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

[CluckNDoodle]

I have 14 shipped eggs on day 4 today. I let them rest for 3 days before putting them in the incubator. I candled a handful of them today, they’re developing but look like they have “jiggly” air cells. Are they doomed? ☹

It's always a toss up with shipped eggs but when I had severely detached and saddled air cells I actually had a good hatch rate. 88% hatch rate on developed eggs. I did have a lower rate of development because of scrambled eggs that stayed clear though.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I hear you. I did the same with my lone BBS marans, for the same reason. Some of them you're just a wee bit more invested in....

Yes exactly

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

I took the egg out again to see if the veins had receded and they are definitely much better already. The baby was peeping so so loud and I was able to peek in the hole with a flash light and see it’s beak up higher. I couldn’t stop myself from picking at the hole a tiny bit (just shell first and then membrane beneath once I saw it was ok) and after just a tiny bit, it’s beak popped out and it seemed very relieved. It’s not peeping as shrilly and I think maybe it’s head was stuck and maybe it’ll be able to zip on its own now. We will see.

 

[AusHen]

I think I have to finally accept the last Marans and 2 Welsummers are goners and it's time to remove them

I have been in denial but comparing them to the viable Welsummer today It's just too obvious.

This is the developing Welsummer, end of D9


This bring me down to 12 from the 23 shipped eggs

 

[Kizmet]

I think I have to finally accept the last Marans and 2 Welsummers are goners and it's time to remove them
View attachment 2050418View attachment 2050419View attachment 2050420
I have been in denial but comparing them to the viable Welsummer today It's just too obvious.

This is the developing Welsummer, end of D9
View attachment 2050421View attachment 2050422

This bring me down to 12 from the 23 shipped eggs

I hope I get that many out of my shipped eggs!

 

[FortCluck]

I'm already missing all the ducklings plus the chicks. I only kept 7, I think most are Cockerels too. They will be used for meat obviously unless someone needs a flock leader.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

8 Deathlayers left. #7 was a quitter. Everyone else looks alive and moving. The 5 Spitzhaubens eggs were moved to the emu incubator, they’re not due to hatch for another 6 days. I think

Tomorrow is day 20! Should have some little tinies hatching

Starting to have a bad feeling with the emus. Negative Nancy over here started thinking that none are alive and it will be a wasted effort

View attachment 2050359

I'm crossing my fingers and toes for you! I hope you get something out of them. Emu chicks are the sweetest.

 

[abpatchy]

Somebody here had asked how I liked the sand for the chicks.
Well, I really like it! I'm not worried about them eating the bedding... I mean chickens eat pebbles for their digestion... and sand is just that in small.
It doesn't smell. As a matter of fact, I think it smelled more with the hemp bedding I used.
Cleaning is hard. Because of all the scratching they are doing. It gets covered. So I guess I'll just replace it for the next chicks.
Cost is really low... and I can just put it in the garden when I'm done with it.

I am down to 11 eggs from 12. One was a quitter. The others look good.
Next week I should be getting my first ever shipped eggs from a breeder in Austria. They ship on the 16th. Hope all goes well.

 

[Mylied]

11 have hatched so far. 7 hatched after I went to sleep so I'll have to try to figure out who's who.

Someone had a little bit of a bloody navel but they're ok.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

When I woke up this morning the last two chicks had hatched overnight! So that gives me a 91% hatch rate overall!
Now that they're all dry, I think there are 6 Blue, 2 Splash, and 2 Black! I will update with fuzzy pictures later today!

A recap of the Undesirable egg experiment if you weren't already following along on the thread:

- Hatch 3/12/20: 91% (started with 12, 1 infertile, 1 quitter, 10 live chicks)

- Used Version 2 Nurture Right incubator, 99.5°F, 40-50% (usually 45%) humidity for the first 18 days, increased to 65% for hatch.

- A total of 7 of the original 12 eggs were "undesirable" and 5 hatched!
- 2 Oblong Eggs - Both Hatched!
- 2 Porous Eggs - Both Hatched!
- 1 Sticky Eggs (thought to be egg white leakage) - Hatched!
- 1 Calcium Build Up Egg - Clear/Infertile
- 1 Cracked Egg (repaired with wax) - Quitter on approximately day 15-17 due to bacteria or from the amount of wax needed to cover large crack preventing proper gas exchange.