It all started with our Oviparous animal unit. As homeschoolers we create our own curriculum. For (first grade) science I get my son's opinion on what he wants to learn. One of the first things he enthusiastically listed was 'animals that hatch from eggs'. My sister who has raised chickens for over 6 years generously offered us their incubator and a couple dozen of her barnyard mix eggs. It was all done with the understanding that after they all hatched, she would take the chicks.
Life doesn't always-or usually go according to plan. Since my sister's thermometer went up for her bator, I went and bought a new thermometer/hygrometer combo and got the incubator up and running. The incubator is an older model Little Giant with the fan installed and an automatic egg turner. Anyone that knows about styrofoam incubators knows they can be touchy. Of course, being a stay at home mom I had the ability to monitor and play with the temp to keep it kinda regulated.
I candled and was ecstatic to see life developing in most of the eggs. After removing the clears we had 17 eggs developing. I followed candling photos all the way to lockdown. I kinda had the feeling my eggs were behind in developement, but they were lively and growing so I figured it was my inexperience and everything was fine.
Day 21 came and went, day 22, the same. Late in the evening on day 23 going into day 24 I was candling and trying to figure out if any of them were alive. I held this one egg up to my ear and tapped at the air cell end. It chirped at me!!! I was once again excited. By morning (day 24) we had a pip! By evening we had our first ever hatcher. A blond beauty bouncing around in the incubator, and a second egg had pipped.
Life doesn't always-or usually go according to plan. Since my sister's thermometer went up for her bator, I went and bought a new thermometer/hygrometer combo and got the incubator up and running. The incubator is an older model Little Giant with the fan installed and an automatic egg turner. Anyone that knows about styrofoam incubators knows they can be touchy. Of course, being a stay at home mom I had the ability to monitor and play with the temp to keep it kinda regulated.
I candled and was ecstatic to see life developing in most of the eggs. After removing the clears we had 17 eggs developing. I followed candling photos all the way to lockdown. I kinda had the feeling my eggs were behind in developement, but they were lively and growing so I figured it was my inexperience and everything was fine.
Day 21 came and went, day 22, the same. Late in the evening on day 23 going into day 24 I was candling and trying to figure out if any of them were alive. I held this one egg up to my ear and tapped at the air cell end. It chirped at me!!! I was once again excited. By morning (day 24) we had a pip! By evening we had our first ever hatcher. A blond beauty bouncing around in the incubator, and a second egg had pipped.
Our first baby-Peep
Early on day 25 the other chick hatched. That one was nothing like peep. A black chick w/yellow belly. Very weak and obviously stressed from the delayed hatch. He didn't make it through the night. The next day we gave up. The eggs were tossed and bator was cleaned up and packed away. We were happy with Peep, but discouraged with the hatch. I didn't understand what could have happened in those last days. I did not do eggtopsies (which I regretted later.) I swore that it was it for us....
Peep grew on us quickly. He needed extra attention since he was an only. His brooder was moved to beside my bed so I could get some sleep as he did not appreciate being left alone. He quickly became part of the family
.
Early on day 25 the other chick hatched. That one was nothing like peep. A black chick w/yellow belly. Very weak and obviously stressed from the delayed hatch. He didn't make it through the night. The next day we gave up. The eggs were tossed and bator was cleaned up and packed away. We were happy with Peep, but discouraged with the hatch. I didn't understand what could have happened in those last days. I did not do eggtopsies (which I regretted later.) I swore that it was it for us....
Peep grew on us quickly. He needed extra attention since he was an only. His brooder was moved to beside my bed so I could get some sleep as he did not appreciate being left alone. He quickly became part of the family
.
After a couple weeks and some time to think about the failure of the first hatch, my son and I talked and decided that we would like to try again and start raising our own chicks. After all. Peep wasn't going anywhere and he was going to need some friends, right?
After joining a chicken forum and telling my story the concensus was my thermometer. I went out and bought a digital w/indoor-outdoor displays and a seperate digital. I was now armed w/three thermometers. I checked them against each other and against the original one from the first hatch.... and found the problem. The first thermometer was indeed 6 degrees off!!!! I was stunned. It was a brand new thermometer!! Lesson learned.
After a bit more research, basically where humidity was concerned, I had my game plan and set the second batch of eggs. Developement was great. Air cells looked good. After removing the clears, one early day quitter and 1 bloodring, we went into lockdown with 16 viable eggs. By the evening of the 19th day we had our first pip..not to mention a second and third.... we were getting pips galore!! By the next morning they were hatching! And the other's were pipping. By the end of the 21st day we had 13 hatchers and 3 that had done nothing. I candled the three. No sign of life. This time, we proceeded with eggtopsies. I was sad for the three....but happy with our 13! And what a mix they were. But that's for another post.
After joining a chicken forum and telling my story the concensus was my thermometer. I went out and bought a digital w/indoor-outdoor displays and a seperate digital. I was now armed w/three thermometers. I checked them against each other and against the original one from the first hatch.... and found the problem. The first thermometer was indeed 6 degrees off!!!! I was stunned. It was a brand new thermometer!! Lesson learned.
After a bit more research, basically where humidity was concerned, I had my game plan and set the second batch of eggs. Developement was great. Air cells looked good. After removing the clears, one early day quitter and 1 bloodring, we went into lockdown with 16 viable eggs. By the evening of the 19th day we had our first pip..not to mention a second and third.... we were getting pips galore!! By the next morning they were hatching! And the other's were pipping. By the end of the 21st day we had 13 hatchers and 3 that had done nothing. I candled the three. No sign of life. This time, we proceeded with eggtopsies. I was sad for the three....but happy with our 13! And what a mix they were. But that's for another post.