Bay Area BYCers!

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Most important thing...DO NOT open the bator during hatching. Are they in cartons? How many did you set

Quote:
Most important thing...DO NOT open the bator during hatching. Are they in cartons? How many did you set

X 1,000,000!

Like Cheryl said, don't open that top until everyone has pipped, zipped and broke free from the shell.

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I use "Stall Dry" on my coop floors. Love it! It absorbs moisture and odors really well and composts beautifully!

hey so here is what happened originally got 18 blrw eggs from 2 different people one from chickenscratchpoltry another from a auction on here. The ones from chickenscratch are doing beautiful i think all of them are developinf. The ones i bought on here all the yolks were scrambled so of 8 i think i tossed 7 or 6. so out of original 18 10 are going into lockdown on wed. I Dont have them in cartons dont know how to do that i have 2 bators 1 as a bator 1 as a hatcher. what should my humidity be?

Some people place their eggs in cartons during lockdown, pointy side down. There are different theories on whether or not it actually helps, or has any effect at all. I've done all of my hatches with the eggs placed naturally on their sides and I've always had at least an 80% hatch rate.

The final 3 days I typically run my humidity anywhere from 65% to & 70%. It all is dependent on your birds though, watch them. If they are struggling to break out of the shell it may because they are becoming shrink wrapped in the inner membrane. In that case you would want to up the humidity, slightly. NO MAJOR CHANGES. That could wreck your whole hatch. If they are "drowning" in the egg then obviously you'll want to decrease the humidity. But 65% is usually a safe percentage.

Good luck!

I now hatch in cut-down paper cartons ONLY. I wasn't happy with my hatches when I had them on the side. One would hatch and climb over the other eggs that started pipping and then they lose their place and died.

I followed Wynette's advice and started hatching in cartons and have had near 100% hatches (for the ones that went into lockdown,that is) It is so incredibly cool. First of all they have been developing in that direction for the last 18 days so keeping them in that position makes sense.

They start pipping right along the edge of the air sac and zip all around the egg and literally POP out. They don't disturb any other eggs.

At first I was skeptical, but I trusted my mentor, Wynette and it's the only way I'm going to hatch ever.

Here's a picture of hatching. What is the most critical is that they hatch and you allow them to rest, sometimes all slumped over in the egg (they are still absorbing yolk) and do not disturb them. Do not try to help them, do not remove the cover. If you can't stand it, then "go run an errand" a quote from my mentor. They can do this hatching thing all by themselves, if you maintain temperature and humidity.

Now a bit more advice about humidity. If there is a situation and you MUST open the cover...let's say a day has passed and you want to get the babies in the brooder..... get a sponge soaked in Hot steaming water to place in the bator that you are removing the chicks from. It immediately will raise the humidity to what you had before you opened the lid. Just keep an eye on it, and remove it if gets too high. This helps any of the eggs that have pipped from becoming shrink-wrapped.

I'd like to say...LETS GO GIANTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

yeah baby, they better give rancheria a contract for next year

Okay back to the hatching so I'm going to do the egg carton thing and if I have to remove them I'll do the hot water sponge thing also Do I keep the red incubator plugs in or out

i take them out-they need oxygen