April 2021 Hatch - A - Long

[Araucana Nest]

Just set 18 more serama eggs today after moving my last newborns to my ICU to feather out. My last hatch was the most disastrous I’ve ever had so time to get on with hatching some chicks for a friend.
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Wow that’s nice. I’ve been looking at the more humble Brinsea nursery brooders for a year. It’s perfect for the chicks that had a rough hatch or for whatever reason need more time. But yours could fit a fully grown hen inside for intensive care.

 

[Araucana Nest]

Not sure what I will set for April I’ve been expecting fertile eggs for months LOL and not sure April will be the month I receive them.

 

[JoJoM]

Hi! I have 12 duck eggs in the incubator right now, today is day 13 and due to hatch around April 5th. This is my first experience with ducks, we have 7 pekin and 5 blue runner eggs in. I think one of the blues quit, but I haven’t pulled it yet. This is my third round with the incubator, I have 14 chicks in my basement, waiting for it to warm up to move them out. March and April in Canada are so unpredictable - if can be 15°c one day and -15°c the next!

 

[Geckolady]

Hello! I will be putting eggs into the incubator today. I got it all set up yesterday, made sure the temps and humidity were good, then shut it off so I wouldn't be shocking the eggs by putting them into a warm incubator after sitting on the shelf. So far I have 7 eggs from this week that look really good, but will add whatever gets laid today.

 

[Geckolady]

I have one gorgeous chicken that was hatched from a "store egg". People I tell this to think it is the craziest thing ever!

I have a crazy story for you. Last September I was at a swap meet, and a man offered me a dozen eggs from his flock for free just to get rid of them. I remembered buying eggs from someone with their own flock some years back, and when I went to make an omelet, dead embryos fell into my pan. Three of the 12 eggs were that way, and I did not eat omelets for a while after that.

Anyway, when he gave me the swap meet eggs, I remembered this and candled them. Some were developing. I came to this forum in a panic wanting to know how to hatch them, and some did grow, but none lived to hatch. Been here ever since. Now I have a little flock and will try to hatch some of their eggs. Sometimes a small thing in your life can set a lot of things into motion.

No eggs yet this morning, so I added an 8th and started up the incubator.

 

[cmom]

I have my first hatch due on April fools day. I usually have chicks by now but am late this year.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have a crazy story for you. Last September I was at a swap meet, and a man offered me a dozen eggs from his flock for free just to get rid of them. I remembered buying eggs from someone with their own flock some years back, and when I went to make an omelet, dead embryos fell into my pan. Three of the 12 eggs were that way, and I did not eat omelets for a while after that.

Anyway, when he gave me the swap meet eggs, I remembered this and candled them. Some were developing. I came to this forum in a panic wanting to know how to hatch them, and some did grow, but none lived to hatch. Been here ever since. Now I have a little flock and will try to hatch some of their eggs. Sometimes a small thing in your life can set a lot of things into motion.

No eggs yet this morning, so I added an 8th and started up the incubator.

Great story! Yes it’s definitely funny how life twists and turns sometimes isn’t it?
I was incubating some fancy shipped eggs and I had room for more, so I put some fertilized store eggs in on a whim.
Only one of these hatched, but the chick I got ended up being one of my favorites and is my best layer now.

 

[cmom]

Store bought fertilized eggs are a gamble especially if they have been refrigerated. There have been a few success stories especially with Trader Joe's fertile eggs.

 

[Geckolady]

OK the girls gave me 3 eggs this morning, 2 normal sized ones and a small one. I added the 2 normal sized ones to the incubator for a total of 10, since the incubator had only been running for about 3 hours. New total = 10, but won't add any more to this hatch.

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I posted this on the Easter HAL as well, but want get as many opinions as possible:

Hello all you lovely fellow HAL folks!
I have just created a poll about shipped eggs. I would appreciate anyone who would like to participate! Thanks!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...en-to-start-turning-for-shipped-eggs.1452416/