Thanksgiving Hatchalong

[Morigen]

Ok, on day 9. I fashioned together a homemade candler and it seems to work ok on these brown eggs. Not sure 100% of what I am looking for, but I was able to see (and draw) the air cells. I also weighed the eggs, which I also weighed on the day I collected them, but failed to do so right before going into the incubator. My scale does lbs and oz's, not grams, so it isn't as accurate as I would like but should be sufficient to get the job done.

Out of the 36 eggs, a little over half have lost between 4% and 6%. 11 are between 7% and 10%. 2 are just above 10% and 2 are near 20%. Of those last two, one looked clear to me.

For the most part I could see what appeared to be veins. Hopefully a few more candlings, and taking good notes, and I will start to learn what to look for.

A week from Sunday, and I go into lockdown.

 

[firedragon1982]

Well... got 12 more eggs today.

Also ordered a second incubator for a hatcher since we will be having a staggered hatch.

But on a side note I am glad we got another dozen, candled real quick when I added some water last night (day 10) and 3 of the 6 that had started quit

Still frustrated that half of the first dozen were clear at the 7 day candle. I know these eggs had a rough ride because of the detached air cells. But still. I wanted a good hatch

So batch #1 will be due 11/17

Batch #2 will be due 11/28.

And I may or may not have a 3rd dozen coming to me too...

 

[wornoutmomto3]

What to do..., what to do..., what to do? When I set my current chicken egg hatch only my brown egg layers were laying. Well, it would seem I have an olive egger laying now along with my two cream legbars and a white leghorn. I hate to see such beautiful eggs wasted on a delicious breakfast, when they could be hatched and chicks pop out. Lol! The problem is I don't know which rooster contributed to these eggs or if they are even any good for hatching (they are pullet eggs). *sigh... What to do..., what to do..., what to do!?!

If I do decide to hatch; where would I fit them in? My incubator is almost at capacity with 34 eggs. The challenges of computing chicken-math. Lol

 

[Chrysolinsbirds]

What to do..., what to do..., what to do? When I set my current chicken egg hatch only my brown egg layers were laying. Well, it would seem I have an olive egger laying now along with my two cream legbars and a white leghorn. I hate to see such beautiful eggs wasted on a delicious breakfast, when they could be hatched and chicks pop out. Lol! The problem is I don't know which rooster contributed to these eggs or if they are even any good for hatching (they are pullet eggs). *sigh... What to do..., what to do..., what to do!?!

If I do decide to hatch; where would I fit them in? My incubator is almost at capacity with 34 eggs. The challenges of computing chicken-math. Lol

What pretty eggs! I've successfully hatched pullet eggs before.

 

[Flockmama87]

Did my day 7 candling and out of 12, 11 are alive ang going strong and one quit super early, it has no veining and incomplete blood ring, but 11/12!!! This is my first time with shipped eggs. Some of them had detached air cells. I guess we'll see what happens at day 14 candling and who's made it another week!

 

[Laurel Meadows]

Did my day 7 candling and out of 12, 11 are alive ang going strong and one quit super early, it has no veining and incomplete blood ring, but 11/12!!! This is my first time with shipped eggs. Some of them had detached air cells. I guess we'll see what happens at day 14 candling and who's made it another week!

Sounds promising! Hope they keep growing strong! This is also my first time with shipped eggs. Mine are on day 8 today

 

[Flockmama87]

Sounds promising! Hope they keep growing strong! This is also my first time with shipped eggs. Mine are on day 8 today

I hope I get a good hatch but with the things I've read a 50% hatch is amazing so I'm not counting on anyone just yet, hopefully though!! Good luck with yours! How many did you set? Did you candle any yet?

 

[Laurel Meadows]

I hope I get a good hatch but with the things I've read a 50% hatch is amazing so I'm not counting on anyone just yet, hopefully though!! Good luck with yours! How many did you set? Did you candle any yet?

I have 8 shipped ones set. (And 6 from my own girls) I candled when I unpacked them and they looked good. No cracks or porous ones and no detached air cells. Since they're dark eggs I plan to wait til day 10 to officially candle since I can see more at that point. But- I am very impatient lol and so I did a random spot check yesterday just to check for any development and see how air cells were looking. I pulled 6 and all 6 had growing chicks and nice air cells!! My plan is to candle and mark air cells on all the eggs Monday and one more time on day 17.
Do you still have some with rolling air cells?

 

[Flockmama87]

I have 8 shipped ones set. (And 6 from my own girls) I candled when I unpacked them and they looked good. No cracks or porous ones and no detached air cells. Since they're dark eggs I plan to wait til day 10 to officially candle since I can see more at that point. But- I am very impatient lol and so I did a random spot check yesterday just to check for any development and see how air cells were looking. I pulled 6 and all 6 had growing chicks and nice air cells!! My plan is to candle and mark air cells on all the eggs Monday and one more time on day 17.
Do you still have some with rolling air cells?

Yeah, but I'm gonna leave them upright until lockdown and maybe even through lockdown to help the odds. I'd hate to put them on their sides and pip in the wrong spot. I might just leave them in the cartons until everyone who's gonna come out does lol I know how that impatient stuff works, I've had to sit on my hands since day 3 to keep from candling them lol I haven't tried leaving them in the cartons during lockdown so that'll be a new one for me, hopefully you get a good hatch with your shipped ones! If I don't get a good hatch out of these guys I'm done lol I'll just wait till spring and get day olds from the hatchery....I live about 45 minutes from Cackle Hatchery so I just go there and get babies lol

 

[Laurel Meadows]

Yeah, but I'm gonna leave them upright until lockdown and maybe even through lockdown to help the odds. I'd hate to put them on their sides and pip in the wrong spot. I might just leave them in the cartons until everyone who's gonna come out does lol I know how that impatient stuff works, I've had to sit on my hands since day 3 to keep from candling them lol I haven't tried leaving them in the cartons during lockdown so that'll be a new one for me, hopefully you get a good hatch with your shipped ones! If I don't get a good hatch out of these guys I'm done lol I'll just wait till spring and get day olds from the hatchery....I live about 45 minutes from Cackle Hatchery so I just go there and get babies lol

I had mine upright for 3 days. No turning first 24 in bator, then I tilted for 2 days and then put them on their sides. I think you have a good plan to keep them upright in the cartons through hatch. You'll be able to tell if they pip into the air cell and hopefully the hatchlings won't knock the other eggs over! How far away did your eggs ship from? Mine traveled over 650 miles so if a get a few to hatch I'll be happy. I live within driving distance to Meyer Hatchery where I got my layer flock The shipped eggs are more toward show quality (or so I hope) for my breeding stock so I am stuck with shipped eggs for that type.
Sorry if I missed it in an earlier post, what breed(s) are you hatching?