The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[RedIII]

Woohoo!

Our laying hens did a new high for this year today!!! 34 eggs from 44 hens!!! That was greatly helped by our EE coop laying 12 out of 12 AGAIN!

Granted, they are all pullets, but they seem to be laying better than our other pullets from last year (BO, BA, Partridge Rock) so far. No problem with having enough hatching eggs here - just with deciding WHICH ones to hatch!

Anyone nearby need some hatching eggs? I have pure EE(hatchery quality), and Delaware roo over 4 Delawares, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp, Barred Rock, Partridge Rock, and a couple of Black & Red Sex-links.

Aww........Why aren't you my neighbor?

 

[wolftracks]

Red I've been really good lately. I used to have Wheaten Marans, but I've only kept the Black and Blue Coppers and a blue hen. I only have one little BTB Jap roo and I've been trying to find hens for over a year. Other colors are out there, but this guy has been hanging with the Marans and he's so tiny, I've never gotten a mix because he holds on to their necks and they swing him off. LOL

Not sure what it is about the salt. When my husband was alive, we tested it and he stocked me up on salt a week before he died. I have a box left.


OK, so what I know I'm hatching is of course my Marans
Silver Phoenix

Blue Ameraucanas
Bantam Chocolate Ameraucanas
Lavender Ameraucanas

start laying girls!!!
Silver Penciled Rocks
Wellies
Lt Sussex
Black and Blue/Splash Sumatras
Bantam Blue Langshuns
American Games
Stock for my lavender eggs project.
and probably quail. I just toss in what I collect each day, but if the young ones start laying I should have some.
Oh and some mixed color OEGBs too.

Now watch since I decided to set all these eggs, they go on strike! I thought I had about 90, but so far with just a few eggs today and 2 setting in the Phoenix pen (have to wait till the roost for the night) I may have 85 to 90 by then. I think I had 70 as of this morning.

 

[TheH Klan of 10]

Woohoo! Got three sassy fat babies last night! They are Marans . This is my favorite. I have already named him Booberry All three together!

Those are very cute chicks

 

[chickenlisa]

oh shoot, just saw this thread. I'm setting goose, duck and chicken eggs tomorrow or the nest day. Chickens could hatch by Easter, but not the ducks or geese, probably. Well, I'll get things going as quickly as I can...just decided today to try to hatch some babies.
Lisa

 

[TheH Klan of 10]

Right now I have 3 dozen RIR and BA/RIR and the next dozen will have a few of my white game project eggs in with it. There won't be many since Tally is my only white hen and she just started laying a little while back. I already have 9 (I think) Peking/Mallard eggs in the bator. I have everything counted by next weekend.

Tomorrow I need to build a temporary cage for my fiance's chicken Bob. She/He has gotten too big to be in the rabbit hutch and the other chicks that are the same age are no where near the same size. I'll post a pic of the size difference between them tomorrow. I also plan to call about getting NPIP certified since I've finally done my research.

What is npip certified ?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

For those of you that refer to the Hatching 101 Article, it has some updates to help explain the Humidity issues better..... https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

HUMIDITY
The Air Bubble in the Egg
The average chicken egg has thousands of pores running through the shell allowing the embryo to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide. Water is also lost through these pores. Soon after an egg is laid, a small air bubble or “air cell” forms in the large end of the egg from this water loss. Humidity levels in the incubator determine moisture evaporation during the 21 days of incubation and hatching. The air cell is crucial for the chick to break out of the egg shell at the end of the incubation period. The chick can drown if the air cell is too small or the chick may be retarded in growth if the air cell is too large. This is why maintaining the proper humidity is crucial.
Slightly lower humidity levels are more likely to be less disastrous than slightly higher humidity levels.

There are quite a few opinions on Humidity. After reading and researching for hours and hours,
I ALWAYS use DRY INCUBATION METHODS!

HOWEVER, if you are high altitude you will NOT use these methods!
Please continue with the 50-55% humidity and then 72% lockdown humidity.
The higher the Alt the more humidity needed.

What Dry Incubation implies.
Humidity is NOT A SET NUMBER, you need it YES!
However, you use it to "adjust" egg weight loss during incubation. We candle on days 7,10,14,18 To WATCH WEIGHT LOSS IN EVERY EGG! An EGG MUST lose approximately 13-14% of its weight during the incubation process. THIS IS YOUR GOAL!! You can monitor this by marking Air cells and also by weighing. Please refer to CANDLING section of this Article for more Air Cell info.

