# Further hatching



## twentynine

Hatches 1, 2, 3, and 4 have all been sold, with the exception of the blacksexlink cockerals. 26 of those little rascals, left over. I have got to find a market for these things.

Hatch #5 has been cooking now since 3/17, it consist of 41 black sexlinks, hatch date is 4/8.

Hatch #6 will be going into the incubator 3/24 or 25 and will be 40 rhode island reds plus 1 egg from the pet flock, hatch date 4/15 or 16.


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## 7chicks

Gee's twentynine, what ever are you doing with all your "free" time! I'm not sure you're keeping busy enough.  Congrat's on the incubating success!


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## twentynine

Hatch 5, 10 day candling. Pulled 7 duds. All 7 of the dud eggs were shaped the same narrow and elongated. Maybe I have a hen that's not being bred or maybe she's a domanent hen and the young roosters won't fool with her.


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## Energyvet

At least you're seeing consistency with what eggs are failing.


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> At least you're seeing consistency with what eggs are failing.


Yep!
Saved eggs for 7 days, 7 duds. Now I need to try and figure out which hen is laying the duds. 
You think my wife will mind if I borrow her lipstick to mark a hens butt? Even if I promise to bring it back!


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## kaufranc

Oh my god! That is too funny Twenty!!!!


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## Wazza

Just don't tell her


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## Energyvet

Just use a color she doesn't like and it's all good. Lol. By the way , you're the one kissing her. ;-)


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## kaufranc

Good one EV!!!!!


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## twentynine

Hatch 6 candling.
Started on March 24, candling a bit early because I've got a busy week coming up.

41 eggs started
40 Rhode Island reds
1 mutt pet chicken (grand daughter's pet flock scicilian buttercup rooster)

Pulled 3 duds


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## twentynine

Hatch 5 in lock down--- 34 black sexlinks


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## twentynine

We got pippin going on!


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## kaufranc

Yea!!! How exciting!


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## Energyvet

How many, Twentynine?


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## twentynine

9 or 10 out so far.

Had 1 with unabsorbed yolk-open navel-intestines out, so I culled him. I absolutely hate doing that, but it's been my experience, that death comes slowly and seemingly painful to these chicks.

I'll try to pop a few pics.


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## twentynine

Ok. 
17 BSLs live hatched
1 BSL culled
1 RIR (where'd he come from? Somebody let one slip!)


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## twentynine

Upside down! 

This iPhone is something else, just about the time I figure it out, I realise I don't have it figured out at all!

Going to try again.


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## twentynine

Let's see!


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## blblanchard

What kind of incubator are you using?


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## twentynine

blblanchard said:


> What kind of incubator are you using?


Home made. This particular one is fashioned from an environmental sampling fridge, that I got from work. Picture a small apartment/dorm fridge.


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## blblanchard

Oh, okay! Thanks.


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## Energyvet

What's work? May I ask?


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> What's work? May I ask?


Work--- something that gets in the way of having fun!

Like right now 12:30am, I am stuck here for another 4-1/2 hours.


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## Energyvet

Nursing? Just wondering.


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> Nursing? Just wondering.


Nope!

Process technician at a petro chemical plant.


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## Energyvet

Oh. Just wondering. So a chemist of sorts. That fills in a lot of details.


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> Oh. Just wondering. So a chemist of sorts. That fills in a lot of details.


Not exactly. My formal title is process technician--- but in industry slang we are called operators. I "run" all the equipment in the facility- such as turbines (both steam and gas) pumps, compressors, all manner of machinery that is used in production. I am actually a boiler operator, I run the high pressure steam boilers, and all the ancillary equipment associated with them.


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## Energyvet

But knowing that now, makes all your hatching comments and the way you use incubators and hatching equipment that much more clear. Now it all makes so much sense. You sound like an engineer. Lol


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## twentynine

Energyvet said:


> But knowing that now, makes all your hatching comments and the way you use incubators and hatching equipment that much more clear. Now it all makes so much sense. You sound like an engineer. Lol


Kind of like practical applied engineering.

Engineers and chemists, design the process and equipment, I take the equipment, make sure it is operating as designed, then turn it into a product. In order to do this an operator has to be a jack of all trades, he has to be familiar with all facets of mechanics, the effects of temperature, the effects of pressure.

So building a couple of incubators and getting them to work, for me, was fun.


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## twentynine

Hatch 6 went into lock down this morning.

Pulled 3 quitter eggs

Remaining
34 Rhode Island reds 
1 mutt pet chicken


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## Energyvet

And you have to speak their language and anticipate their needs. Kudos to you! Good luck on the hatch.


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## twentynine

Pipping started this morning. Nothing out yet!


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## twentynine

5 out pips everywhere.


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## twentynine

13 out still a bunch of pips going on


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## GenFoe

How exciting! Congrats


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## twentynine

16 out, still some pipping going on


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## will

What kind of incubator should I get??,


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## twentynine

will said:


> What kind of incubator should I get??,


That's a very general question that is going to be very hard to answer. Much depends on your budget, desired capacity, and what you are hatching.

With a little bit of skill and ingenuity you can build your own for pennies.


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## twentynine

19 out couple more pips.

In general I'm not satisfied with this hatch. Once again I believe I have 10 eggs developing up to lockdown then failing to pip.

19 live
2 died pipping 
12 eggs nothing


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## twentynine

Saving eggs for hatches 7 and 8 now.


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## InnKeeper

Kudos to everyone hatching your own eggs. I just know I wouldn't be able to keep my nosey self and fingers out of the bator!! Even though I've read how it causes disaster, I wouldn't be able to stand it. Don't know how you do it!


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## ReTIRED

InnKeeper said:


> Kudos to everyone hatching your own eggs. I just know I wouldn't be able to keep my nosey self and fingers out of the bator!! Even though I've read how it causes disaster, I wouldn't be able to stand it. Don't know how you do it!


Now that the WEATHER is better....You _MIGHT _try THIS to stay away from the Incubator:

1. Buy a six-pack of *Pabst Blue-Ribbon* beer.
2. Take that ...and a shovel...out to the Garden.
3. Use BOTH in a calm and collected manner.
4. Continue # 3.
5. Give up and go back into the house and take-a-nap.
6. Wake-up wondering why you took a nap.

This works for me. 

*Ha-Ha !!!
-*Re-TIRED-


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## twentynine

Ok final score on hatch 6.

21 live hatched transferred to the brooder. I have one of the bunch that is lame so he may be culled later today or tomorrow, for now I'll give him a chance.

Started 41 eggs, 34 made it to lockdown, 21 live hatched, 2 died pipping, 1 died (culled actually) with an open navel, 10 eggs left in the incubator no pips. I am going to leave the eggs until tomorrow afternoon, just to see what happens (my wife's suggestion).

New thread started for hatch 7.


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## Energyvet

Good outcome! Congrats!


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## twentynine

Eggtopsy results:

Ten eggs opened all contained a dead embryo somewhere around 15-16 days development. No obvious abnormalities.


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## Energyvet

So at 2 weeks in did you have an adverse event of some kind?


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## twentynine

Not that I am aware of.
I wonder if I could borrow a chart recorder from work, I could keep a continuos record of temperature.


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## Energyvet

I thought maybe a power outage or something. I'd ask. Worse they could say is no. Maybe you could purchase one.


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