Started eggs today! 3/30/12! Hatchalong anyone????

[Sharksandguitars]

Alright, I have 12 assorted color silkie eggs positioned in my mini bator! Join me!

 

[FlyingFChick]

Hi!
I set my eggs late last night, so I guess I can join you! It may have been just after midnight. This is my 2nd hatch this season. My first (which was also my first time EVER) did not turn out so well. I set 24 eggs. 5 of them were early quitters and only 6 of the 19 hatched. The ones that did hatch were 2 days early... They were so active and bounced the other eggs all over so I don't know if that is what happened. My husband opened the remaining eggs and they we almost all fully grown with yolk sacks attached and one actually had it's little beak in the air sac. It seems like the ones that hatched early were right under the heat source. I have added a computer fan this time to even out the air temp! Fingers crossed.

Have you done this before? This time I have about 12 Easter Eggers and 12 Easter Egger over ISA mixes. Hoping for the best!

 

[Sharksandguitars]

This is my second hatch too, and like you I had a bad last hatch. My brinsea mini eco quit working on me halfway through and when I was rushing to try it in another outlet I dropped the bator and 6 or 7 broke. Luckily I had 9 eggs in another borrow incubator. I ended up hatching 8 of the original eggs. I am hoping my brinsea doesn't go belly up again. I think my hubby fixed it.

WE can do this! hehe

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I'm setting eggs today too. This is my third hatch. My first I only hatched 4 of 18 eggs, and on my 2nd I switched to dry incubation, I hatched 8 of 12. The 4 that didn't hatch that time were infertile, so I felt pretty good about it. I'm setting more eggs this time. This morning I set 8 BLRW and 8 assorted Marans. This afternoon I'm setting more.

On a sad note, right after I set my eggs this morning, I went outside feeling all giddy about my hatch, only to find a yard full of feathers. I let my chickens free range yesterday, and unfortunately forgot to lock up the coop last night. Something wiped out my entire flock. Nothing left but feathers. This is my first predator, it it took every single chicken. I'm feeling like a terrible, terrible chicken mama.

 

[Sharksandguitars]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.... how horrible! I can only imagine how devastated you much be

I lost one of my favs about a week ago... and I cried like a little baby... I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Thanks. I don't know how I'm going to tell the kids. One of the hens in particular was very much a pet to my daughter. She would follow her around the yard, and even try to roost on her head. It's going to be a long day.

One thing is for sure. I've been planning to build a large enforced run, and now's the time to get started. These new chicks are going to have plenty of safe room to roam and explore.

Now I'm just waiting on the mailman to bring me the rest of my eggs.

 

[Sharksandguitars]

My incubator is on the fritz again... Hopefully I can get it to a good temp and it will stay there!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

What kind of incubator are you using? There's an incubation cheat sheet somewhere on here that had some really good advice for stablzing temps. Basically I think the suggestion was to do very minor adjustments once every 6 hours, and to be sure to give the thermostat plenty of time to adjust before fiddling with it again. I set up my incubator and let it run for 5 days beforehand out of paranoia

So I was expecting 2 more shipments of eggs yesterday, and since I had a tracking # that said they'd be arriving, I went ahead and set the first 8 eggs in the morning. I'm impatient. But...the mailman came, and no eggs. I'm hoping they'll turn up today. I feel pretty ok about a hatch that's only staggered by a day and a half. But if they don't make it till Monday, then things will be a little more complicated. There will be humidity and turning issues with the 2nd batch when the first goes into lockdown. Plus, if the 2nd batch is 3 days behind, that'll mean 6-8 days of hatching time altogether. I'll spend an entire week hovering over the incubator. It'll drive my BF crazy.

Lousy USPS.

 

[Sharksandguitars]

Okay, I candled a couple days early.. but I only see life in 5 of the 11 eggs On a better note, I recieved silkie eggs today, and they will go in my new bator tomorrow!!!

 

[Sharksandguitars]

Did they come??