The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[SoManyHats]

It can take 24 hours for the incubator to get back to normal temps after the eggs are added--

If it was at 99.5 and you did not change settings, then leave it alone until the morning.

Go to bed and sleep!

Well I had changed it, but I turned it back down a bit and went to bed. It is stil a little off this morning, but not by much. Thanks!

LOL I have a small one story house with 3 bathrooms and wouldn't have it any other way. I couldn't imagine not having 3. We are a fam of 5 (4 of us being girls). DH wanted to knock down the 3rd bathroom off the kitchen to gain more space in the garage I said "NO WAY!" lol.

Yeah, I could see that for 4 girls. There are only two girls in my household and neither my daughter or I spend much time in the bathroom. Even though she's a teenager, she doesn't fuss about with her appearance.

So...here's my question. Can I repair the fractures in the two silkie eggs? I thought I read somewhere on this forum that people sometimes seal cracks with nail polish or super glue or wax. Can I do this with the silkie eggs? Or, because the air cells are so big, is it too late to save them?

I had to do a repair on one my last hatch. It even had a little chunk pushed in but it hasn't punctured the membrane so I decided to use fingernail polish. I didn't expect it to make it, but it did!

 

[abmaddox1981]

Three doz silies an 1 Bresse (does anyone know what that is?)

16 turkey eggs (12 narri, 4 RP) set the 22nd and 19 BBS English Orpington.

Tomorrow I'll set 2 doz Black AMs that got here yesterday and a doz Dorkings (if they show up today, I have no tracking number). Plus 5 more CPG which will be a few days late for Easter.

 

[uphilljill]

Thanks for all the goat love, everyone. The boys are doing fine. More pics soon. My other doe is also due this week. Finger's crossed for girls this time!

 

[SoManyHats]

I set my eggs last night, because many are a week old. That's within the window right?

30 BLRW

 

[MontanaDolphin]

You can do it and many people do, using candle wax, and some other items I can't recall right now. I've only done it once and it didn't work for me. The seal wasn't complete on mine and during the whole incubation the embryo grew, but so did the air seeping in at that spot. By lockdown the chick was viable but the air cell was HUGE and when it pipped internally it couldn't reach the shell for the external pip. I tried an assist, too late and lost it. I felt guilty for setting it in the first place. Many people do it with success..this is just my story. I won't do it anymore.

Ummmm...craigslist

A light colored nail polish works great. It seals the crack & you can still see remotely well when candling. Just make sure to candle to make sure you covered the entire crack. I've hatched several this way. Never had any luck with wax because I have trouble controlling where it goes & miss part of the crack.

The key is making sure the entire crack is sealed & then monitoring the egg all the way to hatch.

I repaired a crack in one of my eggs after I dropped it on top of another egg when collecting from the nest boxes. I used a tiny tea light candle, a plain white one unscented. I lit the candle, let it melt then put a little over the crack. I placed it in the incubator and 21 days later I hatched a cute little Olive Egger.

Honestly I don't see the harm in trying to seal them and see what happens. I had a cracked silkie egg where the crack ran all the way from top to bottom and spiderweb in a few spots. I sealed it up with clear glitter nail polish and 22 days later I now have an adorable white silkie chick.

Well I had changed it, but I turned it back down a bit and went to bed. It is stil a little off this morning, but not by much. Thanks!
Yeah, I could see that for 4 girls. There are only two girls in my household and neither my daughter or I spend much time in the bathroom. Even though she's a teenager, she doesn't fuss about with her appearance.
I had to do a repair on one my last hatch. It even had a little chunk pushed in but it hasn't punctured the membrane so I decided to use fingernail polish. I didn't expect it to make it, but it did!

Thank you all for your replies! I decided to try...what do I have to lose? If it doesn't work, I would have just thrown the eggs out anyway!

I don't wear nailpolish, so that was out of the question. I have candles, but no white ones...they are all scented.

So I thought, well, what about super glue? I have some of that...but then I thought, well, I know super glue can actually damage some surfaces, so what might it do to an egg shell? Scratch the super glue.

I do, however, have a bottle of New Skin...you know, the liquid bandage? It smells like nail polish...so that's what I used! One of the silkie eggs' cracks is spider webbed...the other one looks like it started to spider web...so I think the fractures didn't come from getting stepped on by chickens or dropped, etc. I think the two eggs sat a little too long in the 20 degree morning temperatures and began to freeze, causing the cracks. If that's the case, there's no hope for them...but, like I said in my first sentence, what do I have to lose???

