The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Jessshan8]

Ok I went and did it. I have a broody that just wont give up! It's been 5 weeks and she is dead set on raising some chicks and hasn't laid an egg in forever. So I took 8 eggs out of my incubator wrapped them in a warm towel and moved my broody to isolation and set the eggs under her. So what do you guys think? Right or wrong thing to do. 90% of the eggs in the bator are for freezer camp anyway. only keeping the white jersey giant pullets and a couple EE's for egg laying from the hatch everyone else has another purpose.

 

[mlm Mike]

My new incubator should be here tomorrow. I ordered another lg so I have one to use for an incubator, and one for a hatcher. I'm so excited. Now I'll have room to set more eggs, and no having to open the incubator during hatching to turn eggs anymore.

I have some muscovy eggs coming this week, I'm pretty excited about them. I've never tried hatching scovies before (although I've hatched ducks and geese). Anyone have any tips?

I have advice, join this hatchathon, stat : https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...de-mayo-turkey-hatchathon-all-poultry-welcome

 

[noahsmom]

One of my two chicks is dead. Somehow, the Icelandics pulled it through the cage it was in with the broody and tore it apart, then started eating it. I thought that cage was safe

Why do chickens eat live young?!

I'm so so sorry, I know that had to be so tough to witness. I hope things will go better for you.

Ugh! Two of my roosters have disappeared. The door to the bachelor pen was open and two were missing. I must not have latched it well yesterday. There was a pile of feathers near the door. They were gorgeous fellows. I didn't need them and actually had a new home for one, but I hate that they met a violent end.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Also want to add all the tiaras are beautiful. Way to go!

X2!

Holy cow - I cannot keep up with this thread! I'm apparently on page 489 of 609, but I know I haven't read everything in those first 489 pages! I candled last weekend and pulled a few from my Easter hatch ... down to 50 in the incubator and 4 under the broodies. I'll candle again tonight and we go into lockdown on Thursday (I set mine on March 10 for an Easter Sunday hatch date). Looking forward to hatching out Muscovy, Welsh Harl x Khakis, Wyandottes, Cochin, Frizzles, Ameraucanas, and 3 breeds of mystery eggs! Weeee! I'm also setting 9 African Geese tonight and I just bought a quad of Salmon Faverolles, a Barnevelder Rooster, 5 Guineas in shades of pearl/slate/royal purple, 8 Polish chicks in gold/silver/buff laced, and 3 beautiful show quality white Cochin peeps! Can someone direct me to the nearest chapter of Chicken Addicts Anonymous?

I'm with you, I'm finding it so hard to keep up! I try to peak in all during the day and reply mainly in the evening but sheesh! It definitely will be getting worse when all of our eggs start hatching.

I was a bum today, accomplished only the bare minimum. I had to spend a little time on my art work after all! I posted these on the contest thread for natural eggs. Lot's of cool pictures over there! #1 "Ode to the 2nd Annual Cinco De Mayo Turkey Hatchalong" Entry #2 "Easter Tree with Halloween Cat"

Wow! You did a fantastic job!! Interested in how they are held together.

Oh annnndddddd I pulled 14 eggs from the bator today. I am down to 17 eggs in the bator. Most of them are Olive eggers which I am very excited about but those were shipped. So most still have some wonky air cells. I think Im going to stop turning early. Maybe the air cells will even out just a bit more.

Good luck! They are so cute what are they?

Here they are - the chicks from our first round for your enjoyment of fluffy babies. So excited for the Easter weekend batch. There are still 11 in there waiting to be set for that hatch. The dark ones are all so different, I can't wait to see who else is waiting to hatch!

Good luck!!!

My new incubator should be here tomorrow. I ordered another lg so I have one to use for an incubator, and one for a hatcher. I'm so excited. Now I'll have room to set more eggs, and no having to open the incubator during hatching to turn eggs anymore.

I have some muscovy eggs coming this week, I'm pretty excited about them. I've never tried hatching scovies before (although I've hatched ducks and geese). Anyone have any tips?

Yay for two bators!! Good luck with everything!

 

[Gardeningmama]

My new incubator should be here tomorrow. I ordered another lg so I have one to use for an incubator, and one for a hatcher. I'm so excited. Now I'll have room to set more eggs, and no having to open the incubator during hatching to turn eggs anymore.

I have some muscovy eggs coming this week, I'm pretty excited about them. I've never tried hatching scovies before (although I've hatched ducks and geese). Anyone have any tips?

Congrats! DH is fine tuning a smallish cabinet incubator for me. Heaven help me when that things done, LOL!

 

[misskeeter]

I have TWO... Polish and Campine have hatched

Old English on the way

Three more pips.... Silkie egg is rocking like mad, along with an Araucana (sp?) and an Ameraucana (sp?) .... One small white egg that I think might be the Japanese is rocking like mad as well

 

[acemario]

Looking for some guidance here... After candling on day seven, all but 1 of my 25 eggs showed signs of life. Well, I just recandled yesterday at day fourteen, and nine of the 24 remaining eggs seemed to have stopped developing. So, I took out one of the ones that looked dead and cracked it open. The yolk was very runny, and I could see a slight blood ring. The embryo was about the size of a dime, but had clearly stopped developing a while ago. I left the rest of the 9 eggs in there.

The other eggs are developing very nicely with large veins.

What did I do wrong? Why did nine of them stop developing?!?

I have them in a homemade incubator that has been keeping a temperature between 99-100 degrees. I turn the eggs manually three times a day religiously. The temperature only drops momentarily when I am turning (about 3 minutes to get back up to normal temp)...

Any help for this firsty?

 

[Cynthia12]

Ugh! Two of my roosters have disappeared. The door to the bachelor pen was open and two were missing. I must not have latched it well yesterday.

There was a pile of feathers near the door. They were gorgeous fellows. I didn't need them and actually had a new home for one, but I hate that they met a violent end.

Oh man, too much bad news on loss today..so sorry!

 

[Cynthia12]

So sorry.

I feel better with those of you saying you can't keep up with this thread. Having a hard time myself. Sorry if I miss anyone! It's gonna get worse as everyone starts hatching!!!!!

I apologize in advance if I miss you guys while judging contests.

You are doing a great job. It's always neat when I come on to "catch up", and I see that cute Avatar..and know who it is right away. Always putting in a word of help to someone you catch needing it on a page. Thanks for all you are doing. It's a lot to keep up with! You are doing just fine. )

 

[Cynthia12]

I am so sorry.

If it makes you feel better, my black lab mix is really good at guarding my flock. I don't know what she hears, but when she starts barking like crazy we let her out since she won't leave the yard. She chasing things back into the woods almost every night and we have never lost a layer or meat chicken to predators. Sorry for your loss.

Keyna in the leaf pile!

Oh I love this!

 

[Cynthia12]

Here they are - the chicks from our first round for your enjoyment of fluffy babies. So excited for the Easter weekend batch. There are still 11 in there waiting to be set for that hatch. The dark ones are all so different, I can't wait to see who else is waiting to hatch!

I could just take them out of my screen and sqeeeze them! Too cute! Can't wait for mine..but will have to. Not long now.