Size of air cell on day 7, 14, and 18 of incubation

I choose the easier method, keeping a close eye on air cell growth during incubation. You begin by ONLY adding a small amount of water and keep Humidity between 28%-45% and adjusting as you weigh or candle depending on moisture loss. So if your air cells look too large you must add humidity, too small lower it, and if your weighing you adjust as needed. UNTIL DAY 18 LOCKDOWN,
then stop turning and raise humidity to 65-70%

I have read and re-read this article numerous times!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-using-the-dry-incubation-method
And read this entire thread with over 300 posts of information
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/113681/humidity-in-bator-excellent-info-here-everyone-should-read-this

Humidity will naturally fluctuate in your incubator as it fluctuates widely with weather conditions.
If it is slightly lower or higher some days then don't worry about it. Do your best to keep the humidity level in the incubating room around 50%. You may actually need to dehumidify. By controlling the room humidity, you can be more accurate with humidity inside the incubator. Just remember high humidity is MUCH worse than low humidity as higher humidity hinders the evaporation inside of the egg. Each egg must lose approximately 13-14% of its weight
during the incubation process. You can monitor this by marking Air cells and also by weighing.
Please refer to CANDLING section of this Article for more Air Cell info.
​

NOTES: It’s a good idea to keep the incubator plugged into a surge protector. Use distilled water in your incubator to help prevent bacteria growth. Omphalitis, Mushy Chick Disease and Yolk Sack Infection may be caused by a bacterium that enters through the porous egg shell. Unfortunately, incubation conditions are ideal for breeding bacteria as well as incubating eggs. Brinsea sells a disinfectant, formulated to be used for cleaning eggs, incubators, safe and effective against yeasts, fungi, viruses and bacteria which can cause fatal damage to the growing embryo. Pennies can be added to water wells. Copper helps to destroy the cell walls of bacteria, thus keeping bacteria out of the incubator. Pennies before 1982 have more copper content and pure copper kills 99.9% of bacteria.

A few TIPS & TRICKS!
Below image is a Simple waterer/suctioner out of aquarium tubing placed through side of incubator and into water wells. Use a Kids medicine syringe to add/suck water without opening or disturbing eggs.
​

In the image below are the different sized cups I use the first 18 days of incubation INSTEAD of using the wells in the bottom of the incubator. I had a hard time getting humidity correct, so I started using different size containers and caps for water holding, I could easily remove & replace as necessary. It WORKS WELL and I can keep them clean and sanitized better and not disturb my eggs! I will remove these cups on day 18 so the chicks don’t drown in them and use the lower wells at lockdown at day 18.
​

REMEMBER~
Surface area of water will increase humidity more so than depth!
If you need a safe boost at lockdown just add a dampened sponge or rag.
A "ShamWoW" is great as a wick and can hang from the sides or across top of incuabator.
​

 

[RedIII]

Hmmm

So I got pictures of my eggs......And I'm a little concerned.







Sorry they're grainy. I'm still learning how to use the light settings on my camera, so I had to lighten the pictures on the computer.

I was right - my broody was sitting on 8 eggs. I just candled five of them, and all were clear. I took away one that's cracked. I think I'm going to check the other three, and if they're clear, as well, I'm just going to take them and toss them, then give her my Icelandic eggs I have in the bator. Today's day six, and the only things I could see were air cells and yolks. Her eggs are light green, and they're not terribly hard to see into. Am I jumping the gun if I toss them now because they're all clear?

 

[Razadia]

What is npip certified ?

National Poultry Improvement Plan

 

[misskeeter]

Set the first batch. 30 eggs. Assorted breeds. 5 americanas, 3 aracanas, 2 silver laced Wyandotte, 3 Cochin, 2 Spanish, 3 polish, 2 campine, 2 white OE, 1 silkie, 2 Japanese, and 4 from mixed pen with RIR, white leghorn, and a big giant black rooster with feathered feet

 

[Arielle]

Red I've been really good lately. I used to have Wheaten Marans, but I've only kept the Black and Blue Coppers and a blue hen. I only have one little BTB Jap roo and I've been trying to find hens for over a year. Other colors are out there, but this guy has been hanging with the Marans and he's so tiny, I've never gotten a mix because he holds on to their necks and they swing him off. LOL

Not sure what it is about the salt. When my husband was alive, we tested it and he stocked me up on salt a week before he died. I have a box left.


OK, so what I know I'm hatching is of course my Marans
Silver Phoenix

Blue Ameraucanas
Bantam Chocolate Ameraucanas
Lavender Ameraucanas

start laying girls!!!
Silver Penciled Rocks
Wellies
Lt Sussex
Black and Blue/Splash Sumatras
Bantam Blue Langshuns
American Games
Stock for my lavender eggs project.
and probably quail. I just toss in what I collect each day, but if the young ones start laying I should have some.
Oh and some mixed color OEGBs too.

Now watch since I decided to set all these eggs, they go on strike! I thought I had about 90, but so far with just a few eggs today and 2 setting in the Phoenix pen (have to wait till the roost for the night) I may have 85 to 90 by then. I think I had 70 as of this morning.

You always have a wonderful assortment!!