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Original poster

I've just candled the eggs...

55 replies

TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 15/05/2008 20:58

on Day 14. And of the 12, 10 are looking good and 2 I'm not sure about. They're not completely clear and there are no blood rings but there's not much dark stuff either.

Anyway, I've left the 2 questionable eggs in but put them at one end of the incy so I'll know whether they hatch or whether I was right to be dubious. I'm not going to bother with Day 18 candling, seems like overkill.

It's much more technical than just letting the hens get on with it isn't it? But rather enjoyable too!

So, chicks due in 7 days. Baby due in 11.

OP posts:
duchesse · 22/05/2008 14:47

One has hatched! Went from cheeping to hatching in an hour. The best part is that it is the child of one of the RIW that was eaten by the fox about three weeks ago- they'd been in a separate pen hoping for some chicks, but left behind only 7 eggs. And they've turned out fertile. Huzzah!

duchesse · 22/05/2008 14:57

It's having a kip now with its little chin beak resting on its siblings' eggs. Awww...

duchesse · 22/05/2008 16:29

Just wondering if this is a sign for you, Duchess... Is it full moon?

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 22/05/2008 16:41

Lovely about the RIR!

I've had to move my first 2 chicks into the brooder as they had become so lively that they were trampling everything in sight. They seem quite happy in their little pen though.

Full moon was Tuesday - I do feel ready, very calm and relaxed today. But it's a boy so he'll probably be late and I'll be all tired and grumpy for labour instead!

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MehgaLegs · 22/05/2008 17:30

Yes, good news about the RIR.

DoN - I had that problem, the first hatchers got a bit crazy and I thought they might hurt the newly hatched ones. I took them out a few at a time over the two days.

I have just updated my pics so you can see what you haveto look forward to in four weeks time. They are still quite cute this lot though and DS3 especially adores them. (He knows they are for the pot hope he'll be ok)

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 22/05/2008 20:16

mehga - love the parrot-chick!

We now have six out. I helped the stuck one get out about 3 hours ago and thought it would die but it's getting fluffier and more adventurous everytime I go to check. Fingers crossed. I've moved another 2 chicks into the pen so that the weedy one has a quieter time, no. 6 has only just hatched so shouldn't be too annoying until the morning!

Another 2 or 3 have pipped. I'd be happy with 9 out of the 12. But it is only day 21. I really didn't they'd hatch this fast.

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Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 22/05/2008 21:13

New chicks in incy photo's on profile.

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duchesse · 22/05/2008 22:35

Duchess, I once revived one I was convinced was a goner after its mother gave up on and wandered off the nest with her brood at 5am. About 3 hours later, I found the egg, cheeping occasionally, and with a little beak poking out, but barely breathing. I broke it out, ran a sinkful of warm water, and submerged the little thing up to its beak. After about 5 mn, it started to perk up a lot, so I took it out, mopped it down and dried it with the hairdrier. It fluffed up, came back to life and survived. Made me really feel as though I'd saved something, that did. Unfortunately it was eaten by a fox about 6 months later...

duchesse · 23/05/2008 08:28

3 now, including one that appeared to be stuck (had been at the beak poking out stage but no progress for over 12 hours), but turned out to be a little premature instead... I just couldn't stop interfering.

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/05/2008 10:17

We have 8 out altogether now (4 in brooder and 4 still in the incy) and another 1 or 2 pipping. The one I helped out of the shell has survived the night and looks fine.

The 4 in the brooder are all pecking at the woodshavings as well as the chick crumbs and I've dipped their beaks in water this morning. All looking well.

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Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/05/2008 11:17

9

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duchesse · 23/05/2008 12:28

4- latest one looks like a silkie-RIR cross- black skin, yellow fluff, teeny comb, five toes, yellow feet. Cute little runty thing.

MehgaLegs · 23/05/2008 13:07

Cute chicks - congratulations to the two duchesses on your arrivals.

I helped one of ours out the shell. It had pipped and then nothing for hours, I looked on the PP site and followed the advice there and carefully picked the shell off. The last bit started to bleed and I really paniced, the chick was still attached to the yolk sac so I put it back in the incy and just left it. It was very still for ages but by the next morning it had recovered and I couldn't even tell it from the others.

Lovely pics DoN, the RCom is great for viewing it all isn't it? Our haovabator has such a small window and it all got a bit steamy.

