THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th.

[Toxic Chicken]

I just put my eggs into lockdown. Woohoo !
And I'm already sitting here staring at them :/
Gonna be a long 3 days.

 

[Arielle]

Off to get mine put in the LG for lockdown!


I'm back.Candling at this time is very revealing.

A couple had to go back to Henny Penny as their lack of development had me rechecking their set date. OOPS. All but a couple have well developed air cells--thank goodness I opened the lid on Henny Penny to vent more of the air to dry them more.

I removed the last egg from the last hatch--completely developed w/ yolk absorbed, a bit too much moisture in the egg; I think it did not dry down enough. I had concerns about this batch lacking really big air cells so I have been watching the air cells like a hawk the last 8 days.

Summary: Even a 20% RH with no added water may not be enough to dry down the eggs if there are a lot of eggs ;the air cells were too small at day 14. Opening the lid on Henny Penny to make two air vents ( in addition to the side vents) resulted in better, larger air cells.

 

[yinepu]

I have 2 little mutts out this morning.. one is a silkie mix.. put them in with the freedom rangers that also arrived this morning..

a few more eggs are pipped........

 

[crazypetlady]

I'm looking at the rack holding the eggs. Is this  in 2 parts? screen and rick rack? LOL Don't know what else to call it. I like how it holds eggs semi-upright. 

That's a good name for it. There Is a metal thingey you push in to rotate the eggs then you pull it out when it is time to turn the eggs again.

I only go one with the incubator I am going to try together more made. You remove it at lock down and put the eggs on their sides.

 

[Tripp16]

Congrats to everyone that has chicks! I still have 9 more days of waiting!

Its ok though! I will have my time! Not this weekend but the next.

Everyone better post pics of all these new babies!

 

[crazypetlady]

Crazypetlady...You can't stop looking for eggs? I cant either. I keep looking all over the internet. My post master just laughs at me. He has even spoke to someone in the area that has duck eggs and wanting to know if I would like some to try to hatch.I told him sure I would try... As I left I was thinking to myself..what the heck were you thinking?  You are losing your mind!! So we will see what happens. I haven't picked up any eggs from the guy...yet.

Now I have gone past eggs and I am buying chickens. I bought a frizzled cockerel from pixie chicks and a barred Serama cockerel and 2 pullets in another auction. I just ordered a silkied hen and roo and am bidding on 4 more birds all Serama. Hopefully I won't win them. I'd better stop before I get in trouble with dh. But I have Been wanting to improve my Serama flock.

 

[crazypetlady]

Here is my lockdown count

Tray 1

24 my barnyard x / 1 pip

Tray 2

10 d'uccles / 1 pip 5 RIR

Tray 3 2 sections

7 LFX ------- 11 silkies. 4 Marans

Tray 4 2 sections

8 OE -------- 3 choc x. 4 lav amers.

Tray 5

23 NN EE and EE mix from SCG. 3 Serama/OEGB

Tray 6

6 Blue barred rock 1 LFX cochin


So that's 109 out of 153 on mostly shipped eggs. I tried to put them in trays to keep them identifible at hatch. I have leg bands at the ready.

I can't believe I have 2 pips. We had an 8+ hour power outage the other night, but we did manage to get the generator on for 2 hours in the middle. I figured I wouldbe hatching late like Monday. I set the eggs on a Sunday.

I can't wait to see what I get this is my biggest hatch ever. I did a dry hatch adding almost no water for a humidity of less than 30 most time in the 20's now I have it bumped up to 60 so we will see what happens. I think the 2 pips are a great sign.

 

[aaggjg]

Quote:

Sanding?? Oh no... you mean there's another option for me to possibly freak out about? Excellent. ugh.

BTW.... here it goes.... my eggs from my friend are developing awesome! just tossed one! OUT OF 15! I finally saw veins... like what they're supposed to look like... I can't believe it. I'm beside myself.... I'm trying to do this dry hatching thing so I don't ruin another expensive set of shipped eggs. I'm stoked.

Jane that is GREAT news!!!!! What kind of eggs are you hatching????

 

[aaggjg]

Here is the sanding technique for marans eggs though it might be applicable to all shipped eggs if I understand Renee's wording.


5. DARK COLORED EGGS-- from ChooksChicks - I only sand until I'm just through the color, and then I mist the eggs with betadine-water, mixed to the color of iced tea. This covers the contamination that could occur now that I've removed the bloom.

The idea is to promote evaporation to allow the chick to grow smaller than it would if it contained all of the moisture it started with. I have had too many chicks large enough that they couldn't pip or hatch properly- fully formed chicks that didn't make it at hatch. Once I started using this method (got it from an Emu farmer!) I have had significantly better success with shipped eggs. It doesn't seem to really be necessary with local eggs (my own) and I'm not certain why. When hatching in a really nice incubator, like a Sportsman or an rcom, it also doesn't appear to be necessary, but with most affordable models, it's a helpful method.

I do increase humidity at the end of my hatch, as per my Incubation Cheater, the same for Marans as for other eggs. My feeling is that if you have evaporated the proper amount during the first 18 days, you can't drown them with humidity at the end. Humidity merely prevents evaporation, it doesn't make eggs 'take-on' water.

This works well for me, but like most on BYC, I don't consider myself and egg-spert... I just like to share my egg-speriences to help anyone else who might be able to learn from them!

MORE - Regarding sanding the Marans (or Penedescenca, or Wellies, etc.) eggs, I use an emery board or 400+ grain sandpaper. I use a circular motion and make sure I'm moving the hand with the sander, not the egg.

I then put the eggs on a paper towel and mist them with a 30% povidone iodine to 70% water blend

I then wait for it to dry, turn, repeat, dry, turn, repeat. You can't be too careful about making sure the whole thing gets lightly misted, but don't

saturate it.

Thanks for posting this! Wish I had seen it 2 weeks ago!!!! So my question is I am on Day 15 with my BBS Marans ..... Its probably too late to implement this technique now.... 3 days won't make that much difference will it??? I am doing dry incubation .... well 25-30% per my 3 hygrometers...
I put them all in as I couldn't believe it was that humid here in LA ....

 

[ghostwolf]

eggs on lock down.