# Ready set!!



## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Henrietta and Flowers eggs are now in the incubator. They have never hatched eggs before so im leery of letting them.
So 6 breda eggs are now inside.
Tentative hatch date is june 8- june 10th


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I'll be waiting with you!


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> Henrietta and Flowers eggs are now in the incubator. They have never hatched eggs before so im leery of letting them.
> So 6 breda eggs are now inside.
> Tentative hatch date is june 8- june 10th
> View attachment 29979
> View attachment 29980


I'm here waiting too!!


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

We all will be waiting.All Bredas?


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

Waiting in eager anticipation!!


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

That went quick. 3-5 more days!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

I am.pretty sure all 6 will be bredas. Ill find out at hatch


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> I am.pretty sure all 6 will be bredas. Ill find out at hatch


Getting anxious to see them!


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

Tick tock tick tock


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

A few more days.... i candled the eggs last night. 1 wasnt even fertile, so down to 5...


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Food and water in, premier heat plate on and warm


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

still waiting...………...


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Hatch date estimated tomorrow thru saturday. No pips as of this morning.


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

I've debated getting one of those heat plates is it worth it?


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Updated to double cage since lavender ameracaunas are to hatch in a week.

I love the plates. No red glow, no bulbs exploding . The chicks learn fast to go under them. I used heat lamps and im so glad i switched to these


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Xxl cage


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

The heat plates dont work outside ,they are only good in the house


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> The heat plates dont work outside ,they are only good in the house


Why don't they work outside? What is it about them that makes them only work indoors?


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

I guess it won't keep them warm enough


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

seminolewind said:


> I guess it won't keep them warm enough


Oh really? Hmm interesting


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

They wont stay warm. The heat plates are only 22 watts. A heat lamp is 250 i think. 
The warming plates warm.the chicks, they can touch them and not burn


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

No pips yet today, hopefully by sunday the 5 will hatch


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

You can put your hand on the heat plates and not get burned


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> They wont stay warm. The heat plates are only 22 watts. A heat lamp is 250 i think.
> The warming plates warm.the chicks, they can touch them and not burn


Oooh gotcha. Thank you


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

No pips yet. There are definitely chicks in the 5 eggs, but no movement. Waiting...... waiting.....


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## Steinwand (Sep 23, 2017)

Tell them they need too hurry up!!


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Nothing as of now . . Taps foot to have chicks hurry up....


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

WE HAVE A PIP

Since they are such a small genetic pool i have no clue if it will hatch , hatch and live or hatch and die. Usually if they make it to the 3 week mark as chicks they survive.

Hopefully they hatch and survive and grow strong.

I added vitamins to the water for my last hatch, and those 13 chicks are robust and strong. Its my first time adding something to new chicks, and so far so good


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> WE HAVE A PIP
> 
> Since they are such a small genetic pool i have no clue if it will hatch , hatch and live or hatch and die. Usually if they make it to the 3 week mark as chicks they survive.
> 
> ...


Woohoo!! Pip!!


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Oh dear! Am I candling correctly? I thought the rooster did his part and I followed directions for incubator. Day 8, no sign of veins or .


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

it's possible that he did his part and it didn't take, it happens now and then, or maybe he was just doing the dance and didn't finish? I don't know how you candle or what you use to do it but it's always possible that you need more practice? I don't know how experienced you are at candling but keep trying! Candle an egg that you KNOW has NOT been fertilized and compare what you see to the one that you think has been. Keep trying!


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Sylie said:


> it's possible that he did his part and it didn't take, it happens now and then, or maybe he was just doing the dance and didn't finish? I don't know how you candle or what you use to do it but it's always possible that you need more practice? I don't know how experienced you are at candling but keep trying! Candle an egg that you KNOW has NOT been fertilized and compare what you see to the one that you think has been. Keep trying!


Ok. I did that. I got so I could identify the "empty" end and the yolk from the fridge and from the incubator. Then I waited a few days to see if anything changed. I tried to convince myself. Then I asked an ol farm boy. He candles and said he didn't see signs but not to give up as we still had nearly two weeks to go. Next day I couldn't stand the suspense so I cracked one. Not fertile. Then another. Same. Then one by one all them and none had begun to develop at all. So maybe my little man is shooting blanks. All six of his active hens have feather damage where his spurs grab their saddle. He's no bigger then the hens and he's three to four years older than they. We did reload the incubator with six more fresh eggs . Any thoughts on this project?


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

hmm, this is an odd thing, if he's doing the deed you should be getting at least SOME fertiles. It is possible that he is sterile. Has he sired chicks before? How old are his hens? Are all of the eggs from one hen or all 6? Have you ever had chicks from any of the girls before? If he is older than 6 it may be an age related fertility issue. Maybe you can "borrow" a rooster from someone for a few weeks to see if the problem is him or the girls. If the girls are the problem then you have a bigger problem on your hands. Something is messing with their systems.


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Sylie said:


> hmm, this is an odd thing, if he's doing the deed you should be getting at least SOME fertiles. It is possible that he is sterile. Has he sired chicks before? How old are his hens? Are all of the eggs from one hen or all 6? Have you ever had chicks from any of the girls before? If he is older than 6 it may be an age related fertility issue. Maybe you can "borrow" a rooster from someone for a few weeks to see if the problem is him or the girls. If the girls are the problem then you have a bigger problem on your hands. Something is messing with their systems.


No, we have never had hens sit. I doubt the hens are the problem, as they all seem healthy, came from a variety of breeds and sources, lay fine. Maybe we waited too long to try him, or, sure, he might be sterile


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

Well, it does sound like he's the problem. I would try another rooster if I was set on hatching chicks.


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## profwirick (Jan 24, 2013)

Sylie said:


> Well, it does sound like he's the problem. I would try another rooster if I was set on hatching chicks.


We ran a couple dozen of his eggs through the incubator with no results.


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## Sylie (May 4, 2018)

profwirick said:


> We ran a couple dozen of his eggs through the incubator with no results.


yeah I would try another rooster, borrow one from someone or get a new one for yourself. It sounds like he is sterile. I'm sorry


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## Shorty22366 (Jun 25, 2018)

Maryellen said:


> The heat plates dont work outside ,they are only good in the house


I use mine outside. They work great but I let my hens hatch their own but sometimes I buy day olds from feed store if they have something I don't have.


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## Maryellen (Jan 21, 2015)

Well i got a good hatch and everyone is now all together


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