"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long Hosted by Mike & Sally

[tao chick]

Does anyone hatch their own cornish cross chickens? I have dual purpose breeds but with an incubator that holds more eggs I'd like to hatch a breed that can be pastured and dressed in ~ 3 months. Let me know what you recommend.

My hatch is finally over. The incubator has been cleaned and 20 Ancona duck eggs already set! Yes!!!!

I am new to incubating and there were two parts I struggled with; not assisting hatching and the egtopsy. I did not assist our chicks but it was very hard to resist at one point. In the end not assisting was the right thing to do, had I helped it hatch I would have done that chick no favors! The egtopsy was VERY hard for me, but I feel it is SO VALUABLE. It was so difficult for me my husband did it for/with me. We learned more about candling and chick development from the egtopsy then a book told us. It also gave me information to use in the future about my incubator, egg suppliers, chick development.

So, here are my final results for the Farmers Market vs Micro Farm hatching.
Farmers Market, sold as fertile eggs
18 eggs set, 5 fertile
4 hatched (2 normal, 1 yolk not fully absorbed(minor) and 1 malpositioned w/naval issues and kinda crusty)
1 was a day 20 or 21 death

Micro Farm, sold as fertile eggs
12 set, 10 fertile
10 hatched normal
The farmer told me yesterday that she suspected her welsummer eggs were infertile due to her ladies avoiding her rooster. I confirmed that tonight when I opened them.

Total
15 fertile eggs, 14 hatched (1 didn't make it to 24 hours old though... Poor #14, we tried, we did try so hard.

Great learning experience!

Hi All!!  

This is my update for the April Spring along...

[COLOR=333333]Of the hatch for a friend eggs, I had 6 hatch  , 6 DIS  . 1 hatched 3/31, but 5 hatched 4/1.   I currently have 13 Salmon Favorelle and 13 of my silkie eggs going in to lockdown on 4/4.  I have 6 EE and 6 backyard mix eggs from a friend, plus 13 shipped blue/buff Cochin and 2 of my silkie eggs set on 3/27.   6 shipped silkie eggs, 12 auto sexing EEs and 19 frizzled EEs set on 4/1, but I snuck 6 more shipped silkie eggs in tonight!  nm still waiting for some more eggs that should arrive in a day or two.  Not sure how many, or what kinds, but I have space in the incubator - waiting for them![/COLOR]

Sounds pretty good so far.

 

[weegarden]

Good morning. The one pipped egg we have is still not hatched. My days start at 7 pm ( i couldn't wait to load the bator until the next morning

) Yesterday was day 19 and we had that one egg w/ a pip, its still chirping, the hole has got a little bigger. Anyway day 20 today. We cant wait to see the chicks hatch. But now im so nervous. I really hope all goes well. My 3yo son will be waking up soon and he really wants to see and have his own hatched chicks. His face when we hear them is the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Fingers crossed! Whats the groups hatch status? I saw some of the new chickes!

I am so excited for you! You are so close now! Just don't be tempted to open the incubator! It is so hard! You are almost there. They will just, all of a sudden, start to unzip, and make sure you don't miss that, because it is absolutely magical!!!! Have a ball! Wait until you see his face when that first one hatches! I'm excited for you!

 

[hEEather]

I am so excited for you! You are so close now! Just don't be tempted to open the incubator! It is so hard! You are almost there. They will just, all of a sudden, start to unzip, and make sure you don't miss that, because it is absolutely magical!!!! Have a ball! Wait until you see his face when that first one hatches! I'm excited for you!

i woke up and was kind of sad it hadnt hatched but it did pip a day early and now its really pipping and chirping. We are not gong to help. Im more afraid to hurt it than anything. We have another egg that just pipped and they have 4 i saw moving . Thanks! I cant wait to see his face. Im excited myself. Best experiment ever! Hes been helping me in our garden too. His questions...We growing pickles momma and we gonna make salad too And what my chickens eat in there momma? Then we planted all the seed in cups inside and they all pretty much have sprouted so hes having lots of spring fun! My daughter still just wants to smash it all and get dirty but she likes it too. Shes just turned 2 though.

 

[weegarden]

My hatch is going well! I set 11. 5 hatched already, 4 more are pipped, and one is zipping!
How fun! I am having a ball with all of these contests! And, this is my very first hatch-a-long!

 

[weegarden]

i woke up and was kind of sad it hadnt hatched but it did pip a day early and now its really pipping and chirping. We are not gong to help. Im more afraid to hurt it than anything. We have another egg that just pipped and they have 4 i saw moving . Thanks! I cant wait to see his face. Im excited myself. Best experiment ever!

Hes been helping me in our garden too. His questions...We growing pickles momma and we gonna make salad too And what my chickens eat in there momma?

Then we planted all the seed in cups inside and they all pretty much have sprouted so hes having lots of spring fun! My daughter still just wants to smash it all and get dirty but she likes it too. Shes just turned 2 though.

Your house sounds like my classroom! How fun!

 

[tao chick]

24 more eggs set from my flock. These will mostly be EE and OE F1 (Ameraucana Roo over many hens) but there's a slim chance of some Brabanter or Barnevelder genetics. I'll have to separate my groups this week then do test hatches over the next few weeks to see how the genetics work out. I was going to separate them already but I needed to patch the small coop fencing and today it is snowing with a high predicted of 20s. We probably have about a week left of wintery weather then spring raininess for the rest of April.

 

[weegarden]

24 more eggs set from my flock. These will mostly be EE and OE F1 (Ameraucana Roo over many hens) but there's a slim chance of some Brabanter or Barnevelder genetics. I'll have to separate my groups this week then do test hatches over the next few weeks to see how the genetics work out. I was going to separate them already but I needed to patch the small coop fencing and today it is snowing with a high predicted of 20s. We probably have about a week left of wintery weather then spring raininess for the rest of April.

I just did a bunch of separating last week. That is a big job, but it feels good when it is done. I can't wait for the spring rain! I'm ready. My chickens are too! Love your mug shot. What kind of chick is that?

 

[kybyxbee]

So nervous this morning, put eggs in lockdown last night, waiting for some kind of movement is hard. I just want some sign of life.

 

[hEEather]

8:22 1st chicks out its out of the egg and moving around all wobbly and chirping bit i think the egg and cord are still intact it not bloody but its like stuck to it. It seems to be dragging it to get free. Is this normal?

 

[hEEather]

8:22 1st chicks out its out of the egg and moving around all wobbly and chirping bit i think the egg and cord are still intact it not bloody but its like stuck to it. It seems to be dragging it to get free. Is this normal?

Now it moved and i can sew a little better. It looks like it will detach in a few more walks