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

[Wrightsx4]

After day 7 candling, all 12 of 12 are still going strong! Eggs are all from my own flock this time. It's my first hatch that doesn't include any shipped eggs.

 

[PAchickenlover]

Ok, Ok I can't wait any longer I have to tell... My 7yr old hacked in to his teachers first in math account! 7 yes 7 yr old... What the crap am I going to do with him!? He is way to smart for his own good! Don't worry, I promptly told him to get off and not to do it again.. But now I am a little concerned... Should I warn Bill Gates that he has competition? Lmbo

The math teacher needs to use a better password and not write it down where the children can see it!

You have a very smart 7 rear old!

[IMG]http://www.smiliegenerator.de/s38/smilies-3434.png[/IMG]

I don't think she did have it written down. Now maybe he saw her put it in once, I don't know. I do know that he can memorize things very quickly. Yikes, really going to have to watch this boy... lol

 

[PAchickenlover]

I getting some Buff Geese! DH doesn't know yet but I have traded my extraneous yearling ram for a young pair of Buff Geese. The lady says there have been no eggs yet so they may be both ganders  but I don't care. I have wanted Buff Geese forever. I'll find them some ladies. Or hatch them. Plus this ram yearling that is too closely related to most of my girls but has the best fleece I have ever bred is going to someone who can appreciate his wool!

That's great! So excited for you! We love our goose, even if it is a gander. Lol

 

[Hayduke27]

Okay, so again, this is my first hatch. For candling my eggs, I am just taking them to a dark place and shining a very bright LED headlamp through their sides.

Upon first look at day 7, I was looking for veins, I thought that's what I should see. I probably checked about a dozen eggs and saw none. I was a little puzzled, as my temp and humidity have been pretty spot on, and I have been very attentive. This morning I read a little more about candling, and then took another look at a random sampling of eggs. I have 41 in the incubator. I can't see into many of the green and blue eggs, their shells just don't let any light pass through.

HOWEVER, I do see that in many, if not all, of the brown and light brown eggs I can see in, there is a dark thing, about the size of the yolk, that moves as I roll the egg. I was assuming this was just the yolk, but when I look at a fresh egg I don't see this dark thing. Is this what I am looking for? Is this a chick? What if I see no veins?

EDIT: I decided my head lamp looked dim, and changed out the batteries. Now I can see veins everywhere. It startled me. Wow.

 

[PAchickenlover]

After day 7 candling, all 12 of 12 are still going strong! Eggs are all from my own flock this time. It's my first hatch that doesn't include any shipped eggs.

That's great!

 

[onlygirloutof6]

OK I have a dumb? When I got home some of my quail hens have been got a beating, so I put them icu to heal. How long will there eggs stay fertile, after not being with roo?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I just need a bit of some wise words for my unsuccessful experiences with broodies...

marshie has her butt back on that nest of hers now.
she is sitting on two golf balls I gave her last night.

i'm going to TSC later and may buy 6 bantam chicks to put under her......but the last time I showed her a 5 week chick it broke her broodiness........do you think I can just suddenly swap eggs for chicks under her and act like they hatched? because a mamma hen does know when an egg pips so......what would you do?

she has been broody for 5 days.....and I dont want her to leave once she sees a chick.

I have had some broodies accept chicks and others that refuse to adopt them. It just depends on the hen. If you do give her chicks, get the youngest chicks you can find (with very little wing feathers) and put them under her at night. Check on her first thing in the morning and see how she is doing.

Thing is i dont know where to get eggs....i havent seen any breeds i like in BYC auctions....unless i could go to my breeders place later this week but im crammed with stuff.... So i just thought im going to TS later so id just get some

What breeds are you looking for?

Ok, Ok I can't wait any longer I have to tell... My 7yr old hacked in to his teachers first in math account! 7 yes 7 yr old... What the crap am I going to do with him!? He is way to smart for his own good! Don't worry, I promptly told him to get off and not to do it again.. But now I am a little concerned... Should I warn Bill Gates that he has competition? Lmbo

Oh my, you are going to have your hands full at your house! Feds showing up next?

Okay, so again, this is my first hatch. For candling my eggs, I am just taking them to a dark place and shining a very bright LED headlamp through their sides.

Upon first look at day 7, I was looking for veins, I thought that's what I should see. I probably checked about a dozen eggs and saw none. I was a little puzzled, as my temp and humidity have been pretty spot on, and I have been very attentive. This morning I read a little more about candling, and then took another look at a random sampling of eggs. I have 41 in the incubator. I can't see into many of the green and blue eggs, their shells just don't let any light pass through.

HOWEVER, I do see that in many, if not all, of the brown and light brown eggs I can see in, there is a dark thing, about the size of the yolk, that moves as I roll the egg. I was assuming this was just the yolk, but when I look at a fresh egg I don't see this dark thing. Is this what I am looking for? Is this a chick? What if I see no veins?

Blue and green eggs are very difficult to see into, even with a really bright light. My darkest brown welsummer eggs, I rarely see veining. I just look for movement and light/dark ratio. By lockdown, you should see all dark except for the air sac - you won't see much movement at this stage because the chick is in position (hopefully) and ready for hatch.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Okay, so again, this is my first hatch.  For candling my eggs, I am just taking them to a dark place and shining a very bright LED headlamp through their sides.

Upon first look at day 7, I was looking for veins, I thought that's what I should see.  I probably checked about a dozen eggs and saw none.  I was a little puzzled, as my temp and humidity have been pretty spot on, and I have been very attentive.  This morning I read a little more about candling, and then took another look at a random sampling of eggs.  I have 41 in the incubator.  I can't see into many of the green and blue eggs, their shells just don't let any light pass through.

HOWEVER, I do see that in many, if not all, of the brown and light brown eggs I can see in, there is a dark thing, about the size of the yolk, that moves as I roll the egg.  I was assuming this was just the yolk, but when I look at a fresh egg I don't see this dark thing.  Is this what I am looking for?  Is this a chick?  What if I see no veins?

You may need a brighter led flashlight. I use an inexpensive 200 lumens light and it shines well even on my marans eggs. I had been using a much lower rated light (40 maybe?) and I didn't see veins in thick shelled light brown eggs and nothing in the green ones. The dark glob that floats as you rotate the egg is the yolk. It'll be darker than in a fresh egg.

 

[Hayduke27]

You may need a brighter led flashlight. I use an inexpensive 200 lumens light and it shines well even on my marans eggs. I had been using a much lower rated light (40 maybe?) and I didn't see veins in thick shelled light brown eggs and nothing in the green ones. The dark glob that floats as you rotate the egg is the yolk. It'll be darker than in a fresh egg.

I put new batteries in the light, and it is much brighter now. I see lots of veins! Yay!

 

[bantambury]

I have had some broodies accept chicks and others that refuse to adopt them. It just depends on the hen. If you do give her chicks, get the youngest chicks you can find (with very little wing feathers) and put them under her at night. Check on her first thing in the morning and see how she is doing.

What breeds are you looking for?

ok....I could always try that. I just don't want her to kill the chicks, but if she does she does.....could I always return them to TSC or will they not accept them?



what I am relly looking for is:

-Americanas (great layers and will work nicely with my Americana crosses I have)
-Wyandottes (gold, silver, blue/red laced)
-Sebright (silver, but gold would work)
-polish (top hat white crested)
-white silkies (showable)
-Japanese Bantam (BTW, showable)
-Barnevelders (ever since you posted the pics of your birds I fell in love with this breed! haha)
and I also like surprise breed eggs, but not crosses.....purebred

I also am looking for show quality birds....which is making everything harder for me....