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

[FrenchToast]

I have some mixed eggs included with this hatch and I was wondering some odds. I had three roosters. The dominant one sired ALL the chicks in my last batch. Not what I expected so he went to a new home to be the only rooster. Monday will mark the end of week three with Mr. Dominant gone. I have caught one of the other roosters "getting the job done," but not the other. Not that he isn't working, I just haven't caught him "in the act" yet. This is Marbles. He was king of the flock just over two weeks before he disappeared while defending his girls from a predator. All I found of him was a few of his gorgeous tail feathers. I am really hoping for the chicks to be his and bear some resemblance to him. (The hens look nothing like him.) What are the odds of at least a few of the chicks being his with Mr. (former) Dominant's genes still being around? This is Squeakers a bantam rooster. He is the current king of the flock, but I haven't caught him "in the act" yet. Is there a possibility that some of the chicks could be his also? I am just so eggcited I can't wait for these chicks to start hatching and they aren't even in the incubator yet. They are going in tomorrow. LOL!

No takers in helping me figure out the odds? Oh well, I would love to run a contest on it. I can usually tell which rooster did the work by two weeks of age. Unfortunately, I have nothing to offer as a prize. So sad.

sorry for your loss on Roo #2 Squeakers is adorable. What breed is he? Is he lavender?

 

[chickenfarmgirl]

That's adorable!

 

[bantambury]

So my final count will be 23 chicken eggs, 12 serama eggs.

GRAND TOTAL OF 35 EGGS

I set these yesterday and added one today. Im setting the seramas tomorrow

 

[Happy Chooks]

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.

Pretty!

42 eggs set today
Oh no I don't see my name on the list of participants! I'm sure I signed up !!! Now what? ?????

You'll be added, no worries.

The eggs are in

Did you say how many?

Quote: Shamelessly admitting I find eggs in my coat pockets too.

Quick question. If a hen is feeling broody will she collect eggs for a few days before she actually starts to sit. I have a LF cochin that I think might be going broody. She was in the nest box for hours today, but the last time I went out to check she was walking around. I went a head and put a few extra eggs in the nest, there were 3 in there already. I am hoping this will entice her to sit, that way I can add to my total for the hatch along. I also personally feel that broodies do a better job than my styro incubators. Here's hoping her momma feelings are kicking in.

Watch for her to be on the nest at night.

I don't see my name on the participants list. How do I get it there? We set 12 eggs at noon today.

You'll be added.

I don't want to offend anyone, but I think a lot off you worry too much!! My broody hens have hatched out dirty filthy eggs in October. I put my eggs in the incubator straight from the box, no matter how dirty. Nature will take its course. Just make sure to keep them to temp

Agree, nature is stronger than you think.

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.

You need to give them longer, 2 days is not enough time to be sure of development. There could be many reasons why some develop a bit faster than others.

Quote: Very cool!

Hi all, is it to late for me to set my eggs? I forgot and was thinking I was suppose to set them today at noon.

Nope, not too late. Set them!

Oh? I never thought of that, so if my bantys laid me some eggs I still have time to participate! Just rearrange eggs some, and mark the ones I put in today...and today's will count for HAL?

Yep, they will count.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

My husband has been hospitalized for the past few days, so the house has been chaos. I just got him home, and started my egg chores. Turned, weighed, & candled. Cool down for the waterfowl, followed by a distilled water mist... Only I grabbed the mild disinfectant cleaner I use for the ducklings instead of the distilled water... And sprayed them all. I immediately misted them down with distilled water and blotted, followed by a second rinse. They still smelled fabulous. Rinsed a goose egg in warm running water. Still fabulous.
I'm very concerned that I just killed my whole incubator full of geese and calls by spraying them with odoban....
Going to have a mini meltdown, then collapse....

 

[Jewls819]

I have one incubator set today with 21 Serama eggs(mine hatch around day 20) and another incubators set today with 26 eggs. 47 eggs in incubators and my little serama hen Athena went broody today to join us. She is setting on 5 eggs. So that is 52 eggs total! This will be the best Easter ever!

 

[Dcat]

That is a lot of stacked eggs. Let us know how the stacked incubation turn out for you. Did you mark your stacked eggs?

