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

[bamadude]

Congrats @Razadia and @drayeon the grandchickies

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

Just put 18 into lock-down. Cant wait!

 

[paris_r]

lock down question-for shipped eggs with loose air cells -is it better to place them fat side up then on their side?

 

[SoManyHats]

lock down question-for shipped eggs with loose air cells -is it better to place them fat side up then on their side?

yes

 

[chicken pickin]

@chicken pickin i LOVE your creme legbars! i was just looking at the pictures of them...
oh lord!

Thank You!

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Incubator Wars!

Lockdown!
​

Lockdown! Lockdown! Lockdown! The day has finally arrived! After 18 long and crazy days the time has finally arrived for all the incubators to be closed and remain closed until the hatching is finally over! Although lock down is beginning during daylight hours the final candling happened last night. Now we bring you highlights of the final candling.

The excitement was almost too much to bear as Contestant #2 spotted quite a bit of activity coming from the large shadowy figures within their two egg.

Contestant #1 entered into this with a great deal of confidence. A confidence, which was well founded as 20 of the 21 eggs still in the incubator show signs of life.

With the broody hen, Amber, having quit there were only three eggs of hers remaining. 2 of the 3 still showed active life.

Let's review those totals. Contestant #1 20 out of 26. Contestant #2 2 out of 3. Contestant #3's eggs 2 out of 8. That is a grand total of 24 out of 37 eggs having made it all the way to lockdown.

Hold up, hold up, hold up! Contestant #1 is slipping her eggs into Contestant #2's incubator. What is she doing!?! With a sly look she places the final egg and closes the incubator. Now, what is she doing!?! You have got to be kidding me! She has placed 34 more eggs into her incubator! Shrugging she states, "Chicken math. If you lose even one egg during a hatch you must obviously hatch more."

Well, there you have it, folks. 24 chicks ready to start breaking out of those shells and 34 more eggs cooking for another hatch. Now, the wait is on! Good Day and Happy Hatching!

 

[SoManyHats]

I was still in bed when I posted about the eggs someone sent me, and I was like

Then I got up… and found the temp in my hatcher had gone up to 103.8 as the humidity went down to 16%, and I was like

Why didn't I get up sooner??? I don't even know how long it was that high! I'm glad the temp went back to normal as soon as the humidity was up again, but…. now I'm going to be even more anxious the next few days!! UGH.

I put 15 in lockdown from the 40 I started with. I really hope they make it.

ETA: Of course I set 22 more eggs this morning, so that makes me feel a little better.

 

[chicken pickin]

Incubator Wars!

Lockdown!
​

Lockdown! Lockdown! Lockdown! The day has finally arrived! After 18 long and crazy days the time has finally arrived for all the incubators to be closed and remain closed until the hatching is finally over! Although lock down is beginning during daylight hours the final candling happened last night. Now we bring you highlights of the final candling.

The excitement was almost too much to bear as Contestant #2 spotted quite a bit of activity coming from the large shadowy figures within their two egg.

Contestant #1 entered into this with a great deal of confidence. A confidence, which was well founded as 20 of the 21 eggs still in the incubator show signs of life.

With the broody hen, Amber, having quit there were only three eggs of hers remaining. 2 of the 3 still showed active life.

Let's review those totals. Contestant #1 20 out of 26. Contestant #2 2 out of 3. Contestant #3's eggs 2 out of 8. That is a grand total of 24 out of 37 eggs having made it all the way to lockdown.

Hold up, hold up, hold up! Contestant #1 is slipping her eggs into Contestant #2's incubator. What is she doing!?! With a sly look she places the final egg and closes the incubator. Now, what is she doing!?! You have got to be kidding me! She has placed 34 more eggs into her incubator! Shrugging she states, "Chicken math. If you lose even one egg during a hatch you must obviously hatch more."

Well, there you have it, folks. 24 chicks ready to start breaking out of those shells and 34 more eggs cooking for another hatch. Now, the wait is on! Good Day and Happy Hatching!

 

[chickadoodles]

Thanks Bama I am getting a 98- 99% hatch rate with it. I threw out my hova bator that cost over 100. for this one we built for under 60.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Folks have you read the post that Happy Chooks is retiring as a moderator for at least a year. I am so sad!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/964908/announcement-byc-staff-moderator-term-limits-retirement

Why thanks for all the nice comments, but it was an April Fool's joke.

Candled for a lockdown plan, dropped an egg on the table and its cracked in the middle half way across and a quarter of the way down. There was no oozing though! I have put nail polish on it hoping to seal the crack. The embryo is till alive and moving. Is it safe to put it back with the other eggs?

PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

I would put it back in.

Quote: Bendy straws and a medicine syringe work great for adding water to hovabators. The straw fits perfectly through the vent hole.

Finally done with lockdown. All 52 that had made it past the Day 14 candling still look good although couple of them have started looking a little behind their age group. I saw at least 2 internal pips on the Barnevelders. I thought they were supposed to hatch a day later. And of course, there is that one which I dropped and cracked. What's strange is that all the Legbars have become quiet. That happened in my last hatch as well and then only 3 out of 7 that went into lockdown hatched. I am hoping for better results this time.

So I moved all the eggs that had air sacs drawn already into the PI-24 that has humidity fluctuating between 65-75%. The ones that seem on time or a little behind are in the Brinsea with humidity stable at 65%

Fingers crossed now!

Can someone post a pic of Welsummer chicks. I want to be able to separate them from my Barnevelders and some Barnevelder hybrids.

Barnevelders usually hatch right on time.


Welsummer chicks:


Barnevelder chicks:

So, I had 2 chick hatch out yesterday that are not part of the hatch along. One pipped yesterday afternoon and last night it was dead. Don't know what happened. I filled bator with water and I am hearing peeps in shells that are not pipped yet. This is a good sign. Bator is having a hard time holding temp since I put water in. Maybe I should have made the water warmer. I have the edges of the bator covered with sheets to hold in heat. I have the heat cranked all the way up but it will not go up to 100. It is staying at 94/95. I have only 5 eggs left for this hatch along. Out of 21 all together, 2 hatched, and all but 5 quit at day 8, 10, 12, 14, and pip. I currently have more hatched from the hova bator than the giant bator. Currently 2 of 21 and others peeping in the shell. Giant was 100 + eggs and got 2. Sigh, for some reason I feel so bummed. Also, my hatches are 50/50 in sex. It seems much easier to buy chicks than to hatch them.

I haven't hatched in them, but a lot of people struggle with getting good hatches out of little giant incubators. Hatching is learning what works for you and your area. Once you get it right, it will be much more enjoyable. I really suggest you get the Brinsea Spot check thermometer, it's really accurate.