I just candled the eggs and got to see little chickies moving around.
My EE eggs have shells that are way too thick to candle, so no idea what is going on in them. But was able to candle the eggs from my Maran and the Ameraucana & Maran eggs that I bought.
Very exciting.
People think that smiley face is a joke, but half of us are really running and dancing around like this when it comes to our eggs and chicks I think! lol But congrats! I think I have candled to much throughout my hatch, I'm trying to be strong and not candle again until day 14! I do it quickly, gently and get the cover back on immediately, I don't want to large of temp drops on them.
For the most part, it does get easier. For this cockerel, he was a spare, so he was destined for the freezer anyway - BUT I certainly didn't want him to be hurt or suffer. There are the "special" ones that are the exception. A couple years ago, I lost my favorite girl (and first broody) to a bobcat. I cried for days. I tell myself that they had a great life while they were with me - and focus on the joys of those I still have.
My original hens are 4 years old now, so I'm trying to prepare myself that I will probably start losing them.
That's exactly what I tell myself when I lose any animal, we gave them the best life that we could and I believe our animals know they were loved. I STILL cry once in a great while over my first dog, she lived through some very hard times with me and my parents took her off to be shot by my uncle instead of telling me (she developed cancer), that will bother me until the day I die. She was given a great life, but what she must have been thinking holding her down and..
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Anyway, That's great that you are keeping some hens until they pass, That is my plan to hold onto my hens and give them the best life I can until they pass as well. It's good that you can make swift decisions when you animals are in pain, I for one am a little worried about this for myself, but I think it will come with time and may be get a little easier to let go and do the right thing even if it hurts.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE !!! have a great Sunday. Sitting here watching DIY network and drinking my coffee
If anyone has a Sam's near them try some of their brand coffee. It's members mark Columbian in a red bag.It is some of the best coffee I have tried. And the bag is really good size and less that 15 dollars. I grind my own. But you can get it ground. It is awesome.
Thanks, we just recently got a Sam's card and have been eye balling the coffee lol I'll be honest even though I go up there to buy bulk I still have a hard time paying $9654 for a bulk container of whatever. Much of it really is savings, some is not from my calculations, but its tough thinking I might spend $24 on bulk box of foam cups lol I'm cheap and I know it.
Thanks Cynthia. I didn't mark any of the air sacs, but I did weigh all the eggs at set and again last night, and I also rotated all of them last night to opposite locations in the incubator.
I did want to ask - can you go by weight for development the same as watching the air sac size, or is the weight decrease just tracking correct humidity? It looks like all the eggs were about 7% less weight right now. BTW, I am doing a dry hatch - my digital thermo/hygro shows around 26% humidity. Does this sound ok?
That sounds about right for dry hatch, Mine stays anywhere from 20% to 26% right now, although since I have had further development I'm on day 11, I've noticed my humidity isn't dipping down as low and we aren't doing anything different either. As far as egg weighing goes I'm not sure on that since I don't do it myself.
