Valentine's Day 1st Annual Hatch Along

[ochochicas]

Also, anyone have an idea of how to check humidity other than a hygrometer? (I think that's the right -meter) I'm kinda worried it may be too dry in my room as I'm downstairs& have gas heat. Sometimes when I wake up my lips will be almost dried together!! I have a humidifier tho& it will be on 24/7 starting tomorrow until day 24 or so. (Just in case there r some late hatchers) they'll also be in my closet as the temp stays pretty constant there.

My eggs get weighed every week. They should lose approximately 5% of their original weight each of the first two weeks. That is about 3 grams for the average size chicken egg each week. If your eggs are losing too much weight you need to increase the humidity. If they are not losing enough, you need to reduce the humidity. The eggs should lose 13% of their weight by lockdown.

 

[StephensonC]

I'm setting all shipped eggs for this hatch from two sources and both batches arrived today! One was not packed so well and 4/13 are cracked/broken, BUT it is a mix and of the surviving eggs I have a few OE's, EE's, a SLW, and a SFH! Very nice for my basket and my flock if some of those come through. My other batch is 8 Ameraucana eggs from Garry Farm purchased through the BST forum here. Very well packed and only paid for 6, all 8 look good for setting, too. Very pleased with those as far as shipping.

So I have 17 total to set on Saturday.

Getting soooooo egg-cited!

Jennianne, How do your eggs from Garry Farms look? I just received 7 and most of them are a little on the small side. The hole in a regular sized egg carton swallows them they are so small. I've never hatched any this small. Hope they turn out ok. Also, were yours very dirty? 1 of mine is EXTREMELY dirty covering just about the whole egg.

They were packaged very well, much better than any I've ever received. I'm sure they will be fine, I'm just one of those paranoid hatchers. Lol

 

[ochochicas]

Quote:
How much do they weigh? I have hatched chicken/pullet eggs as small as 48 grams and they did well.


On the recommendation of another BYC member, I bought this light for candling. It is only $15 on Amazon and you can see through any egg with it, even the very dark marans eggs.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LL0YXWO/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

 

[StephensonC]

How much do they weigh? I have hatched chicken/pullet eggs as small as 48 grams and they did well.


On the recommendation of another BYC member, I bought this light for candling. It is only $15 on Amazon and you can see through any egg with it, even the very dark marans eggs.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LL0YXWO/ref=pe_385040_121528360_TE_dp_1

I'm not sure. I don't have a scale, but that's on the top of my list to buy next time I'm in town. Here is a picture showing their size.


And here is the dirty one, front and back. The bubble wrap that it was wrapped in had this gunk all over it too. It doesn't look like egg contents and I didn't see any cracks, so I'm not sure what it


is. Doesn't really look like mud or poop. It's kinda the color of clay, so it could be that the pens have clay in them. They came from Georgia, so that could be it. What do you guys think?


I'm still excited to have them and can't wait for the hatch. I also have a pullet that's only been laying for 2 months and I thought maybe her eggs were a little too small...Buuuutttt, I have been saving a few from the last 2 days just in case I changed my mind. Well whata ya know. I've changed my mind!! They are about the same size as some of the ones that were shipped, so I'm gonna do it!!

 

[ochochicas]

It looks like a dirty egg, maybe that got wet in the nest box. Mine look like that sometimes if they get wet. I'd just leave it as is. I hatched a couple dirty eggs just to see if they would hatch, and they were fine. I also washed a couple to see what would happen, and they hatched too! (and then there were my legbar eggs that were handled with kid gloves and all the chicks died.)

 

[chickkrakidd]

Tomorrow is setting day!! I CANT wait!!

Me too!!!

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My eggs came this morning and I am unpacking them . They are black copper marans and I having a hard time figuring out which is the large end. If anyone has any tips I would be grateful.
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[HerbGir1972]

In midst of a chicken sale today the gal brought half doz hatching eggs...I couldn't say no.
This will be our largest hatching attempt. 40.

I need to find someone with an older egg turner with the 1 prong clip on egg holders, some of mine were older and broke this last go round. If anybody has.any they don't use anymore, would love to get about 15.extra in case.any more of ours break.

 

[minihorse927]

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[LPeaslee]

My eggs came this morning and I am unpacking them . They are black copper marans and I having a hard time figuring out which is the large end. If anyone has any tips I would be grateful.

Candle them and place the air cell up.

If you look closely, you can usually see the difference without candling. I've always been 100% right, and I'm at least 50% sure of that!

 

[minihorse927]

Can I enter? I had a broody start this afternoon on a rather large clutch of eggs for a barely 3lb chocolate orpington. Here she is pancaked out as far as she can go to cover them all!

Sorry for the double post, my phone messed up.