Day 21 and nothing is happening.....

[Tiny1000]

Tiny1000 - i wonder how that council byelaw stands up against the Allotments act of 1950 (still current law, never repealed) that states that all persons, be they tennets or property owners have the right to keep chickens for the purpose of food regardless of any convenant placed upon the said person by the land onwer?

for the exact wording and further information, look up the act on the t'internet, but it is the piece of legislation uised by the couple in the north very recently who faced eviction as the council said no hens at all..... it then got overturned by the allotments act. Just a thought.......

Don't even go there while I know there's a 6 chicken limit I'm safe from turning into one of those 'poor lost souls who are forced by their chickens to keep recruiting more and more hens' on here....but maybe I should just check it out for research.....

[Nicos]

Sad to hear that Scottishnewbie...so near , but not quite

You know I had 2 dead chicks in my first batch- fully developed- just didn't crack their way out of their shells.
Their mom had sat on them throughout the last few days..perfect hatching conditions..and for some reason they didn't break free and suffocated/starved ( they can last 3 days without food). No idea which , but really no reason as far as I could see apart from just not being strong enough....maybe yours were just a weak strain/inbred perhaps?????

Don't let the 'failure' put you off...it may well have been nothing you did- after all, wouldn't they have died earlier if it had been something to do with the dishwasher heat???

Getting eggs from your friend is the way forwards- fair swap, and you know his will be viable eggs

Get stuck in there ASAP!!!!

[julesapple]

Dishwasher....

My dishwasher sits under the counter too.

In the interests of research I set our hydrometer (we use it for chocolate tempering so it's highly accurate) last night. The dishwasher came on at midnight as we are using the lower rate night time electricity. I set the hydrometer to come on at the same time as dishwasher and go off at the same time.

In this period the hydrometer will record the highest humidity and the highest temperature.

The temperature rose from 15.7 oC to a max 17.4 oC. The humidity didn't really change at all.

Would less than 2 degrees make a difference? Even give the vagaries of different dishwasher makes, give or take a few degrees, I wouldn't have thought so, but I'm no expert here.

Jules

[Scottishnewbie]

As I sit here reading these last few posts, there are tears pouring down my cheeks...I cannot believe how a group of people I have never met, nor are likely to ever meet, could be such good, unbelievably good in fact, friends! We could walk past each other in the street and never know who we all are and yet already, I feel like you are some of my dearest pals. Your support has been amazing and I am so grateful -thank you.

jules, thank you so much for your 'experiment' and actually that has been the problem I think as Mel (chicken pal) says 2 degrees can make the difference. At least now I know.

And yes, I will go and get some more from him - he says cream legbar are nice....never heard of them but at least I know to keep the incubator somewhere else now, and not to keep lifting the lid,and....and....and........all the stuff you never read in books that fellow grapes are so happy to share.....

Love you all loads

SN xx

[Nicos]

What a sweet thing to say!
We're all on a learning curve here SN....and we share our failures ( and successes) so we can all avoid doing something similar...and we can understand how you feel.

...both with the chooks and fruit and veg- and a few 'life skill' experiences too!!!

And yup- a good cry always helps..and then you're all refreshed to continue....

Looking forward to hearing about your cream legbars.....are you getting them today????

[frias]

Well that's great to hear. I'm glad you're going to have another go. If might not have been anything you did or didn't do anyway. Good luck with your next eggs.

[MaureenHall]

Ooooooooooo Cream Legbars have blue eggs Lovely birds, good luck with the hatchings

[julesapple]

Cream Legbars...

I couldn't recommend them highly enough!!! I love mine to bits!!!

I've only got one, Hattie. Here she is so you know what they look like!

Jules

[Bramble-Poultry]

Scottish Newbie

Don't give up have another go - even those of us who hatch loads of eggs have had failures, one of ours was when the thermostat packed up and cooked all of our eggs!!

