The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Sueg4332]

These gorgeous turkey eggs arrived safe and sound today. A huge thanks to @Jessshan8 for packing them well. I know I'm a week late for setting turkey eggs, so they won't count for the HAL, but I'm pretty stoked about putting them in the incubator tomorrow.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

I have a question for everyone. On what day do you candle your eggs?

I desperately try to stick to days 7, 14, and 18. It doesn't always work, but I try.
You can usually tell by day 4 if there are any infertile(clear) eggs. I like to wait until day 7 because I have had "late bloomers" in the past. Veining on day 4 wasn't plainly clear, but when I candled a couple days later it was very much there. In those cases all the shells had some degree of tinting which made seeing veins harder. If I hadn't given the eggs some extra time I could have, inadvertently, tossed a perfectly fertile and developing chick. Not good.
Unless I smell a foul oder I wait until day 14 before candling a second time. By this time any early quitters are blatantly apparent. Also, if you are attempting to hatch maran or other dark pigmented eggs now is the time infertile eggs are obvious. An air-cell that was there on day 7 should be all but gone by this point if your dark eggs are infertile or the chick has died early on in the development.
Finally day 18 candling checks for and last minute quitters who just gave up the fight. And, if you missed any early quitters in your previous candlings you should be getting that tell-tale smell. This last candling will help determine which egg(s) the smell is coming from, if any.

As another member once said (although, much more eloquently) less is more when candling eggs. The bacteria on your hands can transfer to the developing chick through the porous shell. Each time you touch the egg you endanger the life of the developing chick inside. Reduce the risk and candle only when necessary, and wash your hands before and after handling the eggs.

 

[hockeydad6791]

Ha..what if ya set 2 mins...past midnight?   Didn't want it to be the 13th..lol...and, it to be officially on the day everyone was setting..so silly  I know. 

Lol I set mine on the 13th!! It was my hockey jersey number for years and has been my lucky number ever since. Also trying shipped eggs so didn't wanna wait too long. I let them sit for a day and a half put them in the bator and will plug the turner on tomorrow.

 

[chickwhispers]

Quote:

You're a bad good egg 'dude.

But but but

That should be "Bawk, bawk, bawk!"

Good Luck on your hatch!

 

[bamadude]

Lol

 

[vandamma72]

Is it okay if my incubator continuously varies from 92 degrees to 100 degrees. Should I still get any hatches? How can I make my incubators temp more stable? Thanks!

 

[jbenson]

I moved a batch to lockdown, candles my day 10 eggs and filled any open slots in the turner for this HAL. 31 set today. 13 are mille d'Uccle or crosses of them and 18 are bantam ee type crosses Ameraucana/Araucana cross too carrying blue egg gene over hens of the same cross and bantam mix hens who lay crew or tan eggs in hopes of a few greenish eggers.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Thst

Is it okay if my incubator continuously varies from 92 degrees to 100 degrees. Should I still get any hatches? How can I make my incubators temp more stable? Thanks!

That is a really big temperature spread, and at that range, your average temperature would be on the low side. What kind of incubator are you using?

 

[RedIII]

Okay, question for those of you who candle your eggs frequently:

How soon can you tell if your eggs are developing? I just candled five of mine at random, and of those five, I could see one starting to "sprout" veins :/ I set these two days ago. I hope it's not an omen of the hatch. I think I will refrain from candling for the rest of the hatch. I can't stand finding a bunch of clears like that, or quitters later on.

 

[NikkiCole5]

I didn't like it either, then figured out how to customize it the way I needed it... is good for a reminder, but I still keep my written records...

Hmm maybe I should play with it some more