The Hatch That BYC Built (aka Frieda vs. the Brinsea!) (Warning--pic heavy)

[AmyPaperlady]

OK then, regular candling 'twill be They got wet enough yesterday as it was...

 

[lazy gardener]

So, just consider yesterday to be a float test.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

It didn't rain *that* much!

 

[TheBeardie]

Any movement yet? It's hard for me too, one of my hens are broody and is about ready to hatch. I'm just sitting here ready for action.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

I'm candling after my daughters go to bed, so I don't have any "help"

It's only 3:20 here, so in about 6 hours or so.

No pips that I can see.

I just freaked out the chicks

I went out to the coop, and it was quiet in the pen, so I picked up the heating pad cave and that woke them all up.

 

[Ren2014]

Actually, now that I'm looking on the computer screen, neither can I... I woke up to a new, fully fluffy chick

YAY

for the new one.

I'm candling after my daughters go to bed, so I don't have any "help"

It's only 3:20 here, so in about 6 hours or so.

No pips that I can see.

I just freaked out the chicks

I went out to the coop, and it was quiet in the pen, so I picked up the heating pad cave and that woke them all up.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Well, one Sulmtaler egg was moving like mad--I think the chick was internally pipping as I was watching, because it looked like someone jabbing something up and down quickly! I did keep 3 other eggs--another Sulmtaler from outside, and 2 BCMs that had been in the incubator the whole time. I didn't see any definite signs either way, but I figured since I was keeping the incubator on anyway, I might as well keep them in. Of the 5 I tossed, one (from outside) was seeping. The one inside egg I tossed was clearly a quitter (and I wish I'd candled the incubator eggs as well as the Frieda eggs last night--then I would've had room for 1 more Frieda egg

) The other three had no movement and just looked... wrong. I can't really think of how to describe the difference between the 3 no-movement ones I kept, and the 3 no-movement ones I tossed, other than the ones I kept just for the heck of it looked less wrong.

I do hope one of the 2 BCM eggs I kept hatch, and/or that my first chick is girl--the BCMs are what I really wanted--the Sulmtalers are also cool, but I mostly asked for those 'cause I wanted something easier to candle for my first time using this incubator

I'm going to try really hard to not do the shoulda-woulda-couldas. I did stop myself from saying that if I'd just given the first chick to Frieda, she would've been in chick-raising-broody mode, and I could've moved her and the eggs to the nice, dry pen--she may have even stayed on the eggs a bit with the chick so small and not needing to eat, 'cause I remember her being confused and upset when the chicks from the feedstore wouldn't stay under her the first day, when her instincts were still telling her to stay put...

 

[Ravynscroft]

You're doing just fine... first time incubating in a bator and with shipped eggs... and Frieda working against Mother Nature...

Spring will be here before you know it and you can try again...

 

[AmyPaperlady]

Thanks.

 

[AmyPaperlady]

I can't believe I didn't report the pip last night! I think it was around midnight, in the egg that looked like it was getting ready to pip

I turned the egg a bit so I could see the pip easier, and there was peeping. Not very loud, though. It's almost 11am now--I think I'll give it until noon and, if there's no change, at least enlarge the pip to let more oxygen in (right now, it's just a high spot on the shell).