April 2020 Hatch-A-Long! All are welcome!

[CluckNDoodle]

Gah! Stopped getting notifications and got way behind again! Hope everyone has been having awesome hatches.
I have 2 incuviews full of eggs right now. Due on the 27th and 28th. Set almost 30 of my own eggs and only had 3 clears. Pretty excited by that. Can’t wait for the first babies from my flock.
Got 18 eggs in exchange for 3 Marans cockerels from my March hatch from a breeder friend. A few are either Cream Legbars or Cream Legbars x Isbar. We will find out at hatch on those. Also got 4 eggs that are a hybrid that lays pink eggs. I have one of the hens and her eggs make me gasp every time so I’m super excited about those. Also a couple BBS Marans and BBS Ameraucanas.
On another note, kinda hating my incuviews right now. I can not get the temp down no matter how low I adjust the settings to. It’s hovering around 99.9 on my trusted thermometers and I have the darn incuviews set to 96.5° so I’m a little annoyed by that.

@CluckNDoodle @FortCluck Remember Flip from my march hatch? The chick that was stuck on its back? Look how big “she” is!! Comb says pullet but still not sure. View attachment 2088609View attachment 2088610

Flip is so pretty!!

Are you using the calibration feature? You can set the temp at 99.5 and scroll down further when in adjustment mode and change the calibration temp.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I used 2 meat thermometers and one mechanic's diagnostic tool (idk what the actual name of it is, but it has a million probes).

Great! Did you ice calibrate the meat thermometer or check out the link I shared? That way you can be sure it's accurate. I only mentioned a meat thermometer because they're water safe and that's what I calibrate to check against my digital thermometers that can't be submerged in water.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

hey guys. I joined both April and May because its April- but I'm due in May

I just checked my eggs, and the last row seems room temp and the top two rows seem very warm, almost hot. Can those styrofoam incubators (mine is a little giant with egg turner and forced air) and yes I double and triple checked the temp, -can they heat unevenly?
I figured it was the lid (because the heater is off-centre on the lid) so I rotated the lid 180 degrees.. man I hope this isn't a bust.....

It's good habit to rotate your eggs around the incubator in many types of incubators to help make up for hot and cold spots or as you mention mapping out the temps some people just choose to avoid the worst spots.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Do any of you combine your different age hatchlings together? My group of 6 that are two weeks old are in the brooder and are comfy. Can I combine the newborns? Or is that too risky?

I put different aged chicks together all the time. I try to give the newly hatched chicks a few days in a separate brooder to get their land legs and I don't usually push it beyond 3 days to 3 weeks unless the older chicks ae Silkies because they don't count and are sweet forever. Lol

 

[FortCluck]

I put different aged chicks together all the time. I try to give the newly hatched chicks a few days in a separate brooder to get their land legs and I don't usually push it beyond 3 days to 3 weeks unless the older chicks ae Silkies because they don't count and are sweet forever. Lol

I have 3 day olds with 3 week olds right now. They're getting along great

 

[FortCluck]

My quail eggs are doing great and the dozen eggs that are deathlayer crosses are hatching this month too. Unsure of the dates though. I have to look back.

 

[My hen house]

Okay everyone I have some news I have an egg day 20 that has started to externally pip but the mebraine is still intact
I'm also asking if I should make a safety hole or something

 

[glenstorm]

Started 9 Wyandotes today. This is my second time hatching eggs. Did it a few years ago with a DIY incubator made out of a cooler. This time around I'm using a MagicFly incubator.

Now tax day is hatch day!!

Surprise!! Our chicks cam early. I was expecting them to hatch tomorrow but they starting pipping yesterday and we woke up to four scraggly wet peepers today. Not as high a hatch rate as I hoped for but my rooster and hens are young. I am not sure the other 5 eggs were fertilized. I'm going to try another batch once I get these little ones settled.

 

[FortCluck]

Okay everyone I have some news I have an egg day 20 that has started to externally pip but the mebraine is still intact
I'm also asking if I should make a safety hole or something

Can you take a pic?

 

[My hen house]

Can you take a pic?