I didn't mark the stacked eggs, I plan on rotating eggs around once a day. Probably not necessary but it makes me feel better. I just do it during a turn session. LOL

 

[CowboysAngel]

I have one incubator set today with 21 Serama eggs(mine hatch around day 20) and another incubators set today with 26 eggs. 47 eggs in incubators and my little serama hen Athena went broody today to join us. She is setting on 5 eggs. So that is 52 eggs total! This will be the best Easter ever!

What a sweet pair! Someone had serama chicks for sale on our local craigslist yesterday...they wanted $25 for a 3 day old chick...is that about normal?

 

[bekkanblue]

My husband has been hospitalized for the past few days, so the house has been chaos. I just got him home, and started my egg chores. Turned, weighed, & candled. Cool down for the waterfowl, followed by a distilled water mist... Only I grabbed the mild disinfectant cleaner I use for the ducklings instead of the distilled water... And sprayed them all. I immediately misted them down with distilled water and blotted, followed by a second rinse. They still smelled fabulous. Rinsed a goose egg in warm running water. Still fabulous.
I'm very concerned that I just killed my whole incubator full of geese and calls by spraying them with odoban....
Going to have a mini meltdown, then collapse....

I'm just going to keep fingers crossed that they didn't notice and just enjoyed the extra attention!

 

[coop410silkies]

Is this post for me?  I have a GQF Sportsman and three styrobators that I use for hatching.  I use the cabinet bator for the first 18 - 19 days, then move them to the styrobators for the hatching.  I can raise the humidity in the styros and not have to clean (except for a quick wipe down with a Clorox Wipe) the big bator between sets.  The pic of the chick hatching above was taken just a few minutes ago.  They are due tomorrow and that little Campine is the first to hatch.  There are about ten or so that have pips.

As for the cut down egg cartons, I can fit an 18 egg carton and half a 12 egg carton in the styrobator in one end, wall to wall, and it is snug.  That leaves more room for the chicks to play while waiting on the others to hatch.

I see how you think of it, Ron, and as long as you keep it straight in your own mind, it works, too.  I just think in terms of 24 hour increments (days) and it is not one day old until one day has passed.  Truthfully, I don't keep up with it very specifically, I just try to remember to move them from the bator to the hatcher a day or so before they hatch.  Sometimes, I move them when I hear peeping from the bator.  Sometimes I move them when I find a chick in the bottom of the cabinet bator.  :/

Wow, that is amazing! I am fine tuniing a system MUCH like yours. I incubate in my Coolerbator, then remove to a DIY Styrobator. This Hatcher is just big enough to hold a large yellow styrofoam meat packing tray (the kind chicken comes in); I put it in the bottom of the styro box, fill it with warm water, and then top it with a plastic mesh that will support the paper egg cartons I put in next. The Styrobator will hold snugly one 18 count + one 12 count cardboard egg cartons with their tops removed. I have NOT cut holes in the bottom (that is not the end they are breathing from, after all) for this test hatch, and I poured a little water into some of the cells to get the humidity up to 70%. The moistened cartons lose their moisture to the air in the Hatcher quite readily, and the humidity zooms right up there. The nice thing about this dinky little styrofoam box is that it is heated by a tiny little G9 50WattHalogen bulb. It puts out a lot of heat and doesn't occupy much space, so that if I have to add more water, it is not so hard to work around - especially if I leave a cell empty in a convenient place for doing this. Also, the heat from this light bulb is strong enough to keep the temperature up to snuff should I have to crack the lid to reduce the humidity. Switched by an inexpensive digital thermostat from China, it brings the temperature right back up to 100*, and I am not having any concerns about opening during lockdown this time around. Obviously I have placed this test group in an upright hatching position - mostly because their air cells were on the smallish side, and I wanted to be certain they remained UP, but also because it was more convenient to do it this way. I am on Day 2 of Lockdown; I had to add about a Tbs of water this morning, and the Hatcher has been steady at 69% RH, and between 99* and 100* all day. The proof is in the pudding - I mean hatching - though, and if this does not turn out well, I have contingency plans for the HAL lockdown (once we figure out what day THAT day is supposed to be). Yours in Berthoud