs from her because she weight less then 3 pounds and was sitting on 18 eggs! And my light isnt bright enough to get a really clear look at the eggs so are the candling pictures don't help as much as they should.

 

[earlyredrooster]

Candled all 9 eggs last night, they are all viable and my n.h. hen is supur protective of them. I wonder what she will do when her "chicks" bail off into the duck pool.

 

[COsteveo]

Candled half of my quail eggs on day 9 (yesterday), will do the rest tonight because I don't like having the incubator open that long with such small eggs. Pulled a few clears and early quitters, including one that was starting to weep.

 

[duluthralphie]

How do you tell "quiters? I am never sure about them.

clears I can tell

 

[JekkaLynn]

So I candled again today.I have one for sure dead. One probably dead. Three hard to tell but probably good. Eleven I saw movement but about half seemed smaller. And one moved but seems a lot bigger and darker then the others. My broody was sitting one two different sized eggs and the smallest eggs seem to be developing faster except for the one egg that seems to be a good couple days further along.
The eggs I took from my fridge and the coop and put in the incubator have one clear and 6 developing. They are only on day 3 or so.

 

[COsteveo]

How do you tell "quiters? I am never sure about them.

clears I can tell

I don't have it down to an exact science, but when candling a bunch of eggs I can tell which aren't as dark as the rest i.e. when most eggs are completely dark, early quitters are not as dark and/or only dark in the middle. Definitely a few days behind at a minimum and not likely to hatch successfully.

 

[Y N dottes]

can I join?

I am going to be setting eggs on Thursday in a homemade incubator. have been testing it for a week and I am able o get it stable with almost no variance. just an experiment hatch with a mix of eggs and breeds

 

[duluthralphie]

can I join?

I am going to be setting eggs on Thursday in a homemade incubator. have been testing it for a week and I am able o get it stable with almost no variance. just an experiment hatch with a mix of eggs and breeds

You do realize using a homemade incubator allows you to add 34 percent to your hatching rate.. I recently learned chicken math.

Did you by the eggs? Were they shipped? These give you a bonus too.

And welcome to the hatch a long

 

[Y N dottes]

Quote:
yes I bought them and they are being shipped.

didn't know that about homemade incubators and hatching rates....I think there will be around 18 eggs to set (depending on extra eggs shipped and how many make it). I'll be happy if 6 hatch.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ok, How I understand hatching rates:

Homemade incubator .....34
Shipped eggs ..................46
Not home raised eggs......26

Total...............................106%

Your base rate is 106%......

If a chick dies within 2 days it is a freebee.
So 6 eggs hatching will get you around 139% hatch rate!! Not bad for a first try.

It has taken me 2 months to figure this chicken math out.