The 10th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!!!!!

[Jules929]

yes it is very large. I knew it was a double when I set it and from reading other posts here regarding doubles, I honestly never expected it to make it this far! I’ve always gotten excellent hatch rates on chickens (and unfortunately high male:female ratio) but this is a lot of firsts....first experience with double, first homegrown hatch, first time hatching chicks and quail together, and first time leaving staggered hatch eggs in during lockdown!
It is definitely a huge learning experience for me!! I will post updates! today starts lockdown!!

Wow, you have a lot going on, lol. I can sympathize with the male:female ratio.
I wish you many cheeps/peeps from all your sets!

 

[Rammy]

Were the Bantam eggs shipped? My best hatch of shipped eggs ever was Bantams. I thought it was maybe because they are so much smaller and the shipping didn't affect them like larger chicken eggs. They shipped pretty far.

No. They werent shipped. I drove an hour and a half to go get them. Thats one reason Im upset i think I got screwed. Thats ok. Im not buying from them again.

 

[cppeace]

Well I will be candling the bresse soon. I doubt I'll even try to candle the quail. We're 33% there on chicken folks

 

[cppeace]

Well I can see good veins in 8 out of 12 but only saw 1 for sure embryo alive. In this circulated, the eggs just feel cooler to the touch. It's weird.

 

[Jules929]

Well I can see good veins in 8 out of 12 but only saw 1 for sure embryo alive. In this circulated, the eggs just feel cooler to the touch. It's weird.

Same here, with regard to veins, but few actual embryos. I have been checking the temp more often to make sure it isn't dipping behind my back, lol.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Sorry if this is at all hijacking or off topic but I figured this might be a good place to ask/figured you guys might know the answer to a question I had. I just candled some eggs for fun (well, actually because I had noticed a cracked one when washing them but then couldn’t find the crack after washing so figured I’d candle to find it, which worked. And I washed cause an egg had just broken in a nest box and a bunch were covered in yolk that’s gross lol) and anyway, when doing that I noticed one had an air cell on the side rather than the end. Is that normal? I know it’s common in shipped eggs but had never heard of it in fresh eggs? I literally just collected these right before I candled, though I haven’t collected in a bit so they’re maybe a couple days old, but basically, really fresh and I never heard of it in fresh eggs? Does it just happen sometimes in some eggs?? The air cell appeared to still be attached, didn’t move around when I moved the egg around, but it just wasn’t where it was supposed to be. Maybe it got kicked around? There were lots of other eggs in the box and of course the broken ones which they were all trying to eat so could have gotten shuffled around. Although her other egg and the other eggs in the nest box appear fine with air cell in the proper place, one of the eggs even appears to have a perfect air cell, perfect shape, perfect place , so I find it odd. Maybe it just happens? Idk. She is an Easter Egger and only started laying again maybe 2 1/2 weeks ago after not having laid for at least 7 months, possibly longer, (started molting in August, but I think she was already not laying before that), and they turned 3 in October so they’re now 3 1/2, if any of that makes a difference? Not that it matters if the eggs are wonky, they are just for eating not hatching (don’t even have a roo so couldn’t hatch even if I wanted to) and the birds are pets, but I was just curious about it. Also all of a sudden my other EEs eggs seem to have gotten smaller.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Okay here’s what I think is an air cell (it’s hard to see in these, it’s a bit darker in person but still kinda light) and the other egg with what I think is a near perfect air cell. Also, you can’t really see, but in the first egg, there is something dark and swishy moving around which I think is the yolk? So I’m pretty sure the thing on the side is the air cell? Included some pictures of the end so you can see there is no air cell on the ends. At least that I can see. And I found a dark area to get better pictures. But am I correct in assuming that is the air cell? And if so... totally weird, right??

 

[cppeace]

Same here, with regard to veins, but few actual embryos. I have been checking the temp more often to make sure it isn't dipping behind my back, lol.

My thermometer has a memory for the high and low and resets every day. Mine has rarely gone below 99 and never gone above 100. They just feel cooler than the still air did, but then it was kept at 100-102 so I dunno.

 

[Jules929]

My secondary thermometer is more accurate than the incubator. The temp was a bit too low this AM, so I reset it and it has been holding steady through the day 99.4 to 99.7F, yay!

 

[jolenesdad]

@KDOGG331 theres a thread @aart started on this AND she was incubating the eggs. I think the eggs quit, but some various comments on side air cells.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/weird-air-cells-on-fresh-eggs.1297757/page-3