The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Shellz]

Thanks, this is super helpful. I candled mine tonight, and had one that I think has a blood ring, and one that is to dark to see anything. Do all the quitters have blood rings, or do you have to look at size too? Is this a blood ring? I don't want to get rid of it, if it's ok....

Looks like a vein. I don't toss blood rings unless I don't see veining at day 10. I've had chicks hatch fine with blood rings. I recently tossed a blood ring for having no veining at all. I always crack these open anyway to confirm.

 

[Shellz]

I also check for movement of the embryo. At day 10, you should be able to spot it. I found 2 yesterday that had quit. There was no movement & when I cracked these open, there were tiny embryos that were dead. I have mistaken a few for quitters in my first hatch & when opened, they pulsed with life. Ack! I just hated that! And of course, bad smell is also a dead give-away!

 

[misskeeter]

Mine were all day 17... I don't toss any until lockdown unless they are cracked badly or smell... These were obvious to me early because I could see the others developing, even with what I thought was a blood ring. The veins disappeared in the quitters, and the embryo started looking like a murder scene from a bad horror movie.... When I candled them all again last night, the full looking eggs with veins all stayed. They also all had movement, but I don't judge by that. When I lock down tonight, Ill try to get a pic of what a well developing egg at lockdown looks like. When compared to these, it was obvious. I don't toss anything unless I am 100% positive on it, which is why I wait to lockdown (or the day before in this case) to do anything. I had to candle last night, because I need it dark, and the sun goes down well after lockdown tonight.

 

[misskeeter]

I also check for movement of the embryo. At day 10, you should be able to spot it. I found 2 yesterday that had quit. There was no movement & when I cracked these open, there were tiny embryos that were dead. I have mistaken a few for quitters in my first hatch & when opened, they pulsed with life. Ack! I just hated that! And of course, bad smell is also a dead give-away!

I can't bear to crack them open.... Makes me too sad. I did one from the last hatch that didn't hatch, and cried for hours over the perfectly formed chick that drowned inside the egg...

 

[delisha]

Congrats to the winner of the *guess how many eggs set* contest. That was a really good guess.

 

[mstricer]

Happy Spring
We should have informed the weather gods that today I'd the first day of spring. Woke up to 29* again this morning. AHHHHHHH

 

[Razadia]

Have a rooster question..
I know I'm going to end up with some roosters, if I wanted to keep one how long could I keep him with the girls before he would start breeding with them? Also, can a rooster live alone and be happy or is that just to cruel? I'm still so new to chickens. Also, if someone were going to keep a roo, then how many minimum hens to one roo would you keep? And would you ever keep more than one rooster or have you ever? If so then how many hens to two Roosters would you find reasonable so they wouldn't breed them to death?

Thanks

Quote: I agree with this. Although, I do raise American Game and I have 2 cages with one hen and roo in each, but the roos are still very young. One is a breeding project and the other is basically quarantine. The big game pen has 8 hens to one roo. RIR pen is 4 hens to one roo. I haven't had a problem with over breeding and I have some pretty darn good roos. They treat their girls right.

I think people are far too quick to toss eggs. What might be a blood ring could also be veining. And if any veining is visible the chick is still developing. The fact of matter is if the egg doesn't smell then there is no need to toss it. The fear of eggs exploding is real but very much overwrought for few occurances. Again, you can smell a bacteria filling egg long before it explodes.

Yep, I don't throw anything out if I can't tell whats going on and they don't stink.

Happy Spring
We should have informed the weather gods that today I'd the first day of spring. Woke up to 29* again this morning. AHHHHHHH

Yesterday HAD to have been the first day of spring here. The termites came out of the porch.

 

[Margiechickmom]

Happy First day of Spring everyone! Today is hatch day for me and I can hardly stand it! There are rocking eggs, chirping eggs and one pip! New life, a great way to start the Spring!

 

[chicken pickin]

Hmmm I think my state missed the spring memo

This is this morning getting the kids on the bus there are 4 poultry houses camoflauged in there

 

[chicken pickin]

Happy First day of Spring everyone! Today is hatch day for me and I can hardly stand it! There are rocking eggs, chirping eggs and one pip! New life, a great way to start the Spring!

Yay hatch day is always exciting and what better day than the first day of spring. Perfect.