She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[WVduckchick]

The last one is definitely a pullet. Not sure about the others.

Thanks! I was thinking the same! They won't hold still for pics!

 

[sideWing]

Great looking setup Don. What are the barrels for? Individual breeding pens?

How do you handle the watering situation? To keep it from freezing in particular.

Thank you for posting.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Okay my little Roo is out!!!!! Lol!!! Super cute non the less. Any one want to buy a CCL Cockerel from me?

Congrats!!

Hi I have been reading this post for the past 2 days. Love it! I haven't hatched in three years, because I moved from NY to PA, and I couldn't take my flock with me. I'm ready to start again. My coop is almost done. I couldn't find hatching eggs or chicks locally. So I purchase pullet chicks from Cackle Hatchery; 9 EE's and 7 Salmon Faverolle. And Shipped eggs 19 from a friend in NJ and 12 from Ebay. I bought a Brinsea 6 years ago, because it had great reviews (set it and leave it - fully automatic - just add water) and I was a novice. And most of the time I had great hatches with. 85% on shipped eggs. That % might have been higher because my first egg autopsy was my last. Couldn't handle the smell. So I might have had infertile eggs. All my eggs were to dark to candle, BCM, OE, EE, and Ameraucanas. But I am a researcher. So I started rereading Incubating information and there new data on hatching. Excellent or is it! I knew about weighing eggs but didn't. "New rules for shipped eggs" - don't turn them for 10 days, close the vent for 7 days but this has a major effect on humidity and appears contradictory. And everyone is suggesting humidity should be lower. A 2 hour cool down period should be done. And timing - warnings about lock down should be exactly 18 full days, not +/- a few hours. Okay I'm not a scientist, I am a financial analyst and except 4% variances. I set the eggs last Friday at 7pm. I did weigh each one, numbered them and candled them for cracks. Created a log and a calendar. The turner is not on. I put a 1/4 cup of water in 1 channel and closed the vent. Now the humidity stayed in the 50's. Tomorrow at 7ish I will candle turn on the turner and go back to my old "set and leave them method". I think the less I handle them the better. I did buy a new cool temp candler for dark eggs, so I have to use it. This other stuff is too much - will it improve my hatch rate or quality - IDK. Other than not turning - is any of the "new rules" important?

Welcome to the thread!!

Thanks! I was thinking the same! They won't hold still for pics!

Mine don't either very well....lol

 

[rossfam06]

So he is fluffing out very nicely. And sleeping on my chest.

 

[RubyNala97]

Very nice setup!!

 

[rossfam06]

Ih....SC....nice coops. I need to build one like your aqua one. Lol!!!!

 

[snowbird]

Quote: I use the one pint plastic hang on wire cup. In winter put water in twice a day. I used these to seperate single Birds out in when I was showing a few year ago. This wall has 150 Barrells and I can seperate out over three hundred birds along with the Cages inside the Building. Where I live the Barrells are faced tho the north and that way no rain or snow in them. They are best in a shady area. Will upload the brooder box's

 

[Joyryder]

Welcome to the thread!

I would turn the eggs after at least 4 days. Day 4-7 are the most important turning days. I wrote a whole post about it citing a scientific study -PDF, but I can't find it right now.

Thanks, I just put the turner on, unfortunately its the morning of the 6th day. Elizabeth White's paper does say up to 7 days. I do remember a post where someone said they not to turn until day 4 for shipped eggs.

Excerpt from SHIPPED EGGS CHEAT SHEET by Elizabeth White

With shipped eggs that have air cell damage, it's best to have them incubate in the upright position the entire time of incubation, without turning them at all for the first 7 days. This stabilizes the air cell and gives the embryo a better chance to start growing and get strong. After the first week, it is okay to start "turning" the eggs, by tipping them back and forth or side to side, always leaving the eggs in the upright position. Eggs that have the air cells damaged so bad that they'll shift all the way down the side of the egg have successfully been hatched doing it this way. To get them to hatch you first have to get the embryo growing & building up strength. That is always the biggest battle. That's what blood rings are in shipped eggs. The embryo starts and then dies because it can't attach itself properly in the egg. Sitting still in the incubator for up to 7 days allows the embryo to get off to a good start and facilitates healing of the air cell.

I' definitely going back to blue, especially because I'm always hatching darker eggs.

 

[RubyNala97]

Thanks, I just put the turner on, unfortunately its the morning of the 6th day. Elizabeth White's paper does say up to 7 days. I do remember a post where someone said they not to turn until day 4 for shipped eggs.
Excerpt from SHIPPED EGGS CHEAT SHEET by Elizabeth White

With shipped eggs that have air cell damage, it's best to have them incubate in the upright position the entire time of incubation, without turning them at all for the first 7 days. This stabilizes the air cell and gives the embryo a better chance to start growing and get strong. After the first week, it is okay to start "turning" the eggs, by tipping them back and forth or side to side, always leaving the eggs in the upright position. Eggs that have the air cells damaged so bad that they'll shift all the way down the side of the egg have successfully been hatched doing it this way. To get them to hatch you first have to get the embryo growing & building up strength. That is always the biggest battle. That's what blood rings are in shipped eggs. The embryo starts and then dies because it can't attach itself properly in the egg. Sitting still in the incubator for up to 7 days allows the embryo to get off to a good start and facilitates healing of the air cell.

I' definitely going back to blue, especially because I'm always hatching darker eggs.

I go by what Elizabeth White says also!

 

[silkiecuddles]

Oooh me likey.