Valentine's Day 1st Annual Hatch Along

[robgray]

Um 3 pips! I would be jumping for joy
Ok QUESTION: can I put my eggs in downtown in upright air cell up position? I read somewhere this works well on shipped eggs?... Any thoughts?

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Um 3 pips! I would be jumping for joy

Ok QUESTION: can I put my eggs in downtown in upright air cell up position? I read somewhere this works well on shipped eggs?... Any thoughts?

I don't know if you read journals and studies on these things but I was curious about that some time ago as well. I found this article online about egg position for hatching.

http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/10/2342.full

Essentially, the article states that with proper incubation of air cell up and horizontal hatch position with air cell slightly higher you get the best hatch rates. With the egg horizontal with the air cell either up or down the chicks struggle to hatch. Basically lay the eggs on their side when placing them in lock-down.

I hope that helps.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

I don;t think it matters too much.

Locking down a day late shouldn't hurt anything.

Locking down early is more likely to hurt stuff.....


Me... on my 'set too early' eggs...

or maybe

THREE of the olive eggs have pips now, but none of the Marans do.... and I have way more Marans eggs in there than Olive eggs. It is making me wonder if something is wrong with my Marans... dunno..... the olive egger is in with the Marans, same location, same diet, same rooster.....


all of the eggs were mixed up in the incubator....

so why are all three pips only in olive eggs??????? I am thinking no chicks until tomorrow

Three pips are amazing! Enjoy the moment.

As for Maran eggs... I understand the frustration. I tried hatching Maran eggs once. You can't candle for anything. You just have to hope for the best. When I tried hatching them I would regularly do a sniff test. If the incubator started to smell I would "inspect" each egg and promptly remove the offending egg. I only had one hatch, a beautiful French Black Copper Maran. It died a week later, crushed by a broody hen.

 

[paris_r]

so my eggs were set on the 26th at 1:30 am. they are my first attempt to hatch shipped eggs. many came through fine, but from one person most eggs had detatched air cells, out of 8 i already pulled 5 and the other 3 are iffy. most are silkies of some kind inclusing sizzles and showgirls but about 8 are D'uccle from a new bloodline and a few of my own. i have 20 set to hatch around V day.

just out of curiosity, is there such a thing as smoke in chickens? (gray with black tips)? i got this baby from my lines and i have no blue in the genes that i know of. i have partridge, paint and black in the lines.

here it is next to a black chick

 

[misfitmorgan]

So far all my eggs for the hal are doing well and will be going in lock down very soon. Both my bators are full with staggerd hatches. I'll just have to turn off the turner till the first set hatches. I was hoping to add some more porcelain eggs but I don't have room right now. I have a couple broodies I need to put to work. I still haven't gottem my brooders set up yet.

porcelain......?

I don;t think it matters too much.

Locking down a day late shouldn't hurt anything.

Locking down early is more likely to hurt stuff.....


Me... on my 'set too early' eggs...

or maybe

THREE of the olive eggs have pips now, but none of the Marans do.... and I have way more Marans eggs in there than Olive eggs. It is making me wonder if something is wrong with my Marans... dunno..... the olive egger is in with the Marans, same location, same diet, same rooster.....


all of the eggs were mixed up in the incubator....

so why are all three pips only in olive eggs??????? I am thinking no chicks until tomorrow

i thought maran egg were generally thicker? no? Might be why marans always seem to take longer...i know cracking an egg open they feel thicker to me.

so my eggs were set on the 26th at 1:30 am. they are my first attempt to hatch shipped eggs. many came through fine, but from one person most eggs had detatched air cells, out of 8 i already pulled 5 and the other 3 are iffy. most are silkies of some kind inclusing sizzles and showgirls but about 8 are D'uccle from a new bloodline and a few of my own. i have 20 set to hatch around V day.

just out of curiosity, is there such a thing as smoke in chickens? (gray with black tips)? i got this baby from my lines and i have no blue in the genes that i know of. i have partridge, paint and black in the lines.

here it is next to a black chick

i have no clue if there is Paris but there should be that chick is adorable!!

 

[ochochicas]

My Marans eggs have a 100% hatch rate. The babies are huge and very hearty! When candling you should be able to see an air cell. Unless you have a very strong light you won't be able to see anything else. If you don't see the air cell then the eggs probably aren't viable. My Marans were the last to hatch out of all the breeds in the incubator. I think since they are bigger and the shells are thicker they take a little longer to "cook". Unfortunately I didn't have any fertile Marans eggs for this hatch.

Lockdown was this morning at 5 a.m. My humidity is at 65% because I added warm water to the water wells. I know it won't stay that high so I'll have to come up with a back-up plan.

 

[gimmie birdies]

if you had a black and a splash you get blue.

 

[Alaskan]

my three early to pip olive eggs were hatched this morning.

I panicked a bit, because I am hoping to sell all of these chicks, and the olive eggers look like Marans! (their mama is brown).

So, I pulled them out, put nail polish on one toe, and tucked them back into the incubator.

I noticed that one had a pea comb, but one of the others looks like it has a single comb....

anyway, cute little buggers, trying to confuse me.

I now have 2 pips in the Marans... and 3 more olive eggs with no pips that I saw.

 

[robgray]

I don't know if you read journals and studies on these things but I was curious about that some time ago as well. I found this article online about egg position for hatching.

http://ps.oxfordjournals.org/content/90/10/2342.full

Essentially, the article states that with proper incubation of air cell up and horizontal hatch position with air cell slightly higher you get the best hatch rates. With the egg horizontal with the air cell either up or down the chicks struggle to hatch. Basically lay the eggs on their side when placing them in lock-down.

I hope that helps.

This was so helpful and interesting. I guess you have to adjust temp as the eggs will be down lower without upright support. Seems more natural as thats the way they notmally hatch. I also have two eggs with side air cells, ugh so they are lying horizontal with AC facing up.

 

[robgray]

my three early to pip olive eggs were hatched this morning. I panicked a bit, because I am hoping to sell all of these chicks, and the olive eggers look like Marans! (their mama is brown). So, I pulled them out, put nail polish on one toe, and tucked them back into the incubator. I noticed that one had a pea comb, but one of the others looks like it has a single comb.... anyway, cute little buggers, trying to confuse me. I now have 2 pips in the Marans... and 3 more olive eggs with no pips that I saw.

Lol great idea! Im going to do that too as even though im hatching the same type they are from 2 different breeders.