So the cracked eggs will go in the bator tomorrow with all the rest, sealed with liquid bandage

 

[mlm Mike]

I set my eggs last night, because many are a week old. That's within the window right?

30 BLRW

Yes, you're fine. Thank you and good luck!

 

[Hayduke27]

I just fired up the incubator, going to get the temp and humidity all stabilized today. Oh man, it's almost time!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Well I finally get time to post the pics of my goose eggs I am hatching for the hatch along. I set them on the 20 th.

Bator is too cool! Image is awesome as well!

Oh, you all know me by now. You know the shoe fits.


And very well thank you!

There is a resemblance to me with the new bottles I got yesterday though!

I want to join

I had to load up my bator tonight because I'm leaving tomorrow for two weeks heading up to assist on the landslide in Washington.

I put in 12 EE Rooster over misc. hens, 12 RIR Rooster over misc. hens and three FBCM eggs.

That is awesome of you!!!!

I'm hatching our first duck eggs this year! Yay! Our mallards, Cheese & Quackers, decided to start brooding right on time.

I was hoping to make Cheese a better home before she went broody. Oh well, can't control motherhood!
I'm also going to try and use an incubator this year. Never used one before but this used incubator was a gift from a friend. Hopefully all well go well!

There really was only one egg completely broken, another crushed in but the membrane intact. However, I bought a dozen and a dozen arrived intact, so I'll take it. Some mild to moderate air cell damage, but all in all they look reasonably good for the apparent journey they took.


Hope I get a few chicks out of these!

bummer!

Think I'm gonna join in. Just got done with my first hatch ever. 14 went into lock down only 7 hatched. Was going to set more Friday to try again but I'll wait cuz this seems like it's a blast. Hope I can bring up my hatch rate. I'll be incubating from my own mix. New Hampshire and red sexlink hens with a barred rock roo.

I got my first pheasant egg! Just in time for the hatch-a-long! I'm hoping she lays another one tomorrow so I can set two. This is from a Lady Amherst female crossed with a Red Golden male. They take about 22 days to hatch so I will be setting it tomorrow a day prior to my chicken eggs.

Quote: It should be delivered today!! Thanks!!!

Quote: x2 YAY!!

Ty
Quote: I suggest if its still air you do the 102 at the top of the eggs, and calibrate your thermos and hygros and make sure your spot on, and move eggs around in the bator as you may have hot and cold spots. A prolonged hatch only has ill effects on the chicks. I put a ton of info on this issue in the hatching 101 article. glad your with us!

Anybody up? I'm freaking out right now. I set my eggs tonight. After my incubator held a steady 99.5 all day, I put the eggs in and it dropped to 90. Stupid me I put them in at 9:45pm, and I've been trying to get the temp up after it only got up to 93 in two hours. How long does it take for the temp to adjust after putting eggs in?? I'm scared to go to bed and have the temp spike high while I'm sleeping.

update on those temps!!

Count us in. We will be putting 8 Easter Eggers, and 35 Australorp, Jersey Giant, Wyandottes,Polish, Hamburg, crosses. My Daughters are excited for our second hatching.

I am in!
I'll be setting some Marans and some Silkies.

Count me in. I'll be setting 15 blue splash wheaten amercucanas.

I Want To Participate

Okay i am a little confused the first post says to set chicken eggs on Saturday March 29th? today is Saturday 28th should i be setting them on Sunday the 29th? Just want to be clear so i don't miss setting my eggs! Thank you

If your eggs have settled and the bator is ready its best to set your eggs than to hold them a day for the hatchalong, there is a 2 day leeway. so for the good of the eggs.... SET ALL EGGS!

All of my Call Eggs are now out of the carton, and in the turner!! Air cells looking stable in 11, 2 I'm not quite certain, and I wasn't gonna tilt them to see. Not rocking the boat, ya know? One I tossed because it was so sloshy I didn't want it to grow even if it could have...Would've had me a nervous wreck at hatch time. Definite embryos in 8 of them, not saying the others don't, but I just hovered the flashlight over top of them to see aircells, I wasn't actually candling yet. I'm happy. Collecting more from my girl until the 4th, then I'll put them in the turner with everyone else. When I lockdown the 1st batch, I'll move the newbies to the LG for the duration of # 1's hatch, then put them back in for the remainder of their time. It's so nice to have a plan. I can't be settled without one.

