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

[karenerwin]

I eggtopsyed my last 3 eggs today on day 24 ( I took them out last night, the incubator was starting to smell & I wasn't sure if it was the eggs or something else). Anyway, all 3 of them were fully developed but had not piped internally, 2 had small amounts of yolk left to absorb & the 3rd had a little more yolk. I did not see any movement when I candled them last night before I took them out. Not sure what happened, maybe temp changes got them when I took all the other hatched chicks out.

 

[PaisyQ]

Yikes, I'm behind on the thread! Wish I could read everything, I see a lot of cute pics showing up though. Wanted to post some cute pics of my own, but I can't find my card reader, so the pictures are going to have to stay on the camera for now.

This hatch-a-long has been a lot of fun, I'll have to do this again. Are there any hatch a longs around memorial day? Cause that's my next vacation, so that's when I'm planning to set my next batch to hatch for!

I gave 9 of my 15 chicks to a friend today. Boy, was that hard to do! I was only going to keep 5 of the chicks, but I had such a hard time deciding which ones to keep, I couldn't cut it down to 5, and ended up keeping 6. My roo, the father of all of my chicks, is a backyard-bred EE. The mothers are a SLW, Welsummer, Amberlink, and 2 EEs. One of the 2 EE chicks had a hard start, I didn't think she was going to make it at first, so of course I became really attached to her while rooting for her recovery. She's doing fine, now, but if she turns into a rooster, I'm going to have problems.

Well, hopefully I can get my pics onto the computer soon. I can't wait to show off baby pictures.

 

[NikkiCole5]

@ronott1
@TMNfarm
Hey thank y'all for responding. So I was wondering if it's too early to put them in lockdown and stop turning? The air cell is half way down the egg and the rest is mostly dark, I can see them pushing on the air cell membrane, is 4 days early too early to stop turning? Thank you
This would barely be day 24 for the first three/21 for the last three

 

[jbkirk]

Thought these might be helpful:




-Kathy

Thanks I'll definitly remember this

I did an eggtopsy on the two blue eggs and found that they must've died right before date 18 because the got was not drawn in the other one had this weird fleshy mass on his head so note to self I'm not going to incubate any more eggs on that side of the incubator or incubate those eggs because I think the other serama egg that was near the same place did not develop. Now my incubator is making a weird rattling noise
The fleshy mass looks like his brain or something...i think that was rhe bird that internally pipped...im somewhat happy ot didnt hatch. The other chick seemed fine, but it still hadnt drawn its gut in. Id add pics, but im not on my phone and dont want to disturb any of you

OH THE OTHER NOTE...i have a pip in one of my seramas! Im afraid the other died...

You could post it on a spoiler.

Mine were officially late, but better late than never. (I was so worried especially b/c I couldn't think of what I did wrong.) My best guess is that because these eggs were started under a broody when the temps were about 5-20'F, the development was delayed. They were moved to an incubator around the 5th day, so the broody could hatch eggs for my daughter's project. One of the eggs was clear & tossed.

Anyway, here's my Hatch A Long Results:
7 eggs set March 14 (by the broody. I had no choice & just found them under her on the 15th.)
6 were fertile & all 6 made it to lockdown.
All 6 hatched. (all one day late)

Can you find the 6 chicks?

Yep

 

[sherrib0401]

Final count 3 of 36 hatched. The last one that hatched didn't make it. Thankful I have two.

 

[ronott1]

@ronott1
@TMNfarm
Hey thank y'all for responding. So I was wondering if it's too early to put them in lockdown and stop turning? The air cell is half way down the egg and the rest is mostly dark, I can see them pushing on the air cell membrane, is 4 days early too early to stop turning? Thank you
This would barely be day 24 for the first three/21 for the last three

That is a tough one.

Do you have an incubator that you use for hatching? If so, I would set the day 24 eggs for hatching and wait on the 21 day eggs.

It sounds like humidity might need to be a bit higher next time ducks are hatched.

Wait until you see pips if you only have one incubator.

 

[Happy Chooks]

@ronott1
@TMNfarm
Hey thank y'all for responding. So I was wondering if it's too early to put them in lockdown and stop turning? The air cell is half way down the egg and the rest is mostly dark, I can see them pushing on the air cell membrane, is 4 days early too early to stop turning? Thank you
This would barely be day 24 for the first three/21 for the last three

I'm assuming these are duck eggs? If so, I've never hatched ducks, so I'm not much help there.

 

[SoManyHats]

Only two eggs left before I have my final numbers! Incubator 1 is bleached and ready for more!! Incubator 2 is in lockdown.
Time to build a #3!!

I cleaned and refilled one of my incubators this morning! My other one is on day 6. are we crazy?

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

I cleaned and refilled one of my incubators this morning! My other one is on day 6. are we crazy? 

Not at all! I have just under 36 duck eggs on deck for incubator #2, and #1 is earmarked for geese!
We aren't crazy, we are dedicated to the cause!!

 

[chickiebaby1]

Quick question @ronott1 ,or anyone with chicky experiance, do baby chicks have to have a warmer if I can keep the temp in the room at the temp the brooder is supposed to be. Example: my chicks are in my bathtub, in a very small room. I can actually get the temp of the room to stay around 90-95 without the heat lamp. Would it be okay to get rid of the heat lamp and just keep the room at the 90-95 degree mark, and adjust the temps week by week or do the chicks need the heat light?