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

[hysop]

So I used a slightly better flashlight to candle my olive eggs. I didn’t candle all of them just like 3 out of 8. They all looked good. The air cell at the top (the wide end not pointy end) was small but it’s only day 9. Should I increase humidity?

Also, the bottom area was empty, the chick is higher off the bottom if that makes sense. I shall try to take a pic, but when I take a picture of white eggs it’s barely visible not sure if olive egg pics will even come up. We shall see.

 

[hysop]

Here are two different eggs. Both olive. Now that I took a picture the space at the bottom doesn’t look abnormal guess I was overreacting. The air cell is about the size of a quarter I think. The picture wouldn’t come out so no pic of the air cell.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have never incubated before, so I feel like I have some stuff to learn by candling! I'm sure as I get more experienced, the novelty will wear off and I'll be able to hold off and just let them do their thing!

I'll let you know when that happens, lol!

(hatched 124 chicks last year, 19 so far this year and already setting more eggs. )

And that's just the chicken chick numbers...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So I used a slightly better flashlight to candle my olive eggs. I didn’t candle all of them just like 3 out of 8. They all looked good. The air cell at the top (the wide end not pointy end) was small but it’s only day 9. Should I increase humidity?

Also, the bottom area was empty, the chick is higher off the bottom if that makes sense. I shall try to take a pic, but when I take a picture of white eggs it’s barely visible not sure if olive egg pics will even come up. We shall see.

Here are two different eggs. Both olive. Now that I took a picture the space at the bottom doesn’t look abnormal guess I was overreacting. The air cell is about the size of a quarter I think. The picture wouldn’t come out so no pic of the air cell.View attachment 2031378View attachment 2031379

That's normal at this early stage. The chicks will begin to fill the egg as they continue to develop.

 

[hysop]

It's not necessarily how common or rare the breed is that makes hatching more difficult, though there are definitely some breeds with genetic traits that reduce hatchability. How the flock is managed, how the eggs are handled and stored, how old the eggs are, how far the eggs traveled, altitude changes, even the time of year, can all have an effect.

Okay thank you for that info. The eggs I’m incubating were fresh, no more than 3 days old and they were all from my flock. I eventually want all my flocks to be strictly hatched here with me.

 

[gmjarvi]

I'll let you know when that happens, lol!

(hatched 124 chicks last year, 19 so far this year and already setting more eggs. )

And that's just the chicken chick numbers...

I'm glad it stays exciting!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I just finished cleaning out my incubators from the February hatch-a-long, I wanted to let them air out a little before I set more eggs but these Olive Egger eggs just jumped into my car yesterday. lol

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Hopping back on this thread after getting derailed by the stomach flu.
I’ve got 14 BCM eggs on day 7. I didn’t like the way they were packed and the 15th egg was smashed so I imagine the air cells weren’t great. Candling them tonight to see if I can see anything.
Also have 18 Ameraucanas and 7 Birchen Marans from Gypsy Hen on day 2.
Just got a dozen from the P.O. from a seller that was kind enough to replace a damaged dozen, but I’m sort of confused because I ordered olive eggers and Black Copper marans and ended up with 1/2 dozen olive eggers, one cracked, 4 Flowery Easter Eggers, which I don’t know what those are, 2 Double Laced Barnavelders, and 2 BBS Marans. Not sure what’s up with that. The air cells don’t look great so I am kinda just counting my losses on that.

 

[Lins_BE]

Back on topic - tomorrow is my D7. WHY IS IT NOT HERE YET? HOW IS THIS THE LONGEST WEEK OF MY LIFE? I've had three full-term pregnancies and I swear they didn't take as long as this hatch is taking.

My baby was sitting in there for 42 weeks, I can tell you that those REALLY were the longest 2 weeks of my life!

 

[Lins_BE]

I've been watching candling videos to get my fix I did a quick candle on one egg today because I had to change out the egg plate in the bator since the correct one arrived today (woohoo!). Air cell looked good, yolk is now visible so I'm taking that as a good sign. I read that on white eggs you can sometimes see tiny "spider veins" at this stage (D4), but I didn't see any. Hoping to see some "beans" on Sunday!

There’s a few of them on my channel when you need your next fix, I’ll be your
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIk7LbhkuqnRTtPxYp2POlA