The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[RedIII]

Why is lockdown so nerve wracking? I keep thinking nothing is going to hatch. Of course today is only day 19.5 for this "test" hatch and I KNOW it is still early but until I can hear peeps or see pips I think the worst. I start worrying about past temps, humidity, shipping, weather, moon cycle, horoscope you name it lol.

Yeah, I think I'm done for when lockdown hits. And these aren't even shipped eggs

Glad to know I can start a little early...because I had to. My Ameraucana and marans eggs were 7 to 10 days old, and I had the new incubator stabilized (and oh, my, I actually was able to install the fan my own self now I am an electrician . So, I put all seventeen eggs in the incubator (Hovabator with fan) Friday night at 9:39 pm, after poring over "Hatching eggs 101" and fussing with three thermometers and a hygrometer.

My questions this morning is, I found the hygrometer sayign "low" this morning after it had read in the 40 and 50% range since Friday night, and the well was dry.The water in well #1 dried up in three days on the initial run without the eggs. So, should it have dried up sooner with the eggs? Is it okay? I think I caught it very quickly, but now I doubt the hygrometer.

I had to start early, too. The oldest of my eggs were 10 days old as of yesterday, and since I only got seven of them before I couldn't collect any more, I wanted to give them the best chance I could for hatching. I actually had nightmares last night that the hygrometer was reading something ridiculous like ".02543" and was panicking, THEN dreamed that all but two of my eggs had holes in them that I hadn't noticed before, so they were just yolk dribbling out......and THEN I dreamed that I accidentally broke my last two eggs open just by touching them and was trying to put the chicks back in because it was day 19. Ugh! *panic*

Because you want to see the babies........................and know that you didn't screw it up.

Hygrometers you can find at any pet store in the reptile section.

Humidity isn't that critical the first 18 days.

I do dry hatches, so I don't add any water for the first 18 days. I don't even bother putting a hygrometer in, so I don't even know what level it's at. At Day 18 for lockdown, I add water, put the hygrometer in, and get it to 55-65% and keep it there. Everything that is viable hatches without any problems.

My sweet brother found a nice hygrometer for me online, and I've been watching that thing like a hawk. Keeping the humidity in the low- to mid-thirties. Our air is so dry here, I don't want to bake the eggs instead of hatching them.

 

[Tanichca]

Does it still count if you set eggs a day early? I'll be out of town next weekend... One hen is laying, and I'm lining up 2 dozen (or more, if my brother chips in) RIR eggs from a friend.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Woohoo! Got three sassy fat babies last night! They are Marans

.
This is my favorite. I have already named him Booberry



All three together!

Awwwww CONGRATS sweetness!!

I hope your eggs are OK!

I qould like to join in the Easter hatching fun...is this all I have to do is post here? Our thread is buzzing with people doing the hatch and trying to "make" the rest of us join too!
Thanks--TErriO

which thread?

Why is lockdown so nerve wracking? I keep thinking nothing is going to hatch. Of course today is only day 19.5 for this "test" hatch and I KNOW it is still early but until I can hear peeps or see pips I think the worst. I start worrying about past temps, humidity, shipping, weather, moon cycle, horoscope you name it lol.

so what does the horoscope say! I sent 16 into lockdown this am! Good luck!

ahhh looks like my humidity gage isn't working on my thermometer! took it into the bathroom and turned the hot water on, with no effect on the humidity on my thermometer

SO took a sponge and all the paper towels out hoping that will be fine until I can get a new digital thermometer... grr

Humidity can drive you nuts cant it! But hygros and thermometers more so!

Just remember humidity is NOT A SET NUMBER, you need it YES! However, you use it to your advantage and that is why we candle on days 7,10,14,18 TO WATCH and pencil mark the growth of the air cells and we control our humidity so that we achieve our correct air cell size which is the simple way to gage % loss in the egg. OR you can weigh your entire rack at the begining 7,10,14,18 and regulate humitiy by seeing how much or little % is lost.

 

[Cynthia12]

Look at this little sizzle chick go! Something tells me it's going to be a bit of a handful....LOL

It's trying to scream at you...turn out the lights, I was sleeping! That's a great video. You could see the foot, the head and beak..wow!

 

[Cynthia12]

So my broody I mentioned earlier is still definitely broody She is young so I hope she does well(she is about 8 months old) This is her first time hatching eggs. I took 3 infertile eggs out from under her last night that she has been sitting on for about 4 days and this morning placed 6 what I hope are fertile eggs from my own flock(limping rooster equals probably not too many fertile chickens). She was up stretching eating and drinking and when she returned to her nest looked at the eggs tapped one and then gently rolled it out of her nest. She tried to roll out a second egg but ended up keeping it. Any reason to why she would remove an egg? I tried to put it back in her nest and will go check on her shortly to see if she kept it.

Love this last picture!

She is beautiful!

 

[Cynthia12]

Woohoo! Got three sassy fat babies last night! They are Marans

.
This is my favorite. I have already named him Booberry



All three together!

Aww, baby pictures already! They are waaay cute. Is that going to be a splash Marans? Or a blue?

 

[mlm Mike]

Does it still count if you set eggs a day early? I'll be out of town next weekend... One hen is laying, and I'm lining up 2 dozen (or more, if my brother chips in) RIR eggs from a friend.

Yes, it still counts.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Does it still count if you set eggs a day early? I'll be out of town next weekend... One hen is laying, and I'm lining up 2 dozen (or more, if my brother chips in) RIR eggs from a friend.

Not a problem.

Quote: Precious!

 

[misskeeter]

Just picked up 30 eggs to set... I'm getting 2 dozen buff Orpington eggs Tuesday... These today are super fresh. Laid within the last two hours... Mixture of about 10 different breeds. Should I set em all Tuesday or try a staggered hatch? I think my garage is around 60 degrees... I've got em in there now propped up on one side.

 

[Pele]

Aww, baby pictures already! They are waaay cute. Is that going to be a splash Marans? Or a blue?

Thanks everyone for complimenting my new little cuties! They are the fattest, fluffiest chicks I've ever had. I'm not sure yet if Booberry is a blue or a splash, but I'm leaning towards blue.

And Happy Chooks, can I count these towards the cute chicks contest?