setting today 9/15/11 - anyone else?

[teamsunbelt]

Quote:
I candeled this morning. This is my first try, so anything is great, above 50% would be amazing. It is 10 days and I have struggled leaving the incubator alone. So far I have lost:

3 Bantam Cochins
3 Blue Andalusians
3 Sumatras
1 Mix
1 Duck

I have 2 that I put a question mark on to see if it changes in a few days, if not they need to go. About half of my bad ones had blood rings, the other half never started.

I am using a LG still air. I have a LG thermometer and a digital Therm/Hygrometer in as well. I have been pulling one plug in and out to maintain temps. I have not added water, the humidity had bounced between 35% to 55% since day one. I have the turner as well. I will up the water level with sponges on day 18 for lockdown. The idea of walking away and letting it work is what I am stuggling with.

I started with 37 eggs, I am down to 26. With 5 of the chickens eggs never starting, I have only really lost 5 during the process. I am very happy with my results so far. Now if I can only get all 26 into a brooder.

 

[Cattitude]

I candled last night and had 3 that weren't developing, so I pulled those. Still plenty of eggs in the incubator! Go, chickies, go!

 

[chickette]

Quote:

You in Montana? Whereabouts?

No, I'm actually from BC Canada!

Candled the eggs this evening. 3 out of the 4 serama eggs set are developing normally. The oldest of the 4 eggs quit early. Really difficult to make any progress with only one hen laying every couple of days!!

Hi neighbour

I'm from BC Too. Go chickens Go!

 

[packmomma]

Any tips on candling dark brown eggs? I heard a mag light. I dont really have one available. I guess I could go buy one. Its just so hard to see in them. Same with the green eggs. They are porous and I heard they dont hatch well but I am still trying. With all the speckles its hard to see anything in there. I am waiting till day 10. I tried at day 3 and it looks like I have a couple that are no good but I figure by day 10 Ishould be able to tell better. I was using a reg little flashlight with my hand in a dark closet.

 

[HathawayHens]

It is very hard, but if you get an LED mag lite type flashlight, esp the ones that have the rubber piece to put on the end, and go into a really dark room with them, you should be able to at least compare the size of the shadowed areas in the eggs, and maybe even see the chicks moving. Seeing the veins is pretty hard in those dark eggs.

 

[HathawayHens]

Awesome!!!! 11/12 are still developing well. Here is a link to video of a happy little embryo swimming around:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10150318587597550

It is at my HathawayHens facebook page, link to the page is below. I am going to try to upload a still shot to post here.

 

[HathawayHens]

embryo at ten days. veins on the left and center, embryo is the light reddish blob, dark area to the right is the rest of the embryo and yolk sac blocking the light.

 

[chickette]

Wow! that is a really cool pic of the embryo moving around in the egg. Thanks

 

[dwegg]

i candled my eggs again last night just to make sure before I tossed some...

I had 23 silkie eggs

2 white good...5 white nothing (chucked)

9 BBS, partridge good...1 BBS started but looks like it stopped? will see

...and 1 blue nothing (chucked)

4 from the virgin - only been laying 2 weeks pen but GOOD!!!!! mystery colors

so I still have 16 out of 23 in the bator...

 

[chickette]

I did some candeling myself last night and out of 46 of my own eggs 44 are fertile

I am so happy

of coarse they will all be mutts but thats just fine with me! Take a cup of coffee outside, park a lawn chair by the chicken run and play "Guess Whos Daddy is Yours"

when they grow up

Life is good on the farm (today)