Oh well, I have made three pounds from selling eggs this morning - I shall save for an RCom

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/05/2008 13:07

I think the crosses are interesting! All mine are cross-breeds. Vorwerk cock x Light Sussex/Silver Sussex or Amber Star hens. So I have 2 black chicks, 1 browny-black and the rest are cream, yellow, buff or mottled. Nice mix!

The remaining 3 eggs show no signs. I'll move the last 3 chicks into the brooder later today and leave the eggs in for another day or two just to make sure, then switch off and clean it up for the next batch!

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ingles2 · 23/05/2008 13:12

They're lovely DONB....
BUT
Never mind the blardy chicks.. How are you?

handlemecarefully · 23/05/2008 14:24

I've really enjoyed looking at the photos - the chicks at 4 weeks on Meghalegs profile (they are still cute) and the new arrivals for DoNB

DoNB - I ordered the R-Com 20 (or whatever it is called) from P & T Poultry yesterday, hoping to follow in your successful footsteps. The P&T Poultry site waxes lyrical about that particular incubator don't they...

My broody hen turned out to be a pyschopath, or at the very least has a borderline personality disorder! On day 20 she had just 2 of the original eggs left (others had got broken rather mysteriously along the way) and then she went and destroyed one of the remaining eggs(dead chick inside) and abandoned the other to go cold (wtf?)

Can't wait to get started with a more scientific and reliable process!

duchesse · 23/05/2008 14:29

handleme- you can't beat a Silkie for incubating- they are the best chicken mothers! It's my incubation method of choice, but none were broody at the right time, so had to use an incubator this time... I know someone whose RIR hen was so freaked out by her chicks that she flew the coop, squashing two on the way.

handlemecarefully · 23/05/2008 14:37

eek! at the squashing 2 chicks bit!

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/05/2008 14:42

ingles - I'm fine, due on Monday, hoping not to be overdue! (Tonight would be ideal).

hmc - I bought my RCom from P&T, it was delivered quickly and they answer all sorts of questions by email. I bought my broody heater from them as well. Sorry about your psycho hen, broodiness has been bred-out of so many. Pity, I like leaving the hens to get on with it. I still haven't had one of my hens go broody so I'm really glad I bought the incy now. When we've eaten our 20th organic chicken it will almost have paid for itself...!

I've just been hand-feeding my little chicks, load up your hand and on they jump!

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duchesse · 23/05/2008 21:40

Four only. I cracked open the last few this afternoon, hearing no more cheeps. Result: one dead in egg about three days ago, one dead in egg at about 1 week gestation, and the rest (about 6) addled.

There were last ditch attempt chicks, after I'd failed to get a broody interested. The oldest eggs were about 3 wks old by the time they went in the incubator.

I want to start again almost straight away with some araucanas for my pregnant friend, to replace the leghorns that were addled, and a few more RIRs.

AIBU to want some more chicks already?

oops, wrong thread...

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 23/05/2008 22:18

duchesse - given that some of the eggs were getting old, then 4 isn't bad. And it does continue your 'line'! So YANBU to get some fresh eggs for a fresh start.

I have to decide whether to put some more hens eggs in (I want to be self-sufficient in meat birds) or try some quail instead. Either way I'll need another biggish hen-house & run to house them all in.

I'm pretty sure that my remaining 3 eggs are non-hatchers. I'll do post-mortem tomorrow or Sunday.

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handlemecarefully · 23/05/2008 23:22

Four is very respectable duchesse!

duchesse · 24/05/2008 07:43

Duchess- do you need post mortem tips, or are you an old hand at them?

Original poster
TheDuchessOfNorksBride · 24/05/2008 09:34

duchesse - I've done post-mortems before (not wildly medically detailed I'm sure but I sort of know what I'm looking at ). This was my first incy hatch but I've had lots of broodies before.

Anyway, cracked the last 3 eggs this morning. One had got to 10p size, so about 7-10 days? The other 2 were infertile. But no dead chicks. Which is good news because it means I have a healthy flock and a good incubator that doesn't ruin a hatch when you open the lid to grab the early chicks and move them to a brooder.

Though I did miss at least one of the infertile eggs when I candled. I am a candling novice, I don't usually bother with it as I leave the hens to ditch the duds. But I daresay I'll get more practice!

I'm happy with 9 out of 12.

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duchesse · 25/05/2008 10:19

I lost another 6 bloody chickens in the night; a pekin/silkie cross, a warren/silkie cross, a silkie, and three bloody araucanas. Inexplicably, they left the broody Silkie in the corner alone with her enormous clutch of little eggs (had been letting her sit to replace the silkie lost last month). bloody fox(es) broke in through the wooden sides of the coop.