Setting Feb 16, want to join in>Hatch-Along

[hokankai]

Lockdown for you guys starts tomorrow at whatever time you set them. The day you set is day 0. For me I figure out hatch day by looking at a calendar and just going down 3 squares

Well one of my shipped bantam BRs looks a little odd in there. It's blood vessels are smaller and not spread throughout the egg, and it has been hanging out right near the shell since the beginning. Funny thing is it's still alive because I can see it moving and its heart beating IN ITS CHEST. I think it might be deformed or something, but I can't make myself cull it so I'll let nature take its course. :\

 

[heyheypaula]

Bummer. I was so excited to put them in lockdown today! Tomorrow it is. I guess we are expecting them to hatch Friday then? That's the one day I can't be home all day! The egg carton is probably a good idea, the only thing I can think of that would have caused my Lavender Orpington to stop developing on day 12 is because I took all my eggs out of the carton that day so I could start turning them properly. I am kicking myself now! Oh well, as long as SOMETHING hatches I will be pretty excited. AND because I have such a low hatch rate I can try again!

 

[hokankai]

Just lost the one I was worried about. Its organs were outside of its body cavity. Too bad

 

[frankensusan]

Yeah, you have a range of about 13% to 16% weight loss, I've seen different opinions on what's best. From my own experience, I have far more trouble with the eggs that are over weight rather the ones that are under weight. The slightly under-weight ones all hatch early and fine, the over-weight ones often hatch late or don't hatch at all, even though they had visible movement right up until the last day or so. But that's just my own experience, I'm not a large scale hatcher. I usually shoot for 15% weight loss on all of my target days, but I don't fret if I am within a whole gram either side (I always am setting standard size eggs, though - if they were banty eggs I might narrow my range). I also move eggs over into the hatcher (high humidity) on whatever day they approach target weight. So sometimes I have one egg ready to go in the hatcher on day 17, and a few that stay in the main incubator (lower humidity) right up until they pip internally.

Huh. I don't get the same percent loss as you said. Here is my new improved better spreadsheet!

For any data geeks that want to check my math. I have a couple eggs I didn't include because they are set a few days later and skew everything. Luckily I have a second incubator that I'm using for hatching. I guess I'm really close to moving them over.. Like tomorrow night maybe? I set them on 2/16 at night. I have 9 total that look like they are going to go into the hatcher. All of the other ones were non-starters. Looks like I will have a variety pack. 2 tiny bantam eggs, 5 blue cochin, and 2 Wynadotte (the ones I set late). I guess it's time to set up the brooder and pick up some chick starter.


Egg ID Weight rcvd predicted daily weight loss in grams (b) weight day 12 2/27 expected weight loss calculated weight loss difference percent lost weight day 17 3/4 expected weight loss calculated weight loss difference percent lost
blk c1

43.20​

0.2674​

39.40​

3.21​

3.80​

-0.59​

8.80​

37.85​

4.55​

5.35​

-0.80​

14.13​

blk c3

44.90​

0.2780​

41.25​

3.34​

3.65​

-0.31​

8.13​

39.80​

4.73​

5.10​

-0.37​

12.81​

10

56.95​

0.3525​

51.90​

4.23​

5.05​

-0.82​

8.87​

49.90​

5.99​

7.05​

-1.06​

14.13​

12

51.35​

0.3179​

47.60​

3.81​

3.75​

0.06​

7.30​

45.95​

5.40​

5.40​

0.00​

11.75​

14

64.90​

0.4018​

59.70​

4.82​

5.20​

-0.38​

8.01​

57.50​

6.83​

7.40​

-0.57​

12.87​

15

51.00​

0.3157​

46.90​

3.79​

4.10​

-0.31​

8.04​

45.15​

5.37​

5.85​

-0.48​

12.96​

17

61.55​

0.3810​

56.35​

4.57​

5.20​

-0.63​

8.45​

54.50​

6.48​

7.05​

-0.57​

12.94​

 

[frankensusan]

Went into lockdown tonight!( i set on the 13 th) i am sooooo excited

So excited! Now for the longest 3-5 days ever.

Susan

 

[frankensusan]

Just lost the one I was worried about. Its organs were outside of its body cavity. Too bad

Aw bummer. I was just re-reading my hatching guide and they made a point of saying that there will always be some eggs that do not hatch / chicks who do not survive, through no fault of the caretaker, they were just genetically messed up from the start. I really hold on to that. Still sucks.
Susan

 

[frankensusan]

I have the same question Paula I set them at 9am on the 15th but I was thinking that tomorrow is the 18th day??? I've got myself in a tizzy because, as usual, I'm over thinking things and obsessing! So sorry about your lavender orp. After my last candling I ended up with 12 potential eggs. 5 of them (b/b/s orpingtons) are from a 15 egg shipment. They are the only ones to develope from that shipment and all 5 have these huge saddle like air cells. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they make it.
I'm planning to have mine hatch out of cut down egg cartons because of some things I've read on this site.

