mullethunter Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 Well - it didn’t seem right to buy and incubator and only use it for 2 days. Or to hatch what started as 12 eggs and end up with only one hen (who was actually one I bought as a day old anyway) - the boys are lovely but will moving on. So last week I bought 4 lavender pekin and 3 laced Wyandotte bantam eggs from a place I could drive to so the eggs didn’t have to go in the post. I candled them today and I’m pretty sure I have 3 growing pekins and 1 Wyandotte. I was really hoping for a couple of pekin girls and at least 1 Wyandotte, but with only the total of 4 fertile I’m going to have to be lucky! I’m usually not. I plan to keep this going as a blog, but can anyone tell me if that’s a normal fertility rate or poor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 5, 2018 Share Posted July 5, 2018 I usually hope for half fertile and half girls so 4 out of 7 ain't bad We tried to hatch our Call Duck eggs recently but I think the person who has the incubator was opening it regularly to check on them (she said they could see movement when they candled on the last day) as 5/7 fertile resulted in none hatching Now I have some Marans eggs in there so will hope for better luck this time! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 6, 2018 Share Posted July 6, 2018 How exciting again - lots of updates please!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 8, 2018 Author Share Posted July 8, 2018 Oh no Lewis how annoying. Fingers crossed for the Marans. I candled again this evening which is day 10 and everything still looks the same. 3 growing pekins and 1 Wyandotte. The ‘clear’ ones have obvious air cells but that doesn’t mean they’re going to develop does it? Would you remove those ones now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 9, 2018 Share Posted July 9, 2018 4 isn't bad If they're obviously clear take them out - they won't do now. All eggs have an air sac, it just gets bigger as carbon dioxide evaporates from the albumin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 Please would someone confirm for me... I’m hatching (hopefully) pekins and Wyandotte bantams in a brinsea mini II advance incubator. I’ve had the water chamber filled below the line so far which if I’ve followed the brinsea instructions correctly will hopefully have given me the right humidity so far. Do I switch the turning off AND increase the humidity at day 15 (which would be tomorrow) because they’re bantams? Or turning at 15 and humidity at 18? Or both at 18? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 12, 2018 Share Posted July 12, 2018 I always dry hatch now so don't add any water during incubation or hatching. If you've already started adding water then I would do as the Brinsea manual says. Increase humidity and stop turning on the same day (Day 15 or 16 for bantams). Once you've stopped turning don't open the incubator again until they've all finished hatching, regardless of how much water is left. If it needs topping up just ignore it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 13, 2018 Author Share Posted July 13, 2018 Thankyou Lewis. Again. Lock down tonight then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 15, 2018 Share Posted July 15, 2018 It all sounds so exciting but complicated at the same time. I can't wait to see photos of the new brood 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 I’m worried now that I might have had the humidity too high and they won’t be able to hatch. Nothing I can do about it now though. Day 18 tomorrow and the Wyandotte egg is moving loads 🤞🏻 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Eggciting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Ditto eggciting!!! Can you update on your other chicks with some photos please as I would love to see them - perhaps in another thread if you want to keep this strictly for the newbies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 16, 2018 Author Share Posted July 16, 2018 They’re 10 weeks old now - I’ll get some more photos later and put them on my original thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 16, 2018 Share Posted July 16, 2018 Lovely - always love seeing pics!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 17, 2018 Author Share Posted July 17, 2018 The Wyandotte has pipped and is cheeping!!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 Woohooo! Go little chicky! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted July 17, 2018 Share Posted July 17, 2018 36 minutes ago, Cat tails said: Woohooo! Go little chicky! I was just thinking the same thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 18, 2018 Author Share Posted July 18, 2018 Hatched!!! Two of the pekins have pipped now too. On odd places though so watch this space 🤞🏻 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat tails Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 Well done little cheeper! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 18, 2018 Share Posted July 18, 2018 CUTE!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Well we now have 2 pekins to join the Wyandotte. I’m slightly concerned about them though. They’re both very ‘sit-downy’. Hopefully this is just because they only hatched this morning so they’re not quite up to speed yet and they’ll be running about with the Wyandotte tomorrow. One of the pekins definitely has a problem though - the one that pipped in the middle of the shell has curled toes. To be honest we were amazed it managed to make it out of its shell - and in normal time - so if the toes are it’s only problem I’ll be pretty happy. I’ve made it ‘duck feet’ with micropore tape to try to straighten them out - fingers crossed! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeramaSilly Posted July 19, 2018 Share Posted July 19, 2018 Aw how cute are they!!! Are they lavender pekins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 19, 2018 Author Share Posted July 19, 2018 Yes they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted July 21, 2018 Author Share Posted July 21, 2018 (edited) Here’s Duck with her (thinking positive!) toes after having tape ‘paddles’ on them for about 36 hours. They’re not quite straight and her feet are slightly turned in I think but she’s getting around just like the others. Can anyone tell me if they’ll be ok or if I should have another go? Edited July 21, 2018 by mullethunter Add photos and note Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Natspringy Posted July 22, 2018 Share Posted July 22, 2018 Oh they are so cute! So so so cute! Hope little duck feet will be okay. She seems okay? That coven of crazy hens lady who was mentioned on a Mareks post seems quite good with special needs chickens if youre stuck. She's on Facebook. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...