Okay, few more questions....

[PattiS72]

We are day 12 of incubating. I keep are seeing people talking about "pips". What are they? What is lockdown? When should I do it? Thanks!

 

[Jessshan8]

We are day 12 of incubating. I keep are seeing people talking about "pips". What are they? What is lockdown? When should I do it? Thanks!

At day 18 / 19 take eggs out of the turner if you have them in one and place them on their sides or into an egg carton to hatch. Add additional water to raise the humidity to help with them hatching. This is refered to as "lockdown" do not open the incubator till they hatch and do not turn aggs anymore as this is the time that the chicks get into position to hatch. A"PIP" is where the chick has pecked a whole in the egg to start the process of hatching.

 

[PattiS72]

We are day 12 of incubating. I keep are seeing people talking about "pips". What are they? What is lockdown? When should I do it? Thanks!

At day 18 / 19 take eggs out of the turner if you have them in one and place them on their sides or into an egg carton to hatch. Add additional water to raise the humidity to help with them hatching. This is refered to as "lockdown" do not open the incubator till they hatch and do not turn aggs anymore as this is the time that the chicks get into position to hatch. A"PIP" is where the chick has pecked a whole in the egg to start the process of hatching.

They aren't on a turner. I've been turning them. They are on something like foam--like egg carton pad for mattresses. Can they stay on that?

 

[Silkie-Feet]

I like to have air flow around my eggs, so that heat can reach the bottoms of the eggs. Some people use egg cartons to hatch in, similar to foam? Although the foam may not cause an issue, it's not needed and I would likely remove it. I've never used anything to hold my eggs in other than a turner, so hopefully someone who has used something similar to you will chime in shortly. Good luck hatching!

 

[WalnutHill]

I do use the spongy foam drawer liner under the eggs in my hatcher, as it gives some cushioning, reduces air velocity (I have a convection incubator), helps retain moisture, gives excellent traction, and helps prevent little feet from getting stuck in the hardware cloth bottom. It's not necessary. If used, be certain to scrub and sanitize between hatches.

I would not use memory foam or waffle foam, hatching is a messy job and it will foster bacteria growth.

 

[PattiS72]

Here are pics of what they are on.

 

[WalnutHill]

That looks like a homemade Omaha Steaks coolerbator? I'd make a raised platform of hardware cloth. Cut it 2" wider and 2" longer than the bottom of the incubator, and fold and snip the edges to raise the platform up about an inch off the bottom of the incubator. This will make hatching much cleaner. Save the foam for incubation only.

 

[PattiS72]

That looks like a homemade Omaha Steaks coolerbator?  I'd make a raised platform of hardware cloth.  Cut it 2" wider and 2" longer than the bottom of the incubator, and fold and snip the edges to raise the platform up about an inch off the bottom of the incubator.  This will make hatching much cleaner.  Save the foam for incubation only.

No not Omaha steals...but it was a mailed freezer box thing. My hubby made another incubator out of a mini fridge. So we won't be using this again.

 

[PattiS72]

When should I start to hear them chirping or whatever you call it?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

When should I start to hear them chirping or whatever you call it?

Pipping is not a sound. It's the hole the chick makes in the shell to start the hatching process. You may or may not hear chirping or peeping from within the shell when they have internally pipped. (Tapped into the air cell. This generally happens 24 hours or so before the external pip out of the shell. Once a chick externally pips it can take anywhere from a few hours to a day before the chick starts to zip (pipping around the shell to actually hatch.)