Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[BluebirdHomestead]

Wasn't someone else hatching shipped eggs from magicman?

I am.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Two more babies out! Lavender orp and blue Ameraucana. Humidity is very high in there now because they hatched simultaneously. It's also very crowded in there...if no other eggs are pipped, can I move them to the brooder when they fluff up? I know it's called lock down for a reason, but jeez it is crowded in there!
View attachment 2045045View attachment 2045046

If no others are pipped and the chicks are fluffed up, I move them out.

 

[hysop]

If no others are pipped and the chicks are fluffed up, I move them out.

Why is it bad to open the incubator if someone has pipped again?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am waiting to hatch (10 + days) and it is the death of me!

 

[gmjarvi]

If no others are pipped and the chicks are fluffed up, I move them out.

That was my instinct, thanks for your insight! it's my first hatch so I appreciate the assurance lol.

 

[gmjarvi]

Why is it bad to open the incubator if someone has pipped again?

I think the main concern is shrink wrapping, since a lot of the humidity will instantly disappear into the surrounding environment.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Hopefully I’ll know within a month but for sure by 3 months I’ll know.

So I just checked my OE eggs and NONE are fertilized!! I’m not surprised. The girls don’t like Chili (my OE roo) so great! I may not be hatching OE for the annual hatch a long. Is there a way to encourage mating? (No wonder all my OE eggs were fertilized by my leghorn!). Now that they’re contained I’m getting zero fertilized OE eggs.

A breeder told me recently that she separated the rooster for a while and when she put him back it increased the fertility rate. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder. lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Wahhhhhhhhhhhhh. None of my eggs were fertile. I’ll wait two more days and check again before chucking them.

I eat from the oldest forward and I have a few chickens I swear have held sperm for almost four weeks before and this just proves it. I rehomed a mixed marans cockerel six weeks ago and I’m eating eggs from 2 ish weeks ago. There are several that are fertile but none from now I guess. they wouldn’t have been around another cockerel for a month. That Orpington cockerel I just rehomed must have not been mating anyone!

sometimes things work out for the best. I really didn’t need anything else.... and now my brooders will be open if a couple of geese look at me the right way in April.

I have such mixed feelings about this post! It's such a bummer that you don't get to hatch peeps from your favorite roo...but on the other hand you definitely need goslings! lol

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Two more babies out! Lavender orp and blue Ameraucana. Humidity is very high in there now because they hatched simultaneously. It's also very crowded in there...if no other eggs are pipped, can I move them to the brooder when they fluff up? I know it's called lock down for a reason, but jeez it is crowded in there!
View attachment 2045045View attachment 2045046

If there are no other external pips it should be ok to move them once they're fluffed up.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I think the main concern is shrink wrapping, since a lot of the humidity will instantly disappear into the surrounding environment.

Yep this. It’s not a guarantee that it’ll happen but it could.