CC and Ron I hope I can get my hatching down as well as ya'll do, knowing the time! I have 39 eggs in my hatcher and they are pipping and zipping some hatched and some have not done anything yet! I still get so excited about them.
Ron your chicks are so dang cute!
I have this thing sitting under my computer monitor.
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/egg-incubator-timer.html
I reset it when the bulk of the eggs are set. If the majority of eggs are early, your incubator is likely too hot. If most come late, likely too cool.
I also number all eggs. I keep a notebook with the date laid, weight when set, flock #(cock), hen # if I know it, other egg characteristics (i.e. extremely dark, longish, washed, etc.) Then I put the eggs in mesh bags in the hatcher. They're grouped by flock #, shade, size, etc..
Small (pullet) eggs = small chicks. As adults, they tend to lay small eggs. I usually don't set anything under 50g unless it is extremely dark and then I don't go below 48g.
Keeping track of the darkest eggs helps overall flock planning and improving egg color.
I want to know how washing affects hatchability.
When the chicks come out of the hatcher, they get leg banded and weighed. Eventually, when they're older, they'll get numbered legbands that I can associate with the egg number. I try to track weights at intervals.
The goal being, a fairly meaty cockerel for a DP Mediterranean breed, darkest eggs, good egg size and productivity, while still having all the other characteristics like; white lobe color, carnation comb, leg color, beak color, vigor and aloofness.
Soon, I hope to have my trap nests finished and will only hatch from eggs that I know who both parents are but so far, after all the ups and downs, I'm fairly happy with what I have.
