What is the neatest thing you've seen when you candled your eggs?

[Katy_didnot]

I'm hoping they were just still pictures. Here's hoping!

 

[duckboatprincess]

Perhaps... either way though, I like being able to see what my chicks look like at such and such a day, ya know?

 

[Katy_didnot]

Yeah. It's fascinating. Makes me want to hatch something, which I haven't done before. I hope to, but I guess I had better wait till my girls are old enough to lay.

 

[duckboatprincess]

Or... you could do what I did!! I got some EE eggs from Miss_Jayne, some pekin and rouen eggs from a lady about 20 minutes from me, and then 15 welsh harlequin eggs from a lady about 45 minutes from me. Lol... I wanted to wait until mine started laying, but as it got closer to September I didn't see anything happening. I built the bator at the end of August and started filling it on the 4th of September. The urge was just too strong to resist. Besides, what else was I going to do with an empty bator? Lol...

 

[Katy_didnot]

That's great, lol. Unfortunatly I have room for 3 more chickens, tops. And we're trying to figure out a way to keep them from pooping all over the deck as it is. The novelty of THAT wore off quickly, lol. I'm trying to pace myself. (wish me luck!!)

 

[duckboatprincess]

Good luck... lol... I started in April or May with 6 ducks. I'm at 7 right now. At one point I had eleven. I really have no room for any of these hopefully babies. I just plan to sell them, although I might keep some of the WH babies. Not quite sure yet. My ducks can't get to our deck thankfully. They just roam the backyard and the woods, although the do occassionally wander onto the driveway and into the garage. Usually though I can just herd them out and then spray the garage out with the hose. They crack me up with their antics!! We're moving in February, so I'm hoping that where ever we end up will allow me to keep my ducks. If not, I might just be keeping my cayuga pair or my cayuga and pekin hens and making them "house ducks!" I don't know if that will fly, but it's worth a shot.

 

[troutbum]

Thank you for asking duckboatprincess. I've only set eggs one time. It was two dozen and while right up to the last candling, on day eighteen, there was vascular development, outlines of lil chickies and lots of movement within the eggs, the neatest thing for me was seeing two of them actually survive, now three weeks old

As for the comments on grammar, in reference to your question, a great big

 

[duckboatprincess]

I'm hoping mine will make it that far. This is my first time trying to hatch anything, so for me, every little thing that they do is just amazing. I'm completely fascinated with the growth of the embryos and every movement and development for me is a major success. It's awesome to be able to be a part in causing these little creatures to grow and hopefully hatch.

(I'm confused about the grammer thing. I try to use proper grammer but I have a tendency to think faster than I can type.)

 

[troutbum]

It is, its one of the most fascinating things we as humans could ever be apart of. I'm sure you'll do fine with your hatch, but don't set your hopes too high. I had two out of twenty four that made it and while sad, it was still awesome. Read as much as you can on the Incubating & Hatching Eggs link, ask lots of questions and please, don't worry about your grammar. We all love ya just the same and nobody here is judging you!!

 

[duckboatprincess]

Lol... I won't worry too much about the grammer. I'm just really particular with how I sound. I get frustrated reading things that are spelled incorrectly or use awful grammer lol... anyways...

I've got 35 eggs in the bator right now. I'm hoping to have a few hatch, but I'm not expecting miracles right now. I wish my bator was better, but it's homemade and was cheap. At this point, I'm just thankful to have experienced the wonders of a growing chick. I'm shocked we've made it this far and I count each day that an egg develops a bit more a blessing. I've been asking a lot of questions, but it gets frustrating with the lack of response. I have a split hatch going and no one seems willing to give you any information regarding doing such things. It's all, "well I've done it this many time successfully, but don't do it." Not, "I did it and this is what worked for me." Right now, I'm flying by the seat of my pants and thus far, it has worked. I did get some great help though in regards to building my incubator.