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

[Sueg4332]

Good Morning. Went ahead and candeled all the eggs I had left. Down to 4 out of 41. Think I am going to try again after this hatch and see if I can figure out why I don't have a better hatch rate. I know I had a couple of temp spikes so that did not help. Just wondering if may be my rooster has too many girls (9) because it seemed to be a lot of clears, and they all appear to be from the same 4 hens. Hopefully the 4 left will hatch though.

I have my fair share of blank eggs this year myself. I wonder if it has anything to do with crazy weather? My 2 roosters with the Back Yard Flock has a better fertility in the eggs than the roosters pen with only 4 to 7 hens.
go to try a old trick of COB/molasses. Horse feed add to feed to see if it help.
Once years ago my daughter had cocktiels . She tried and tried to raise babies out of those birds. Very expense food vitamin. Not much luck (to make a long story short) She went in the Army, left her dogs and a cage of cocktiels neither so which I liked. But that"s what mothers do. I ran out of that expensive food and started feed them COB . With 60 days those bird laid eggs hatch babies (15) I could believe it. So I am adding COB to my wheaten feed to see if the chicks seem any strong ....

 

[ddhyland]

I have my fair share of blank eggs this year myself. I wonder if it has anything to do with crazy weather? My 2 roosters with the Back Yard Flock has a better fertility in the eggs than the roosters pen with only 4 to 7 hens.
go to try a old trick of COB/molasses. Horse feed add to feed to see if it help.
Once years ago my daughter had cocktiels . She tried and tried to raise babies out of those birds. Very expense food vitamin. Not much luck (to make a long story short) She went in the Army, left her dogs and a cage of cocktiels neither so which I liked. But that"s what mothers do. I ran out of that expensive food and started feed them COB . With 60 days those bird laid eggs hatch babies (15) I could believe it. So I am adding COB to my wheaten feed to see if the chicks seem any strong ....

Interesting, I will have to look into this. TY. I was also wondering about the weather since it has been so up and down, but others in my area seem to be doing okay.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

I have my fair share of blank eggs this year myself.   I wonder if it has anything to do with crazy weather?   My 2 roosters with the Back Yard Flock has a better fertility in the eggs  than the roosters pen with only 4 to 7 hens.
go to try a old trick of COB/molasses.   Horse feed add to feed to see if it help.
Once years ago my daughter had cocktiels .   She tried and tried to raise babies out of those birds.   Very expense food vitamin. Not much luck (to make a long story short)    She went in the Army, left her dogs  and a cage of cocktiels neither so which I liked.   But that"s what mothers do. I ran out of that expensive food and started feed them  COB . With 60 days those bird  laid eggs  hatch babies (15)  I could believe it.   So I am adding COB to my wheaten feed to see if the chicks seem any strong ....

COB?

 

[LBKS]

What kind of incubator? This may help me convince my dh that is not my or the animal's fault or power bill is high

The square styro kind - Farm Innovator forced air and whatever brand still air they sell at the farm store (slightly less, so used the higher value). Your cost may vary depending on rate cost. This was based on a 0.09 odd rate rounded up to 0.10 per kWH.

 

[LadyCluck77]

I strongly suspect my big incubators turner has been broken for nearly a week. Ill candle tonight, but it looks like I'm out.
:/

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

The square styro kind - Farm Innovator forced air and whatever brand still air they sell at the farm store (slightly less, so used the higher value). Your cost may vary depending on rate cost. This was based on a 0.09 odd rate rounded up to 0.10 per kWH.

I have a styro LG still air. And my power is .095 per. So my cost should be close to yours. I honestly think or big power sink is the water heater. Bi just don't know what to do about it.

 

[ronott1]

I have a styro LG still air. And my power is .095 per. So my cost should be close to yours. I honestly think or big power sink is the water heater. Bi just don't know what to do about it.

Do you have Gas? Gas is usually less expensive to run. also, on Demand water heaters will use less energy.

 

[LBKS]

I have a styro LG still air. And my power is .095 per. So my cost should be close to yours. I honestly think or big power sink is the water heater. Bi just don't know what to do about it.

I haven't tracked the water heater yet, but short of replacing it you can turn down how hot it needs to heat the water. I have to take a plate off mine to finangle it so I am waiting to meter it when I do.

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Do you have Gas? Gas is usually less expensive to run. also, on Demand water heaters will use less energy.

No it's electric. At our old place we had gas it wasn't to bad. We would love an on demand one but our landlord refuses to replace it.

I haven't tracked the water heater yet, but short of replacing it you can turn down how hot it needs to heat the water. I have to take a plate off mine to finangle it so I am waiting to meter it when I do.

It's heating to about 120* what's the normal?

 

[Hayduke27]

I just candled, and out of the 14 eggs I still have in the incubator, 11 are looking very good. 3 of them I am unsure about. If an egg quits late, is there anything I can look for to tell? Of the three, two of them definitely have veins and a large, dark mass. They just have about 1/3 of the egg still clear, whereas with most of my good looking eggs, there is not a lot of space other than the air sack. Are there any tell-tale signs of a late quitter?