The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[TheH Klan of 10]

Can you talk to my DH?

Hahahahahahaha

 

[chickenpooplady]

This might sound like a stupid question but is today day 7 or is tomorrow? If you count the day that we set the eggs, then today would be day 7 but if you don't, then today is only day 6.

 

[debs_flock]

This might sound like a stupid question but is today day 7 or is tomorrow? If you count the day that we set the eggs, then today would be day 7 but if you don't, then today is only day 6.

Think of it as hours, not days. If you set at noon on a Saturday, 24 hours later is noon on Sunday.............1..............24 hours later is noon on Monday..............2..........and so on.

So if you set at noon on Saturday, today at noon is 6.

 

[chiques chicks]

Anyone else using pallets and scrap lumber to build their coops? My husband got a bunch of pallet tops (the ones with the solid wood board) from his job and they look to be the perfect thing to build a low cost coop. We are also using pallets to make paddocks for our pigs. 

Oh Sally! Here's one for you! Advise away!

 

[CherokeeFlats]

I'm doing a staggered hatch and when I woke up this morning I found that my first batch has started to hatch!




This is the first to hatch out. I normally like to keep them in the bator until they are mostly dry, but with the other eggs and the turners in there I didn't want to chance the chick getting stuck. I didn't raise the humidity has high as I normally do because of the other eggs, but so far it hasn't been an issue.

I'm planning on candling the other eggs tomorrow if these guy are all hatched by then.

Awwww

I love brand new babies!!!

 

[TheH Klan of 10]

Sally I also think it would be good for you to post your candling advice thing too there are a lot of questions today on candling and that really helped me a lot .... I just don't remember where it is or I would post it

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Sally I also think it would be good for you to post your candling advice thing too there are a lot of questions today on candling and that really helped me a lot .... I just don't remember where it is or I would post it

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

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CANDLING & WEIGHING EGGS​

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Understanding the Air Cell​

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.

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MARKING and OBSERVING the size of the air cell is a way of checking for correct weight loss of the egg and is commonly used. However, this can be inaccurate due to the different, types, shapes, and ages of eggs. The protrusion of the embryo into the air cell also may effect observations. Again, it is the most common method for non-commercial hatchers. With experience you can adjust your humidity as needed by visual inspection of air cells. However, Weighing is the MOST accurate.

If the incubation humidity is too low (very dry conditions), the air sac will be larger than normal and the humidity in the incubator should be increased to reduce the rate of water loss. If the air space is smaller than normal then the opposite applies.

Track the air sac with pencil tracings when you candle,
On the 7, 14 & 18th days




CANDLE EGGS
DAY 1
Always wash hands before handling eggs.
The shell of an egg is thin and opaque when held near a bright light. The easiest type of egg to candle is the white shelled egg and some of the hardest eggs to candle are dark brown eggs, like the Maran eggs pictured below.​

You could try two or more flashlights to see into them!



​

Candle days are 1, 7, 14 & 18th day
You will need a Candler, bright light, LED flashlight or build your own Candler. Find Instructions HERE. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-make-a-homemade-egg-candler-using-common-household-materials
Turn on your Candler and shut off the lights in the room so it is dark, evenings are best. Hold the flashlight/Candler like the image below and set the egg air cell/fat end down on your hand. This will prevent any light leakage from the flashlight. Your hand protects the egg from the hard surface of the light and helps more of the light to go through the egg.

CAUTION: Be very careful when you handle the egg
so you don't accidentally crack it or DROP it!

Slowly & gently rotate the egg until you can see inside the egg. On Day 1 candling you will mark air cells and check for cracked or porous eggs. Lightly mark the air cell with a pencil. It’s not a good idea to light the embryo a long time especially if the light gets hot, you will kill the embryo. On Day 1 candle you will NOT see much inside the egg but you may have a glimpse of yolk moving as you gently rotate lightly colored eggs.​

Chicken Embryo Development, views from the Inside AND Out. *Graphic Photos**
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/03/chicken-embryo-development-views-from.html


Sites to refer to for Candling Images and Videos

Progression Though Incubation
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/261876/chicks-are-here-egg-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation

Great pics of CANDLING and good and bad eggs.......
http://animalscience.ucdavis.edu/Avian/pfs32.htm

Metzer Candling :
http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm

Hatching Guide:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

Development of a Chick:
http://chat.allotment.org.uk/index.php?topic=73884.0

Candling Pics:
http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html



CANDLES AND EGGTOPSY

Porous Egg
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TINY Sappy spots possibly due to Rough Shipment of EGGS
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Day 11 candle funky air cells from shipped eggs.
BLOOD RINGS clearly visible on light polish eggs
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Saddle Shaped Air cell, where it dips on two sides
BLOOD RINGS clearly visible on light polish eggs
​

 

[chiques chicks]

Sally is busy on other threads.
Here is a link to her pallet Coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hinkel-haus-made-of-pallets-recycled-wood-pickets

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hinkel-haus-made-of-pallets-recycled-wood-pickets there are two pallet coops on here, scroll down to 2nd one as I put most details on how to make it

also here is a smaller one DH just made for ducks but can be anything house.... scroll to bottom of page https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/duckling-care-brooder-ideas

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Sally is busy on other threads.
Here is a link to her pallet Coop.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hinkel-haus-made-of-pallets-recycled-wood-pickets

Thanks CC.....

still wish Ron would come by and start doing his daily summaries! anyone else have time to do one?