The 7th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long!

[amynrichie]

I'm in-kind of by accident! My broody is in the mood again, so I gave her four eggs yesterday without realizing it was the set date for the hatch along! She has barnyard mix eggs, white leghorn, EE, and red sex link. Roos are a splash cochin or a barred rock.

I'm out. My broody couldn't figure it out. She swapped eggs with the other girls daily, and SOMEBODY ate two of her eggs, I caught them in the act with the EE egg. I candled both remaining eggs and both had started, but quit. Both were ice cold, and broody was sitting on the newly laid eggs.

 

[LocalYokel]

Thanks.
Lavender roo doing his job this time unlike the NY Hal.

First two I candled were blanks. Thought great temps were really bad. Still think they are low but it must be ok. I usually have early hatch so it must be me that's off.

How'd you leghorns do?

All but one hatched.
The one was too big for the shell, there was no airspace in there.

 

[LocalYokel]

Fixin to give em away cuz I ain't got no time to list em today.

 

[Myfourladies]

Gathered my first duck eggs of the season yesterday!!

 

[Penny Hen]

Didn't realize they sold ones with the mothet at stores!! Not a regular grocery stores right?
Me too!! Even a bigger brooder with less chicks is much better! And i actually even used the MHP so even one step further and getting them away from heat lamp at all and they can have a dark place. Though with a big enough brooder and clean shavings the heat lamp is still good. I just feel so bad theyre crammed in there and in that hot metal thing. Also is it just me or sre the chicks TINY? Maybe I just don't remember since mine are so big now but they just seem much smaller than mine looked even as day olds. But then again mine came from Meyer Hatchery and arrived day after they hatched but still, even the jersey giants seem like tiny little nuggets hahah

Look in the Heath Foods sections of regular stores. The Kroger stores keep it there. You can also buy the regular vinegar at the same time and pour off a cupful and replace it with a cupful of the vinegar with the mother and then let it sit at room temperature for a week before using it. This way you don't have to pay as much as often for the special bottle.

 

[Penny Hen]

My silkie baby. She has the cutest silver coat so I want to name her Silver but my husband says no

she's my chick. I should get to name her. Right ?!

Name her Argentia. That also means silver.

 

[Penny Hen]

((Currently beating my head against a wall...))

Don't beat yourself up. Hens roll their eggs all sorts of directions when repositioning them. If it would harm them greatly to hold them at different angles for short periods then a broody would never hatch it's own eggs. It is better for shipped eggs in the sense that they have been shaken around in the transit. But if you don't tip it on it's side how else will you know if you have a rolling air cell? Just mark it RC so that when you candle it again you don't tip it on the side. I have the Olive Eggers and blue eggs so the only way to see the air cell is to shine it through the side of the fat end. Not really a big deal with non-shipped eggs.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long​

Participants ONLY!​

Join us SOON!​

Eggs in bator/s ANYTIME in April to join us!​

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“Chick Mug Shots”​

"Springing in the Chicks"​

2016 April Hatch-a-Long​

Hosted by Mike & Sally​

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How Snugly Sweet are your chicks?​

Show us pics of your FOWL babies snuggling up aside a warm mug!​

3 Picture entries per contestant​

"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long​

Participants ONLY!​

in the Continental U.S. ONLY (Not Alaska or Hawaii) ​

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1st Prize​

6 Olive Egger Hatching eggs (LegbarXCuckoo Marans)​

& 6 Sapphire Super Layer Hatching Eggs​

(White Sapphire. 250 pale blue/light grey eggs per year)​

Donated by, Sally Sunshine​

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2nd Prize​

Iridescent Lime Carnival Glass “Hen on Nest”​

5 ⅛” x 2 ½” x 5”​

Donated by, Sally Sunshine​

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CONTEST THREAD ​

CLICK HERE​

 

[Penny Hen]

Thanks to everyone who recommended candlers.

Just one last question before I purchase. What kind of batteries does this use? I searched the descriptions but I couldn't find it.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/IncuBright-...957987?hash=item4d1605c263:g:tukAAOSwpDdVOBWu

• Universal Silicone Rubber ring allows use with any size egg
• Ultra Bright CREE LED Bulb for viewing even dark or large eggs
• Recessed bulb allows candler to cradle egg with rubber ring
• LED lights remain cool to prevent overheating eggs while candling
• Easy click On/Off button
• Outperforms all egg candlers in it's class
• Cordless (Batteries Included)

 

[GitaBooks]

Day 7 candling results for me!

I'm very disappointed

Of the 24 eggs I set only 6 are fertile and developing! 18 eggs look clear.
4 Columbian black tails and 2 pekin are growing. The Orpington eggs are all clear.

They arrived in good shape on next day delivery so I'm sure this has to be a fertility problem

I'm sorry to hear that. Yeah, I got a lot of clears from my shipped eggs too. It might depend on the time of year. I hear that fertility is lower in early spring and late autumn.

I'm out. My broody couldn't figure it out. She swapped eggs with the other girls daily, and SOMEBODY ate two of her eggs, I caught them in the act with the EE egg. I candled both remaining eggs and both had started, but quit. Both were ice cold, and broody was sitting on the newly laid eggs.

That's always a pain. My hens do the same thing sometimes. I've had eggs that went cold hatch, but generally only after a few hours of being let to go cold. Hens in nest boxes rarely brood their eggs successfully in my experience, at least not without some serious assistance like wire in front of them, marked eggs, and the ability to chase away any chicken that dare pick on your hen.

Feel free to stick around even if you don't have eggs to hatch.