HATCH DAY HAS BEGUN!

Around 12:15 pm today I was standing by the incubator and heard PEEPING!!

I looked and looked and found.....

Again, non-chicken folk.. a "pip" is a tiny crack/break in the egg shell that the baby has made to start their way out of the egg.

This is a good sized Lt. Brahma egg!

I just checked again about 10 minutes ago and now we have THREE pips.  I think all three are Lt Brahma's but I know that two of them are.  All eggs are marked but one of them is turned so I can't see the marking.  BOO!

Anyway.. I will keep posting pictures etc as it happens!  May I can get a good video!

6 Weeks Old

Here are some new photos of the "old" babies who are 6 weeks old this weekend...

Speck

Flip

Sunny

Sunny

Wobble

Wobble

Guinness

Guinness 

Wobble and Speck

Lawless

Lawless's feathery legs

Lawless's Pretty face

LOCK DOWN and a little insanity

Well today is officially "lock down" which, for those of you not hatching literate, means "DON'T YOU DARE OPEN THAT DAMNED INCUBATOR UNTIL THOSE BABIES ARE OUT!!"

Basically, on day 18 you stop turning the eggs, close up the 'bator and increase the humidity so that the babies can get into position and get out of the eggs safely.

I have 21 in there.  3 were adopted out to my friend Jenn's broody.  As I posted before, she only has 1 lonely Silkie egg developing so in an effort to keep that baby happy, I gave her a Blue Laced Red Wyandotte, Blue Wheaten Maran and Light Brahma.  I can't wait to see the size difference between those chicks! LOL

Anyway.. here are the eggs tucked in for hatch...

I'll keep you posted!

On another note I accidentally bought MORE eggs today and these aren't even hatching yet! AHHHH!!!

I will have Millie Fleur D'Uccles
http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=492887
and beautiful EE's  http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=492902

I got a great deal from this guy and I am hoping for some beautiful and interesting birds.

Day 10- Who gets to stay?

Well, today is day 10!  I've been candling here and there but today I had decisions to make.  Who's staying and who's going?  Which eggs are clear and which ones are quitters :)

Unfortunately all of the Silkie eggs we got  (that were in my bator) are gone.  Only 1 was fertile and it quit early on.  Of the 3 that Jenn kept, only 2 were fertile, 1 quitter and 1 little one that looks great!

I have 8 BLRW left in the bator but only 5 that I am confident about keeping.

There are still most of the Lt. Brahma, Dk Brahma and a few Blue Wheaten Marans too for a total of 24 left in the incubator to finish out the hatch.  We will see how it goes these last 10-11 days.

I am pretty bummed that out of 43 eggs I am down to 24 but I understand thems the breaks on shipped eggs etc.

We will see how it goes.  For my next hatches I am hoping to get some more local eggs since those worked out so well.  28/30 went into lockdown (last three days) and 25 hatched.  That's pretty darn amazing!

Day 6.. I'm dying to see something!!

Well, today is officially day 6 HOWEVER.. I think my temps were a little low the first 2 days or so..  which stinks because that means the hatch may take longer than 21 days. :/  I am extra nervous because of a few reasons:

1. This is only my second hatch.. EVER
2. This is my first hatch with SHIPPED eggs
3. I'm incubating for other people as well as myself

These are breeds that I REALLY want and want to see hatch.  If this goes well and I can sell the babies easily I plan on doing a few more hatches.  I like this part, I like the brooding and then I like picking my favorites.. BUT...  STRESSFUL

I want to see development like I did with my fresh eggs.. patience patience patience...

Day 2

I've been hand turning the "lonely" egg and checking the bator for temperature stability several times a day. The hygrometer measures humidity differently depending on where it is in the incubator so I turned off the auto turner for a couple of hours and carefully balanced the hygrometer to get a reading in the center. Looking good! I tweaked the temp a bit and was sooo tempted to candle but I didn't. Maybe I'll sneak a little peak tomorrow ;)

Second Hatch is SET!

Well, Jenn came over this morning and brought over the Silkie Eggs!

I couldn't believe the size difference between the Silkie vs these Lt Brahma eggs!

Here they are!!  All tucked into the incubator. :)  I have ONE that I didn't have room for on the auto-turner so it's tucked into the side for now.  After 4-5 days I will be able to see any that aren't fertile or developing and can move that one in with the others.

In roughly 21 days, we will have babies!! :)