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

[jolenesdad]

Have some eggs in lockdown as of this morning. Candled them last night and now 3 of them have air cells that are going down the whole side of the egg. Chicks where moving, so just hoping for the best.

Did you happen to take any photos of the air cells?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hi everyone! My husband and I candled and were a bit disappointed in our number of infertile eggs, so we've gone down from 22 eggs to 8 alive plus two maybes. I'm hoping to candle again today or tomorrow. We have four roosters (down to two after today) but I think they're too busy competing to be effective. Has anyone else experienced that?

I have two one cockerel under a year one rooster over a year one going away Friday

 

[mlm Mike]

Thank you I know they are but I also know that eventually the contests close of you haven't been involved in the thread at all so I didn't know if we had reached that point or not.
...

I'm not certain what you mean, the contests for the EHAL are open to all BYC, you don't have to be involved in the thread at all. Each contest has it's on close date.

 

[two j farm]

Did you happen to take any photos of the air cells?

They all look like the one I have already posted, but here it is again. I marked the air cells to keep a eye on them. I do have one that's a little bigger the this one.

 

[jolenesdad]

They all look like the one I have already posted, but here it is again. I marked the air cells to keep a eye on them. I do have one that's a little bigger the this one.

My dipped saddle is wider than that but not quite as far down.

Did you just lay them down with the air cell up for lockdown?

Most importantly, how are the puppies?

 

[ShrekDawg]

In between candling and posting please join all or some of the contests!

Contest #1: Guess How Many Eggs Will Be Set
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...st-1-guess-how-many-eggs-will-be-set.1294650/

Contest #2: Farthest shipped eggs
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ehal-contest-2-farthest-shipped-eggs.1295164/

Contest #3: Cutest Baby Fowl
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-byc-easter-hatchalong.1295459/#post-21073187

Contest #4: Edible Easter Contest
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/byc-10th-annual-ehal-contest-4-edible-easter.1296924/

Contest#5: Natural egg contest
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ter-hatch-a-long-natural-egg-contest.1297638/

Contest #6: Other Fowl Contest
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ther-fowl-10th-annual-byc-easter-hal.1297667/

Contest #7: Broodies and their Babies
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-10th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long.1298699/

Contest #8: Hatching Chick
To enter, go here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-10th-annual-byc-easter-hatch-a-long.1298808/

Oooohhh I might have to enter Cutest Baby Fowl!! I didn’t realize it was open for so long!! That is awesome cause my new chicks hatch April 29th and should be here a day or two after so that means I can enter!! I didn’t think I’d be able to!!

And I just entered the Natural Egg contest and will post another entry in a bit.

 

[Ms Clucky]

My Crele, Cloe, is due Friday. I had another hen, Cocoa, View attachment 1732609 set Sunday, but someone ran her off or she thought 8 eggs was to many and the eggs got cold, so we had to put her back on the roost. She hates it. She is so tiny that 8 Bantam eggs won't fit under her. 5 barely does.

We had to put Cocoa in with a rooster to get her over the broody stage. She kept trying to steal Cloe's nest, which is due tomorrow. I hear them in the egg today.

 

[two j farm]

My dipped saddle is wider than that but not quite as far down.

Did you just lay them down with the air cell up for lockdown?

Most importantly, how are the puppies?

I laid them on their side with air cell up. I'm a little worried that they will get kicked around when others start hatching. Oh, puppies are doing great.

 

[Jennrz]

So weird situation. I have 20 viable eggs in an incubator that will likely go into lockdown on Saturday morning. (not a part of his HAL) I also have 9 eggs under a broody that is due to hatch in two weeks (part of his HAL). My broody hen is in my brooder box and I'd really like to see if I can get her to Mama Hen the chicks after they hatch.... so I'm wondering....

After this weekend's hatch, can I sneak the chicks under Mama Hen and move her eggs to the incubator? I'm kinda worried about her eggs because she wont get off the nest even though I've taken her off a few times to encourage eating. The result is that she's pooped in the nest a few times. I've cleaned it up ASAP but some did get on the eggs. I'm worried about germs and contamination of the eggs..... (would it be possible to clean them at this stage even if I was super careful about water temperature?)

Is making the switch-a-roo playing with fire? Should I leave her be and set up a new brooder box for the chicks hatching this weekend? She's untested as a Mama Hen with chicks....sooooo...none of this may even work...

Welcome to thoughts or ideas ....

 

[pennyJo1960]

If you try do it best after dark only do one or two to start remove the eggs as you put the chicks under