A great feature of the cabinet bator that Ray just built is a top shelf that I wanted to be the hatching shelf. Wouldn't ya know..it's about 1.5 degrees cooler on that shelf so should be perfect for hatching. That was a happy find for me!

 

[tommysgirl]

Hey all. I PM'ed Sally but she doesn't seem to be on right now so I'll ask here. I had a chick hatch while I was at work today (The small end pipper no less) and he still has a nickel size yolk attached. He's trying to run around and I'm worried sick he's going to rip it off. Should I isolate him in a cup in the brooder until it absorbs?

I see Ron answered your question...I hope the baby is OK today

long story short,went to atwoods 300 miles away from home.saw this Little chick being stomped in a 1.99$ tub asked to take it be for it dyed.got it and the other for company. Just adding too backyard mix.

Of course you did. very sweet of you, The one in front looks like it could grow up to be mottled.

I miss having chicks! It has been months since the last time I was looking forward to pips and chicks. So now I'm really excited to be setting eggs for the Easter Hatch-a-long. These will (hopefully) be my first Isbars and welsummers, plus I plan to set some legbar eggs. Probably 6 of each type, its hard to decide!

I hear you. I think I may even pull a few inside to brood them> When the boddies raise em I have a hard time getting them to like me

So my eggs came today after all. Looks like only 4 detached air cells. And sent extra of other breeds...cool!

So my breeds will be....
Shipped: Dark Brahmas, Phoenix, Silkies, Oringtons, Mohawk RIR(?)
Mine: Silkies, Showgirls, Frizzle/Showgirl mix, Delware mix, Cochin mix and RIR mix

with a Light Brahma broody.

Dark Brahmas....sigh

Only me. Only me, I swear. This could ONLY happen to me.

There I am at the Pub, secure in the knowledge I will be picking up some chicken breed eggs tomorrow I don't have in my flock. One of the other regular Pub customers is a beekeeper and a regular handyman who has, in the past, raised chickens, ducklings and doves, even says he has an old incubator in storage... We frequently chat about silkies being broody, how much easier it is when hens hatch eggs, etc.. He isn't present; this is just the backstory to this tale. He knows I am setting eggs under a silkie hen for an Easter HAL.

One of the owners of the Pub - Ian - lives next to my Thistle Dew Ranch property. The beekeeper lives on Ian's property in a fifth wheel trailer. Another regular arrives, announcing Ian has hit and killed a wild turkey on the road, Ian and the beekeeper are considering cleaning the wild turkey carcass to cook it. A third regular hears this news and decides he will go get his knives from home and go over there to assist them (so the process is handled "right"). Laughing, he departs.

A short time later, the phone rings; the server answers it, listens, says,"Yes, she's here," then brings the phone to me. It is Ian.

The deceased turkey is a Jenny and she had an egg inside her. The beekeeper has told Ian it is hard-shelled enough to be a viable hatching candidate and urges him to ask ME to come rescue it, because I have a broody silkie.

Ian feels this is an opportune time to have me visit his property, have a glass of wine with the three of them, and salvage the turkey egg so his tenant doesn't get his tender heart broken. (I am paraphrasing much of what these three men said in this tale...)

The Jenny carcass is destined for a version of Coq au Vin. The guy with the knives opined frying would be the most appropriate cooking method. Ian and I, plus his lady friend who happened to call during the evisceration process agreed Coq Au Vin would be best. Ian will bring a small portion for me on Sunday evening, the Pub's Trivia Night (which I seldom miss).

Meanwhile, the not-laid egg was being kept warm inside the beekeeper's jacket next to his body; he put the precious thing in an empty coffee can half full of turkey down before handing it over to me.

And Sparkle has accepted the wild turkey egg. I may move it to a different broody hen when the planned-for Easter Hatch BCM eggs begin to hatch in three weeks....

You are a fabulous story teller. Good luck with that wild turkey egg!

 

[fireman0298]

7710 is my prediction for # of eggs hatched. Good luck to all and happy hatching!!!