Just remember to keep the temperature and humidity constant, only take the lid of to turn them, candle them at 10 days, throw away any that show no signs so they do not go off and cause problems with your other eggs and when it comes to hatching just lift the lid and glance a couple of times a day not too often and make sure your humidity is increased for hacthing.

Think positive - Just 1 egg to hatch safely from a clutch is a successful hatch!

[CoraxAurata]

Hatching times can be affected by temperature, if the temp. is a bit low they will hatch later. Make sure you keep the humidity high.
Snadger, it may have been that the chicks were already dead in shell and you giving up didn't make any difference
Corax Aurata, I hope your girl turns up. Broody hens hide themselves pretty well and have no scent. I "lost" Mrs. Bantam last year and discovered that she had been hiding her nest only feet away from where the hens were fed.

I found her this morning, 6 inches from where my freind looked and walked past when we were looking (admittedly in 3ft high bracken).. She was waiting for food when I got up so I took my tea out in my pyjamas and fed her and waited.... watched her nonchalantly saunter up and down the garden then head out to the feild - nearly lost her for a moment or two (gained some funny looks from drivers passing on the road a little bit away - well I was standing in my pjs, waist high in bracken tea in one hand ciggie in the other talking to an invisible chook....) then I spotted her, will bring her in tonight when I have a box set up for her.

[CoraxAurata]

My dishwasher sits under the counter too.

In the interests of research I set our hydrometer (we use it for chocolate tempering so it's highly accurate) last night. The dishwasher came on at midnight as we are using the lower rate night time electricity. I set the hydrometer to come on at the same time as dishwasher and go off at the same time.

In this period the hydrometer will record the highest humidity and the highest temperature.

The temperature rose from 15.7 oC to a max 17.4 oC. The humidity didn't really change at all.

Would less than 2 degrees make a difference? Even give the vagaries of different dishwasher makes, give or take a few degrees, I wouldn't have thought so, but I'm no expert here.

Jules

I don't have a mechanical dishwasher but don't they vibrate too?

Scottishnewbie - we all have these disasters, honestly! I grew up with poultry and all manner of livestock, kept my own quail and hatched them, studied as a vet nurse, read everything I can find, and have a tame chook expert up the road and still have complete unmitigated disasters including some real heartbreaks, but we live and learn (and has already been said on here get to learn from each others mistakes) and when we finally get that first egg pipping (or even the 20th ) and then hours later (maybe mine are slow) a bedraggled little chick flops out its suddenly all worth it - even if it turns out to be a boy you have to eat!

before you blink you'll be wondering how to fit some more in....

[Polly Fouracre]

I found her this morning, 6 inches from where my freind looked and walked past when we were looking (admittedly in 3ft high bracken).. She was waiting for food when I got up so I took my tea out in my pyjamas and fed her and waited.... watched her nonchalantly saunter up and down the garden then head out to the feild - nearly lost her for a moment or two (gained some funny looks from drivers passing on the road a little bit away - well I was standing in my pjs, waist high in bracken tea in one hand ciggie in the other talking to an invisible chook....) then I spotted her, will bring her in tonight when I have a box set up for her.

Did that with Mrs. B. Gave her a lovely broody coop and everything. She put two fingers up and walked away. Let her eggs get cold and found a chick in each one!! I should have left her where she was!

[frias]

I couldn't recommend them highly enough!!! I love mine to bits!!!

I've only got one, Hattie. Here she is so you know what they look like!

Jules

She's lovely.

[Scottishnewbie]

Hattie looks fab! Yes, I think I'd like some like her - does she lay well?

I also had a wee browse round ebay today....and ended up buying a slighter better incubator too........haven't quite gotten round to mentioning it to OH yet!!!! Picking it up over the next couple of days and then will get busy with next lot...........I have to have better luck this time.......(hopefully)!

[Nicos]

Looks like you've got the ball rolling again!!!

...don't feel guilty about buying a new incubator....you've had a nasty upset.....tis the only way to treat the stress you've experienced!!