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

[julskinka]

I'm a strong believer that regardless of what the eggs look like it's often "what will be, will be" but the chances of a successful hatch are always higher when the eggs are fresher and they were already delayed by being in the mail so while I did allow my eggs to rest, I waited about 6 hours. 8 to 24 hours is recommended.

Another thing I commonly see is people putting them in the incubator and not turning them for a period of time. There are lots of studies showing that the first 7 days are actually the most important days to turn the eggs so I always put them in the turner...I also use my horizontal turners, lol.

....so I basically went against just about everything I've ever read about shipped eggs, LOL! I had scrambled eggs that had zero development but only 1 actually quitter in the batch that I did as I pleased. Maybe I just got lucky but I'm going to do it again and monitor it much more closely from a few sources so I can say with more confidence what I feel works best.

I do pretty much exactly the same as Andrea. I let them come to room temp fat side up, and I'll let them sit between 6 or 24 hours (the latter only if I am getting eggs from another source the next day and want to put them all in together). I do them horizontally and do turn from D1. In my most recent hatch I had a bunch of clears (most unfertilized and a scrambled or two) but zero quitters. Everyone hatched. In my current hatch I again had a number of clears, but only one quitter.

 

[julskinka]

I'm a strong believer that regardless of what the eggs look like it's often "what will be, will be" but the chances of a successful hatch are always higher when the eggs are fresher and they were already delayed by being in the mail so while I did allow my eggs to rest, I waited about 6 hours. 8 to 24 hours is recommended.

Another thing I commonly see is people putting them in the incubator and not turning them for a period of time. There are lots of studies showing that the first 7 days are actually the most important days to turn the eggs so I always put them in the turner...I also use my horizontal turners, lol.

....so I basically went against just about everything I've ever read about shipped eggs, LOL! I had scrambled eggs that had zero development but only 1 actually quitter in the batch that I did as I pleased. Maybe I just got lucky but I'm going to do it again and monitor it much more closely from a few sources so I can say with more confidence what I feel works best.

Also, like she suggests with "what will be will be," I don't think I've ever seen an aircell "heal" while sitting out prior to incubation. I do see them resolve via the normal process of moisture loss/aircell growth during incubation about 10-15% of the time.

I also stop turning at D14 and take care to place them in and then not move them from the position that seems most like the aircell dip is at the top of the egg.

 

[Jules929]

I'm a strong believer that regardless of what the eggs look like it's often "what will be, will be" but the chances of a successful hatch are always higher when the eggs are fresher and they were already delayed by being in the mail so while I did allow my eggs to rest, I waited about 6 hours. 8 to 24 hours is recommended.

Another thing I commonly see is people putting them in the incubator and not turning them for a period of time. There are lots of studies showing that the first 7 days are actually the most important days to turn the eggs so I always put them in the turner...I also use my horizontal turners, lol.

....so I basically went against just about everything I've ever read about shipped eggs, LOL! I had scrambled eggs that had zero development but only 1 actually quitter in the batch that I did as I pleased. Maybe I just got lucky but I'm going to do it again and monitor it much more closely from a few sources so I can say with more confidence what I feel works best.

Also, like she suggests with "what will be will be," I don't think I've ever seen an aircell "heal" while sitting out prior to incubation. I do see them resolve via the normal process of moisture loss/aircell growth during incubation about 10-15% of the time.

I also stop turning at D14 and take care to place them in and then not move them from the position that seems most like the aircell dip is at the top of the egg.

Thank you both.

I have both incubators working at the moment, and wondered how long I can wait to set some new shipped eggs.
The shipped eggs came earlier than I was expecting, they usually show up later than I want, lol.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Pictures pleeeease!!

I went back out for pictures, back into the broody box, LOL!

 

[FortCluck]

Our hen we got that's 4 years old is laying eggs a very nice one too. We have only had her a few weeks and her foot is way better no lumps.

 

[julskinka]

Not alive anymore didn't absorb much either

I'm sorry!! You did your best.

 

[julskinka]

I went back out for pictures, back into the broody box, LOL!


View attachment 2051536View attachment 2051537View attachment 2051538

I wish one of mine would go broody so I could see a momma and babies together. Awww your little white guy looks exactly like my avatar roo did as a baby!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I wish one of mine would go broody so I could see a momma and babies together. Awww your little white guy looks exactly like my avatar roo did as a baby!!

My Olive Eggers seem to go broody a lot so I'm sure you'll have one soon! I had 7 or 8 broody hens last year and my other Olive Egger went broody and raised chicks twice! Your rooster is beautiful! ...I'm hoping the little yellow one is a girl, lol! We'll see!

 

[julskinka]

My Olive Eggers seem to go broody a lot so I'm sure you'll have one soon! I had 7 or 8 broody hens last year and my other Olive Egger went broody and raised chicks twice! Your rooster is beautiful! ...I'm hoping the little yellow one is a girl, lol! We'll see!

Sadly I wasn't able to keep him, but he was super cool. I held on to him for way too long hoping he would turn out to be a she, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

 

[Jules929]

Sadly I wasn't able to keep him, but he was super cool. I held on to him for way too long hoping he would turn out to be a she, despite mounting evidence to the contrary.

I see what you did there!