Hey Jengro I am in the saddle club with you. So nervous. I've never had this before so it will be interesting. I'm fussing over everything now to give them the best chance. I think I'm going to put one of those rubber mat things on the bottom of the hatcher so they can roll, but not crazy roll. I remember last time the first chicks out really tossed around the other eggs that were trying to hatch, but I just had them on the wire! There's so much more information now. I set mine at night on the 16th. Crossing my fingers for all of us!
Susan

 

[Of Three Oaks]

Hey all, I got onto this hatch a bit late. Looks like some exciting stuff! I am always appreciative of those who have good media skills and upload videos and pictures of all the crazy steps of a chick's life. I am more of a in-the-moment guy and always forget to document occasions.

I have two Black Copper Maran hens that have already gone broody last month and I have set 10-12 eggs under each of them. This is their first brood so I am taking extra time to observe them for good motherly traits.

The first momma-to-be has been pooping right off/on her nest without getting up which is a big no-no. I had to clean the eggs with warm water and a hankie when i first candled them, but she has seemed to wise up since those first weeks. We have the brooding boxes lined with empty feed sacks to keep it off the cement and hay on top to form the nest/floor. This girl had somehow worked two eggs under the hay in her nest... I dug them up and tried to form the nest a bit more so they wouldn't fall through. We will see how many she ends up hatching. When i candled about day 10 they all seemed to be developing (can't see through the dang maran eggs though, just have to assume they are doing well). She is due on the 10th of March, this next weekend.

The second momma-to-be has been doing very well. "Laying" enormous poops when she gets off to stretch and eat a bit. and has only left the nest twice or so since sitting about a week ago. I have more faith in her brood and am excited to see how she is with mothering the baby chicks when they pop out the 20th of March!

I will try to remember to take pics and maybe even a video or two! With cell phones that do it all now a days I really have no good excuse not to.

Cheers!

 

[Jmurph]

Okay, so chickens went into lockdown tonight. Ducks went into lockdown this afternoon, ( I started my ducks a week early.) I am a first time hatcher, so I get really excited about the milestones. I think I may have already mentioned that I am a full time student. But anyway, I am sitting at my dining room table, heavily engrossed in some equilibrium chemistry tables and vaporization pressure and a bunch of stuff that I have a really hard time with, when I think I may hear some "peeping"..I think..."naw, I am just brain dead"...then I think I hear it again....I wait for an hour, because that is honestly how long it takes me to master some of this chemistry stuff and I walk over to the incubator....I say "HELLLOOOO LITTLE DUCKIES" and one egg starts wiggling all around. I say it again, and I get the same response. Now, because I am soooo excited, I proceed to coerce my 17 year old daughter to come down to "see something cool"...This time I get two to wiggle. She appears to be unimpressed. Then I proceed to call my husband at work...he appears to be unimpressed...Now I AM HERE...where I should have come in the first place!!LOL.

The ducks are in a Brinsea with an automatic egg turner. I like the bator, but the egg turner didn't work for crap with the duck eggs. I think they were too heavy. I started with 7 eggs, and one developed a blood ring early on. Now I am down to 6. When I candled the other day, I saw movement in 5/6. I left them all. SOOO>>>>How long before I see something else that is spectacular?

My still air has my chick eggs in it. Humidity and temp are good for lockdown. How often do you check the humidity? I put the sponges in and the humidity is hovering between 67 - 70. I put them in under the holes in the top, so I could add more water if I need. I have a syringe and a straw.

The brooder boxes are set and I am hoping for the best. OMG! This is just like waiting for grandchildren to be born.

Okay...so someone post so I can hear that I am not the only one with this huge fascination over what is happening! Wish you all good hatches!!!

 

[hokankai]

Hahaha just wait until you get pips! Get your homework done now because you'll be glued to the incubator . I seriously spent two whole days just waiting for chicks to hatch!

The next thing you'll see is a pip where the chick or duckling pokes through the shell. After 8-24 hours they'll start to turn and zip the shell...and then they'll pop out! I check my humidity whenever I feel like it, haha. It's not quite as important now as it is when they pip though so I wouldn't sweat it too much right now.

Good luck