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

[JDchicks]

I have some of my Easter hatches already sold. And from previous customers.

 

[Gardeningmama]

http://fox4kc.com/2014/04/03/live-pictures-decorah-eagle-cam/

I used to keep a tab open each spring to watch this. Now, I can't stomach turning it on. Bad reminder that the raptors are hungry. We have 2 pairs that nest in the woods across the street.

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yeah i really tried to get my eggs before then but the earliest i could have them shipped was the 12th

Be sure to check out page 1 for all of the contests that anyone can enter. There's plenty that are open to all of BYC. Also, look into the Cinco De Mayo Hatch-A-Long....Set date for that has to be coming up very soon. You may be just in time for it!

 

[JDchicks]

Quick question...

I have always done smaller hatches so opening the little lids on the top of my LG, didn't allow for too much heat loss.

With having the bator maxed out this time, will it hurt to remove the whole lid to candle? Some are hard to reach otherwise.

 

[jbenson]

Candled last night - mildly disappointing. 19 of 40 d'Uccles eggs are clears. I'm sure it's a combination of the eggs getting too cold before collection and sitting too long prior to setting (I started saving them right away when I set my last hatch so the oldest ones were 21 days old) and we had one more cold snap during which I did find some rather cold eggs in the second nestbox but I decided to set all of them that I had since 21 days worth was a full turner.

DH is offering to help build me a dedicated hatcher instead of having to buy one. What are people's best designs for this? Foam coolers are easy for me to come by, really thick foam. Or we have several unused small glass aquariums that could be repurposed. 100w bulb? I would probably hatch somewhere from 10-20 bantam eggs at a time (my ideal goal is to rotate eggs into the turner once a week and out into the hatcher to have a continuous stream of day olds for selling on weekends). I'd love some input on what you've done to make a simple dediated hatcher 'bator on a shoestring.

 

[Gardeningmama]

 

[ddhyland]

Good morning everyone. Having my morning coffee before going back to bed for a couple hours. Went ahead and candled my 41 eggs.This is my second time using my incubator (LG still air, have not got a fan put in it yet). First hatch had 1 live chick and 1 which was upside down and died in the shell. The rest were pretty much all clear. I figured since the girls were just a year old and starting to lay might be due to that and me being new.

This batch set 41, 4 I did not expect really to hatch, found them were one of the girls was hiding them in the woods under a brush pile, but thought I try and see, they pretty much look clear, but leaving them just in case. I know there are definitely 4 eggs with chicks

. Of the 33 left, half look like they are clear/infertile. The others look like maybe they started and quit or something. (Will try and get some pics).

Trying to figure this out. I know the first couple days temps went up to 104 a couple times, probably because weather is crazy, 80 one day, 30 the next. Would this maybe cause this? I know I see my rooster breeding my girls (1 roo - age 1-1/2 years, 9 hens - age 1 year), just beginning to wonder if maybe he isn't getting the job done.

Using LG still air with auto-turner, keeping temp at top of eggs 102 (couple spikes to 104 at beginning). Humidity stays around 40% with no extra water added. Eggs were just laid to 10 days old when set.

Any ideas appreciated. Thanks

Pics are not too good, large phone, large light, small hands:
This egg was filthy, last one I put in because I had an empty slot and was laid right before I put it in, someone pooped in the nest and then hen apparently rolled it around in it



Hard to see, but it has a dark area at the top, then clear, then dark at the bottom, then clear


This one is a little dirty, not bad, has a dark mass in it that kind of oozes around when you turn the egg, does not move by itself (also green egg)




This a brown egg, very had to see, but it has a dark mass at the top, then clear, then dark ring area, then clear, no veins








Another dark green egg, this one has 2 dark spots, do not move, no veins that I can see, and again kind of oozes around

 

[SilkieSensation]

OK, skipped 400+ posts & skimmed Ron's digests trying to catch up for the last 3 days.

Congrats TeaChick!

Cynthia12, please let me know how those eggs are doing after the PO hijacked & lost them yet again.

 

[roostereggs]

I candled the other night and panicked because they ALL looked clear. Luckily it was just a battery issue...so we put fresh ones into the Mini-mag and there are signs of life! Still pretty bummed out...looks like out of 31 I only have 11 swimmers. 8 for sure clears (all of which are my Rhodebars)...and by the looks of the wonky air cells which are split into 2-3 bubbles...I am pretty sure this is a USPS issue.

So I have 1/1 olive egger, 2/6 BBCMs, and 8/24 Rhodebars.

Hopefully everything will go alright with the live ones.

Already looking for more eggs to put in there, lol. I have dh trained...now he just rolls his eyes instead of saying "No.More.Chickens!"

 

[Reyvaughn]

Ok my fellow hatchers, I need advice.

Since I'm hatching so many different types of chicks, I need a way to identify them (with 60 eggs, I won't remember which chick is what breed, etc.) I tried using zip ties last year but I wasn't happy with them...especially when I had to snip them off because of getting tight on chick's leg. So I want to get leg bands, but I don't know if what I want are even made.

I want a type of leg band that will expand as the chick grows so that I don't have to keep changing them. Is anything like this available??

IF NOT, how do I know what size leg bands to buy? When I looked online, they always had sizes, and I have no idea what sizes i would need!

BTW, since at least half of my chicks will be black, I can't use food coloring to put a dot on heads.

TYIA!!!

DMRippy has rubber band like leg bands that I suggest. She has them up for sale in the "Everything Else" section of the BST forum. That's what I've been using and I like them. They stretch so if I do forget to go up a size, they will stretch. You still have to change them, though!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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