Valentine's Day Hatch

[anderson8505]

Here's my entry for the poetry contest. I'm not actually hatching anything in this hatch along, though, so I don't know if I'm eligible.

I got chicks in a tote, eggs in the ‘bator
Third coop’s being built, sooner than later
Brown eggs for sale, feathers on the ground
My mind is all chickens, the best hobby I've found!

 

[NotAFarm]

anderson!!

 

[anderson8505]

Thank you!

anderson!!

 

[kellyn]

Put 21 out of my original 45 into lock down. How pathtic... I had more for my GHD lock down. Well, that shows me not to stagger htch. Or whtever the word is..

My hatch is due Monday. Hoping for another 10. I surely won't win any. Best/worst hatch rates~ but it's allright. Whoever wins, congrats!

Debs_Flock, how're you're 'migration eggs' doing? Hope you get a 100% on your eggs left!

 

[debs_flock]

Yeah unless they actually say fertile eggs, yoJur chances are really really low for getting anything. But even then, Trader Joe's, I'm sure they don't actually sell and store them properly for the eggs to have much chance left of developing. Being that any egg must be well washed to be sold for consumption off private land.

Just put mine in lockdown!!

The Trader Joe eggs haven't been too bad so far, probably better than many shipped eggs. I still have 9 of them, I think. The "cage free" eggs, so far I've tossed 10 out of 12. Since it was from the local food co-op, I was just hoping they ran a rooster with their girls, obviously not.

I "egg-topsied" the two TJ eggs I pulled today. They both had perfectly formed chicks about an inch and a half long. I pulled them because they had a very slight odor to them. The one I left that I believe quit, the chick I can see through the shell appears lifeless and a little over an inch long. It's one I marked with a ? when I did the mid-point candling.

Deb

 

[debs_flock]

Debs_Flock, how're you're 'migration eggs' doing? Hope you get a 100% on your eggs left!

There were 33 chicks waving at me when I did my final candling for lockdown, that was out of 45 eggs originally set. Ten of those for sure weren't even fertile, so so far I've only two that quit early. Apparently most of those little embryos enjoyed the trip out of state (even if coming back through the border inspection station made me a bit nervous).

Thanks for asking, Deb

 

[RareBreedFancier]

Ok, I know some of you are fretting about unplugged incubators so I'll let you know what happened here. I had a broody sitting in the main layer coop as I need more broody pens. She'd been sitting well then we had a huge thunderstorm come through unexpectedly and where she'd chosen to sit she wasn't undercover. (It's been baking hot here and since it was shady I'd left her sit there) Well she got drowned and her nest got wet so I hastely rigged up a roof for her and gave her new dry bedding. All was well. Next evening I check them and one of the other hens has kicked her out and scattered her eggs everywhere and had a dustbath in her new nest.

Momma hen was busy rolling her eggs back into the nest and making angry clucks so I left her too it thinking she'd be back on shortly. Check next morning and she's off eating and most of the eggs are back where they should be. Since the broodies often get off to see if I've brought treats I don't worry about the ones in the nest but think the others will be gone now anyway as it had been cold overnight. I'd have rounded them up then but DH wanted to go shopping so that afternoon when I got back I check again in momma hen is walking around the coop showing no interest in her nest and her eggs have been kicked everywhere again!

Go in with a bucket to collect them thinking there is no way they will have survived a cold wet day out of the nest and while collecting them I accidentally broke one of the eggs and it had a live baby in it!

Very carefully rounded up the rest of the freezing cold, wet, muddy eggs up and raced in to candle them. After a quick rub over with a hot damp cloth I looked and had 8 with veins! Hastily moved them into the 'bator and crossed my fingers. Candled that night and 6 were still but two were waving at me!

Candled last night and all 8 were wiggling around in there!

So don't give up on chilled eggs! I have no idea if these chicks will hatch but they are looking good right now.

Everyone remember these poor eggs? Well...



6 out of 8 in the brooder, one still drying in the hatcher. Very sadly I lost one that pipped internally but was shrink wrapped.

These are very early, I was expecting them on Valentines day and they hatched from last night till a few min ago. The early pips pipped in the main 'bator so it was too dry in there which caused the shrink wrapping. I realized the problem and helped several out but was too late for one. Momma hen must have started sitting a few days before I though she got serious about it.

I am thrilled to got so many miracle babies, I'm going to be busy naming them all!

 

[superchemicalgirl]

I didn't lock down last night, and it wasn't for lack of warnings from this board. Just too tired. I did it now. Pulled the questionable OE and did an eggtopsy - it didn't develop at all but the white was really thick in one part and there was a blood spot, which is why it looked almost chick like when candling.

Weird.

So that leaves me with 24 eggs.

 

[Melissa Rose]

Here's my entry for the poetry contest. I'm not actually hatching anything in this hatch along, though, so I don't know if I'm eligible.

I got chicks in a tote, eggs in the ‘bator
Third coop’s being built, sooner than later
Brown eggs for sale, feathers on the ground
My mind is all chickens, the best hobby I've found!

This is awesome

 

[silkymom1986]

I love it too!!! Well done!

Here's my entry for the poetry contest. I'm not actually hatching anything in this hatch along, though, so I don't know if I'm eligible.

I got chicks in a tote, eggs in the ‘bator
Third coop’s being built, sooner than later
Brown eggs for sale, feathers on the ground
My mind is all chickens, the best hobby I've found!