Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

Way to go Bee. Candle again on day 10!

Sure will...that will be Saturday. I had missed two days on the calendar on my hatch count and so had to change all the days and will actually be hatching on or around the 17th of April instead of the 19th.

I may try to rig up a toilet paper roll addition to my flashlight to see if that will focus my light better and I can get a better visualization.

 

[Lacy Blues]

Sure will...that will be Saturday. I had missed two days on the calendar on my hatch count and so had to change all the days and will actually be hatching on or around the 17th of April instead of the 19th.

I may try to rig up a toilet paper roll addition to my flashlight to see if that will focus my light better and I can get a better visualization.

Does this mean your previous day 4 was actually day 6?

 

[fisherlady]

Quote: Perfect timing maybe then... I got a couple of pics of my contraption today when I was cleaning roosting shelves. Didn't get a chance to transfer them to computer till just a short while ago since DH and I set up a new brooder this evening for the meaties. Thankfully they are now outside and the playpen brooder is now cleaned and ready for the next batch of meaties (we buy in 2 or 3 groups of 12, about 2 weeks apart, so butchering can be staggered)
When the weather dries out more this first batch will be moving to our trailer which has a canvas cover top on it and it will be enclosed in chain link panels so it can be moved about in the yard to make our own 'chicken tractor' out of it. The trailer holds our coal over the winter, and chickens in the spring. LOL

Here is my candler... please don't laugh too hard!




Take a dark, heavy bag, cut a X in the bottom center, the same size as the tube you are using... this creates 4 flaps, push 2 opposite flaps up into the bag, and the other two down through the bottom... this helps provide a better attachment point for the tube. Then simply wrap the heck out of it with duct tape. The tube sticks up into the bag at least 1.5". I can actually stand a flashlight up on its end on a flat surface and cover it with the bag, then have 2 hands to hold and maneuver the egg, though I am still careful to steady it.

 

[Beekissed]

Does this mean your previous day 4 was actually day 6?

Nope...it was still Day 4 and today was Day 5. I had just misnumbered everything on the calendar in April.

Guys...I just cannot begin to tell you how excited I am and how much I'm praising God right now. I couldn't help myself and candled all the eggs tonight..all but about 3-4 eggs are developing!!! Those look like infertile eggs. The rest have chicken parts in there, blood vessels and the air cells have enlarged just since the last time I looked~at just the rate they are supposed to! No wonder I couldn't see anything I was supposed to be seeing...it simply wasn't there.

Do you know what this means???? It means the method is working and it was most likely the egg viability in those other nests that prevented a good hatch rate. The method works!!!! Now, if I can just not mess anything up until they make it to hatch I'll be so very joyful!

If they make it to the end, I'll have about 2 doz. little mutt mix chicks runnin' around here.

Hallelujah!!!!

 

[BaileyBoy]

Just got my"brooder" set up. Cant wait to try my experiment. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/868387/brooder-incubating-experiment/20#post_13153007

 

[Beekissed]

Perfect timing maybe then... I got a couple of pics of my contraption today when I was cleaning roosting shelves. Didn't get a chance to transfer them to computer till just a short while ago since DH and I set up a new brooder this evening for the meaties. Thankfully they are now outside and the playpen brooder is now cleaned and ready for the next batch of meaties (we buy in 2 or 3 groups of 12, about 2 weeks apart, so butchering can be staggered)
When the weather dries out more this first batch will be moving to our trailer which has a canvas cover top on it and it will be enclosed in chain link panels so it can be moved about in the yard to make our own 'chicken tractor' out of it. The trailer holds our coal over the winter, and chickens in the spring. LOL

Here is my candler... please don't laugh too hard!




Take a dark, heavy bag, cut a X in the bottom center, the same size as the tube you are using... this creates 4 flaps, push 2 opposite flaps up into the bag, and the other two down through the bottom... this helps provide a better attachment point for the tube. Then simply wrap the heck out of it with duct tape. The tube sticks up into the bag at least 1.5". I can actually stand a flashlight up on its end on a flat surface and cover it with the bag, then have 2 hands to hold and maneuver the egg, though I am still careful to steady it.

Laugh??? It's ingenious! Duct tape is our friend. I'll have to look for just such a bag and try this as I am always fumbling with the two lights and the egg when marking air cells and I'm afraid I'll drop one. If I rig up one I'll try to post it here too. If I cannot find a dark bag, I'll utilize some black Gorilla tape to make it so.

I love it that you dual purpose your trailer and stagger your meat birds in that way....very wise. I have a particular fondness for versatility in an object, animal and person, as it increases their value.

 

[Cowpoke]

I will second that Hallelujah!!!! It sounds like you are on the right track Bee! This is Exciting!!! If we keep continuing the prayers and closely monitoring of the temp and not get any surprised spikes.....You may very well have a couple dozen lil cuties
running around! I'm with You, as well as many more! And Congratulations........God Please grant me the serenity and patience to tend to this clutch and help bring these Lil peeps into this world that you have created.

And a Big Thank You for opening this ever growing thread that has truly given us all much more knowledge!

 

[RoseMarie1]

Sure will...that will be Saturday. I had missed two days on the calendar on my hatch count and so had to change all the days and will actually be hatching on or around the 17th of April instead of the 19th.

I may try to rig up a toilet paper roll addition to my flashlight to see if that will focus my light better and I can get a better visualization.

yeah I wanna try that to Bee.

 

[RoseMarie1]

Perfect timing maybe then... I got a couple of pics of my contraption today when I was cleaning roosting shelves. Didn't get a chance to transfer them to computer till just a short while ago since DH and I set up a new brooder this evening for the meaties. Thankfully they are now outside and the playpen brooder is now cleaned and ready for the next batch of meaties (we buy in 2 or 3 groups of 12, about 2 weeks apart, so butchering can be staggered)
When the weather dries out more this first batch will be moving to our trailer which has a canvas cover top on it and it will be enclosed in chain link panels so it can be moved about in the yard to make our own 'chicken tractor' out of it. The trailer holds our coal over the winter, and chickens in the spring. LOL

Here is my candler... please don't laugh too hard!




Take a dark, heavy bag, cut a X in the bottom center, the same size as the tube you are using... this creates 4 flaps, push 2 opposite flaps up into the bag, and the other two down through the bottom... this helps provide a better attachment point for the tube. Then simply wrap the heck out of it with duct tape. The tube sticks up into the bag at least 1.5". I can actually stand a flashlight up on its end on a flat surface and cover it with the bag, then have 2 hands to hold and maneuver the egg, though I am still careful to steady it.

that's actually a good idea I think! yep duct tape and clear silicone.....love the stuff and don't know what i'd do without it. lol

 

[AmericanMom]

Sure will...that will be Saturday. I had missed two days on the calendar on my hatch count and so had to change all the days and will actually be hatching on or around the 17th of April instead of the 19th.

I may try to rig up a toilet paper roll addition to my flashlight to see if that will focus my light better and I can get a better visualization.

I use my dads old slide projector and a toilet paper roll, My eyes aren't so good either and this gives off a very good beam of light..

Glad to hear about the little eggs and what you can already see... Broody butt is really determined, hasn't gotten off the nest for two days, I gave her a boost off today for a few min to eat some boiled egg yolk and have a poop run, candled a few and the air cells are looking really good, a few of them are starting to dip.. She didn't stay off long..