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

[weegarden]

We had five chicks hatch total out of 7 in our classroom! 2 didn't make it. One was a little white silkie, and the rest were rocks! The kids are just thrilled. They are taking turns holding them, and just love them. The best part is watching them sneak over to the little blue chick cage, with a book about chickens, to read to the chicks! It is absolutely precious to watch them. My class is just going crazy with learning fun right now! The kids are having a ball! I have 4 eggs in another surprise incubator that could hatch today. They will love that!

 

[Purpletie3]

We had five chicks hatch total out of 7 in our classroom! 2 didn't make it. One was a little white silkie, and the rest were rocks! The kids are just thrilled. They are taking turns holding them, and just love them. The best part is watching them sneak over to the little blue chick cage, with a book about chickens, to read to the chicks! It is absolutely precious to watch them. My class is just going crazy with learning fun right now! The kids are having a ball! I have 4 eggs in another surprise incubator that could hatch today. They will love that!

Wow- that is such a great experience to share with the kids! What a cool teacher you are!

 

[chickendreams24]

Update:
Candled quite a few of our eggs last night day 7

Still haven't counted all of them in the bator. Somewhere around 8 dozen... Yes I said 8 dozen. Never set eggs with fever lol

Day before yesterday I caught the bator up to 113 according to my previously calibrated thermo. You can imagine I freaked this incubator has always been very steady and good to me. I caught it very very quickly and removed the turner(since the incubator is so overfilled we've been turning the whole bator instead of running the turner.) Pulled all the eggs out to cool and placed then each in cartons. I then added a little water and put in the grate tetris-ing nearly all the eggs into one layer this time lower and farther from the heat source. My humidity had gotten down to the 20% mark and into the upper teens that's why I added some water.

The temps have been much more stable since doing this. I have also been able without the turner in to actually rotate the lid of the bator instead of moving the eggs around to try and get a more even natural heat.

Many more of the eggs looked good than I thought they would, I'm hoping to have a good hatch despite the temp spike.

Will probably candle again in a couple of days to pull more clears.


Also if you can believe it. While letting the eggs cool and still a a bronchitis and sinus infection stupor and still feverish. I decided to rotate eating eggs in the fridge which I hadn't cleaned them out and hard-boiled them for the chickens for a couple weeks due to being so sick. While doing this I found silkie eggs belonging to my ladies that went broody... And can you believe I added them to the incubator?! They're a week behind so I guess my hatch is staggered now lol some of them were pretty old so probably won't do anything but it would be nice if they did. We'll see.

That also mean I inadvertently joined the cinco de Mayo Hatch-a-long lol.
I didn't even know it until I looked at the calendar.

Also with the added eggs we're closer to 9 dozen.



Last chicken pic on my phone...

My 6 week old white sport legbar pullet from @Junaid 's pre-Easter test hatch. I'm still looking for the perfect name for her. But I just love her and think she's stunning and oh so sweet!

 

[Laurel Meadows]

We had five chicks hatch total out of 7 in our classroom! 2 didn't make it. One was a little white silkie, and the rest were rocks! The kids are just thrilled. They are taking turns holding them, and just love them. The best part is watching them sneak over to the little blue chick cage, with a book about chickens, to read to the chicks! It is absolutely precious to watch them. My class is just going crazy with learning fun right now! The kids are having a ball! I have 4 eggs in another surprise incubator that could hatch today. They will love that!

Aww-kids reading to the chicks, how sweet!!
What lucky kids

They will remember these fun days in your classroom for years to come!

 

[Chaos18]

Currently updating the HAL list. Anybody have an update to add?

 

[PAchickenlover]

This is what my Svart Hona/Phoenix cross chicks look like. <3

Pretty, I bet that will be an awesome mix!

Thanks, its fun watching your projects grow up.. I still don't know if this one is a pullet or a rooster. I have two projects that I'm working on right now.

 

[kimalulu]

Omg so i had chick fever and wanted to get some Speckled Sussex or Wyandottes when they come in or find different color Orpingtons and ohhhh I still do...

But now..

Those TSC chicks are soooo cute.

And we are going to have a whoooooleeeeeee empty coop once this one gets finished that I was going to just toss. And.. well... now THAT would just be a waste.

And even the guy at TSC said to fill it with more chickens!!!

And ANYWAYS.

Well now some certain enablers have turned me onto eBay for hatching eggs...

And let me just say...

Now I have HATCHING fever and want to hatch my own chicks.

Don't know if eBay would be good though, maybe local would be better.

And of course this is all just a dream right now but even my mom said maybe and I say we just simply CAN'T let that coop go to waste, right? Right!?

And it is best suited to a couple absolutely adorable pet bantams.

It must happen...

Simply must.

And I mean, we still have the heating pad from our last MHP plus a heat lamp if we must. Can't let that go to waste either.

Somebody tell me this is a bad idea. Convince me not to.

Bad plan..

I just KNOW you ENABLERS on here won't do that thougg and will tell me to get both the bantams AND more large fowl

The worst thing you could do is not get enough and have them be lonely.:yiipchick

 

[Laurel Meadows]

Currently updating the HAL list. Anybody have an update to add?

My shipped bantam Cochin eggs had to be pulled.

All clears and very early quitters. So my bators are empty

But I do plan on setting again next week! More Marans and I'm looking for something else to set but haven't decided yet....
Suggestions anyone??

 

[lizzy14]

Tonight I'll put our eggs in lockdown. I'm excited to take out the blocks that I've been using as makeshift turners, then I won't have to worry anymore about smooshing eggs

There is something in the lid of the bator that at a certain angle will bump into any propped up egg - I smashed a second one last night. It's just dented in the air cell portion, anyone ever hatched successfully after that? I'm going to candle today & check for life. I have some beeswax that I can melt and put over the broken areas...this is to prevent moisture loss and bacteria seepage right?

Anyways here's what I'm entering lockdown with:
approx. 9 Rhodebar/CCL , 3 Welsummer/CCL, 2 Blue Andalusian/CCL, 6 Dominique/Rhodebar OR CCL (one of these is the smooshed one though!)

Can't wait!

 

[Pensmaster]

Currently updating the HAL list. Anybody have an update to add?

Good morning Chaos don't know if this is considered an update. I moved two of the broodies to a completely different coop because not only did they stop laying but so did the other 20 hens. Since selling eggs is their way of making ends meet I'm trying to get things back in order.

So 18 eggs left out of 40 but I expect the number to go back up once they settle in.