Topic: We started incubating our first batch of eggs

[Melbourne12]

Old hands at this will, I'm sure, find our trepidation a bit naive, but we've started our first batch of eggs in the incubator.  I'll be able to check them next weekend to find out how many are actually developing.

To my great delight, our "candler" makes it easy to take pictures of the inside of the egg using an ordinary camera.  The picture below shows an ordinary shop-bought egg which is of course infertile. 

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Bit more of a story here http://bit.ly/xgDifG which I'll keep updated as the hatch progresses, with pictures of developing embryos (if, of course, there are any!)

[elhuerto]

Best of luck with it and that looks like a cool candler - might have to get one  ::)

I put some goose eggs to incubate at the weekend, now have 3 weeks or so to decide where to keep the geese.

[BarriedaleNick]

Looks really interesting.  Are you looking just to increase your egg laying stock or are these for the table??

[Melbourne12]

Looks really interesting.  Are you looking just to increase your egg laying stock or are these for the table??

Both.  We'll keep some of the pullets to breed from next year, if we get some good healthy specimens.  Others will be for the table, although if any spares are of a good standard we might sell them.  I guess that the pullets will be more saleable than the cockerels.

Either way, Christmas lunch should be assured!

[pumkinlover]

How does the old saying go-
"Don't count your chickens until they are hatched" ;)

[Melbourne12]

Well, the 21 days will be up by tomorrow (Friday) night.  We have 8 eggs (out of an original 17) still left, although I haven't kept handling them in recent days so how many of those are still viable I don't know.

The first egg has started to be chipped open.  Just a small piece of shell on the floor of the incubator, so I haven't taken a picture, but it's a sign of life beginning to stir.

In spite of myself, I'm both nervous and excited.  I'm just about to prepare the brooder.

[sunloving]

How exciting
I use my broody ladies to hatch eggs and the best thing is looking down at the eggs and hearing the little birds inside cheeping! and then two days later everyones out.

My advice is to leave the unhatched for 3 days before you throw them away becuase you dont want to get rid of chicks that would have hatched had they had enough time.

My girls collect about 6 eggs which would be 3 days of laying before they sit and I think that this results in variation in hatching date.

Good luck with the new chicks and dont forget to stop the turning in the inc. scrambled egg is a good snack for them.

Ive got some show winning hatching eggs arriving from an ebay seller this weekend so trying to tempt the girls into sitting on the fake eggs this week.
let us know how you get on.
xx Sunloving

[Melbourne12]

How exciting
I use my broody ladies to hatch eggs and the best thing is looking down at the eggs and hearing the little birds inside cheeping! and then two days later everyones out.

My advice is to leave the unhatched for 3 days before you throw them away becuase you dont want to get rid of chicks that would have hatched had they had enough time.

My girls collect about 6 eggs which would be 3 days of laying before they sit and I think that this results in variation in hatching date.

Good luck with the new chicks and dont forget to stop the turning in the inc. scrambled egg is a good snack for them.

Ive got some show winning hatching eggs arriving from an ebay seller this weekend so trying to tempt the girls into sitting on the fake eggs this week.
let us know how you get on.
xx Sunloving

Thanks for the advice and the encouragement.  We're going to need it!

As I write this, 4 out of the 8 eggs have hatched.  We got one last night, which was technically 24 hours early (so what you say about variation in hatching date is obviously relevant), and three have hatched this morning.   The remaining four are showing signs of something happening, and I'd love to get a ......


.... picture, I was about to say, when 2 more of the eggs hatched while I was watching.  Pix to follow.  Awesome.  Not quite up to watching a child being born, but pretty impressive nonetheless!

The little chap who hatched last night was transferred to the brooder this morning.  He can hear his siblings peeping, and he's cheeping for all he's worth.  Probably lonely, poor lad.  (Of course, he might be a girl, but he's incredibly noisy!)

This morning's three will be joining him this evening.

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[Melbourne12]

I'm probably getting over-excited here, but I'm glued to the incubator, watching.  Another egg has just hatched, making 7 in all.  Just one left, and that one has started to show signs that the chick inside is chipping the shell.

I daren't download the pictures from the camera right now, because if I do I'll miss something!

The chicks obviously know when an egg is about to hatch, because they cluster round it, as if listening.  I guess that they can hear sounds from within that I can't.

[BarriedaleNick]

I dont blame you - I would be attached to the incubator - it must be really exciting!!

[sunloving]

Oh fab pictures and well done How exciting!

In general you can usually tell who is a girl becuase they get the new feather buds quickest especially the ones at thier shoulderblades.

Hope they are all out and fluffing up nicely.
x Sunloving

[Melbourne12]

I've downloaded the pictures, and done a first blog entry.  More pictures to follow over the weekend.  I was lucky in that most of the pictures are usable, in spite of being taken through the smoked glass incubator lid.

http://johnnorman.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/hatch/