Oh how exciting for you I'm sure. I don't have hens old enough to lay yet,
should be soon though, within the next 6 weeks. I'm working on an incubator
made from an old refrigerator. I got the plans off the internet and it's a
reliable design. Cant wait for chicks of my own. Best of luck to you.
Gary Fletcher
From: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com [mailto:CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of goatsnchickens
Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2012 4:51 PM
To: CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CHICKENS-101] Candling and Hen incubation
Incubation update:
Last night, the end of day 14, I jerry-rigged an aluminum funnel onto an LED
flashlight and candled all 30 eggs that the setting hens have been
incubating. 27 of the eggs are almost completely dark inside, 3 were not
developing and were discarded. I am as excited about these chicks hatching
as I was in second grade when Mrs. Johnson's class hatched eggs in a little
incubator. So exciting to see that something is actually going on inside the
eggs! I read that the hatch rate runs about 55-75% has that been your
experience?
Initially one hen wouldn't leave the nest and two kept switching which nest
they sat on. The Cornish mix kept stealing eggs from the Cochin so they were
all mixed up anyway. They got serious though the day before I gave them
fertilized eggs. The first week they pretty much stayed put. But in the past
few days the hens have started coming out in the late morning to drink, poop
and eat. They do a quick dust bath then scurry back to their nest. I set a
timer so if they run over 30 minutes, I keep an eye on them. Only once have
they stayed longer and it was hot, so I'm assuming they know what they are
doing.
At Ole' George's suggestion I slid roofing shingle sheets under the hay to
protect the eggs from a chill coming up through the bottom screen.
Fingers crossed that there will be Astralorp, Black Sex Link and Golden Sex
Link chicks early next week. :)
LQ in L.A.
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