April Hatch Thread--Come Join Us!

[animaladdictions]

Love this thread it's a wealth of knowledge!!

I have a question though. I'm just starting day 3 for my 3 duck eggs and I tried candling them because I am extremely impatient haha. So when I was candling I noticed 2 of the yolks don't move around when I turn the egg, but the third one moves to wherever I turn the egg. Is this bad?

NO! It's GOOD! What you're seeing are the early stages of embryonic development! Sounds like you've got two growers and one infertile...but don't throw that third one out yet...wait til day 10 at least. Candling is much easier with duck eggs because the shell is a bit thinner and more transparent. Don't worry about taking a peek on day 3..it won't hurt anything...just be gentle when turning the egg while you're candling, making sure not to be too jarring. Good luck!

 

[ronott1]

Quote: Yes, I have seen them develop fine too.

With ducks you want to give them plenty of time before chucking them. They take longer to develop then chicken eggs.

 

[LBKS]

I'm glad that helped. I managed it. All prepared. It was out of the bator no more than a minute and a half! Had my iPhone ready on film mode and did all that in the dark one handed. Like I said though they are light eggs. So very easy to see through. I have very dark eggs and can see nothing still, on day 6 now so will candle some tomorrow but not all have 33 in there right now. I'm then going to check again on day 10 and I'm culling the obvious non fertile ones as in my light eggs. What I have been doing is charting everything. So I don't have to candle all the eggs till lockdown. Other wise that would be a lot of eggs in one go to candle and I like you wouldn't chance it. I haven't yet hatched anything, other than bearded dragons. Which is different. So what day are you on then? We don't seem far off each other. Ah just reread your a day behind me then. Day 5 for you today?

The ones I started with are due to hatch on April 19th (in 3/28), so this should be Day 8 - but I also added in some store bought eggs a few days in as an experiment so they are on Day 5. So the store eggs, should they actually hatch, should be April 22nd (in 4/1) - I think. Unless I'm numbering my days wrong, this is with Day 1 being the first day they were incubated. Maybe that should be Day 0?

This will be my first hatch (of any kind) so I guess we are doing first chicken hatches together - neat timing!

 

[annabell254]

I HATE WAITING!!!! Trying to sit on my hands!!!! SOOOO NOT WORKING, every other min I am at the bator trying to hear the chicks or see something, anything!!!! and the sad part is I STILL have a WHOLE DAY to go before 21 days after set... I set in the evening....
and candeling for me was that the entire egg was black when I candeled last on day 14-15.... and have not touched them since... I sure hope I get some babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am now worried about how many people I hear saying the chicks developed utill day 19-20 and then just stopped!!!!

I am keeping humidity at 40-45% right now (a task as outside humidity is at 60%! hah ) until I see my first break and then I will raise it, if it does not do it naturally, to 60% and keep it there? but not over 65%

 

[ronott1]

Quote: It depends on what time you set them. If they are set before Noon then the first day counts.

I use this: http://homesteadapps.com/app/free/hatchchart/hatchturnscheentry.php

 

[animaladdictions]

With shipped eggs it's best to unwrap them very carefully and have your egg carton ready while unpacking...gentle movements as they've already most likely had a rough trip. Into the egg carton FAT END UP... at this point I usually mark with my x's and o's keeping them fat end up the whole time. Once I've got them marked and have given them a once over, I take them into a dark room and do a pre-incubation candling. I mark the one's with torn air cells so I know which one's to be extra careful with. If shipping took longer than normal and you're worried about the age of the eggs then you might want to get them into the bator within 4 to 6 hrs but I usually let them rest on the counter for about 12 hours or so before they go in. Then I put them in, egg carton and all... (the carton should obviously have the top and any excess material cut off so that you're using just the bottom cups and you should have already cut a small hole in the pointy end of each cup so the eggs can get better air flow). I leave them like this for four days and then do another candling. I do all my turning by hand (unfortunately) so any eggs that look good go into the horizontal position at the bottom of the bator. If there are any that still have damaged air cells, I leave them in the cups and candle again on day 7 or 8. Sometime air cells can be so damaged that they never do reattach. These will have to be incubated fat end up for the entire time. Most of the time if the air cell is really badly damaged, the chick won't survive till hatch but I have had some that did. I don't turn those eggs but sort of tilt them in the egg cup ever so slightly. That way, you're still keeping the bubble at the fat end but tilting enough so that the embryo doesn't become stuck to the side of the shell.

In my humble opinion, turning is extremely important..especially between days 7 and 14! I hate to admit it but there has been a time or two in the past when I'd get busy with other things and wouldn't turn my eggs as much as I should...this GREATLY reduced my hatch rate. If you don't properly turn your eggs the embryo can get stuck to one side and the vessels and veins don't grow around the entirety of the egg, causing a sort of void where veins and such should be. Turning promotes healthy chick development and is what mamma hen does in nature. My thoughts are if momma hen does it....we should at least try to follow her example as much as we can. That DOESN'T mean, however, that you guys should actually SIT on the eggs!!!

 

[Kerjack]

Yes, I have seen them develop fine too.

With ducks you want to give them plenty of time before chucking them. They take longer to develop then chicken eggs.

Thank you!! I feel much better about it and will definitaly keep the other in there for awhile!

 

[hokankai]

First egg is zipping LIVE

 

[tommysgirl]

My hatch has now been in the incubator for almost two hours...haha I feel like an expectant mommy.

Got great shipped eggs, Dorkings from both BethBug and an awesome "hen's choice" variety from Chooks Chick. Superbly packed and loads of extras. you can't go wrong ordering from either of those ladies

I am also using ChooksChick incubation cheat sheet found here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chookschicks-incubation-cheat-sheet

In addition to these eggs I put in a dozen barnyard mixes from my own and my uncle's hens so we shall see what happens.

Praying for a good result for all of the April Hatchers

Oh and according to the Old Farmer's Almanac if you set and incubate during the waxing moon...which is now...you will have a higher hatch rate and healthier chicks. Don't know how accurate it is but I don't mind going with the Old Farmers

 

[animaladdictions]

The ones I started with are due to hatch on April 19th (in 3/28), so this should be Day 8 - but I also added in some store bought eggs a few days in as an experiment so they are on Day 5.  So the store eggs, should they actually hatch, should be April 22nd (in 4/1) - I think.  Unless I'm numbering my days wrong, this is with Day 1 being the first day they were incubated.  Maybe that should be Day 0? 

This will be my first hatch (of any kind) so I guess we are doing first chicken hatches together - neat timing!

I HATE WAITING!!!! Trying to sit on my hands!!!! SOOOO NOT WORKING, every other min I am at the bator trying to hear the chicks or see something, anything!!!!  and the sad part is I STILL have a WHOLE DAY to go before 21 days after set... I set in the evening....
and candeling for me was that the entire egg was black when I candeled last on day 14-15.... and have not touched them since... I sure hope I get some babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am now worried about how many people I hear saying the chicks developed utill day 19-20 and then just stopped!!!!  I am keeping humidity at 40-45% right now (a task as outside humidity is at 60%! hah ) until I see my first break and then I will raise it, if it does not do it naturally, to 60% and keep it there? but not over 65%

I always count 24 hrs from the time I put them in as day 1...sooo..if you put them in at say 7pm on the first day of the month, then you'd count the 2cd at 7pm as day 1. Make sense? The thing is though, this is just the average as far as timing goes. If your temps have been running slightly higher then you might see an earlier hatch and if they've run slightly lower than you could be looking at another day or two (sometimes even three or four!) before they hatch. Are you seeing your eggs a-rockin and a-rollin yet?