Colorado

[carolynm]

I'm curious if anyone has shipped eggs from altitude to lower altitude and what the hatching rate has been? I read somewhere that this is more successful than the other way, but I'd like to know people's real life experiences with this?

 

[Pozees]

I'm curious if anyone has shipped eggs from altitude to lower altitude and what the hatching rate has been? I read somewhere that this is more successful than the other way, but I'd like to know people's real life experiences with this?

When I hatch Mayah's eggs they are from about 2000 feet higher than me, most of the time I have a decent hatch rate (15 of 24 was the last good hatch - this hatch I only got 9 of 29 but that was my fault, I tripped coming off her front step and jostled the eggs pretty badly and then they ride in the car for 45 minutes to my office, then another 35 minutes to my house) but all of hers I've hatched so far were laid in the coldest months of the year so I'm not sure that's a fair assessment, truthfully I expect as days get longer the hatch rate will rise. I set another 24 of hers yesterday along with 16 of my own, so in 3 weeks we will see if hatch rates improve. I shipped some Silkie eggs to someone in LA last week, so I'll be interested in hearing what her hatch rate is.

 

[carolynm]

When I hatch Mayah's eggs they are from about 2000 feet higher than me, most of the time I have a decent hatch rate (15 of 24 was the last good hatch - this hatch I only got 9 of 29 but that was my fault, I tripped coming off her front step and jostled the eggs pretty badly and then they ride in the car for 45 minutes to my office, then another 35 minutes to my house) but all of hers I've hatched so far were laid in the coldest months of the year so I'm not sure that's a fair assessment, truthfully I expect as days get longer the hatch rate will rise. I set another 24 of hers yesterday along with 16 of my own, so in 3 weeks we will see if hatch rates improve. I shipped some Silkie eggs to someone in LA last week, so I'll be interested in hearing what her hatch rate is.

Please do update on how the Silkie hatch goes...

 

[trsturself]

I've read about the dry hatch method and that's what I'm trying this time. I'm not going to add water unless it drops below 25%. I'm still trying to get my temp dialed in. I blew out one of our regular eggs and filled it with water and put my temp probe in there. It is still showing low after a few hours so I'm slowly turning up the heat. According to the water/ice calibration that probe reads 1 degree hotter than it is and it's reading 98 right now. So I need to get it a little warmer in there.
Wish I had a rooster so I could get all this dialing in done with my own eggs! It would be a lot cheaper!

I wish I had 2 incubators so I could use one for a hatcher but DH already thinks I'm nuts for making the one. Maybe he'll change his mind if I get a good hatch rate. I bought the stuff for another brooder today and he barely flinched. Last year he said no more chicks until we have a way to have them outside the whole time. Now I think he's resigning himself to this chicken thing.

 

[suncatcher]

I've read about the dry hatch method and that's what I'm trying this time. I'm not going to add water unless it drops below 25%. I'm still trying to get my temp dialed in. I blew out one of our regular eggs and filled it with water and put my temp probe in there. It is still showing low after a few hours so I'm slowly turning up the heat. According to the water/ice calibration that probe reads 1 degree hotter than it is and it's reading 98 right now. So I need to get it a little warmer in there. 
Wish I had a rooster so I could get all this dialing in done with my own eggs! It would be a lot cheaper!

I wish I had 2 incubators so I could use one for a hatcher but DH already thinks I'm nuts for making the one. Maybe he'll change his mind if I get a good hatch rate. I bought the stuff for another brooder today and he barely flinched. Last year he said no more chicks until we have a way to have them outside the whole time. Now I think he's resigning himself to this chicken thing. 

Low temperature is better than too high, not real low, but a degree should not hurt them at all, it may take them an extra day to hatch. Are you going by digital temp? Or just a regular thermometer? My digital probe thermometer drove me nuts, I obsessed over the slightest change, and then it went out, or I should say it showed a lower temp than it was actually, so I cranked up the heat, and ended up cooking those eggs, none hatched. I then bought the fish tank thermometers, three or four of them, calibrated them, and seems one or two were off, but I did have a successful hatch using the ones that calibrated the same, and were accurate.

I was not sure if you could have roosters???? I have one or two I can lend you if you want!

 

[trsturself]

My husband has actually mentioned borrowing a rooster. lol! I said no way, I'm not risking our neighbors calling on us since we are over our limit.

I have 3-4 thermometers in there (I took one of the 4 out to check the humidity in the room). 2 digital and 2 analog. I calibrated the two that can be placed in water. They all mostly agree except for the one inside the egg is reading much lower. I'm giving that one time. They are all reading a degree or two low, that's why I'm turning it up slowly. I barely move the thermostat and then give it a couple hours. I definitely don't want to cook them!

 

[trsturself]

My husband has actually mentioned borrowing a rooster. lol! I said no way, I'm not risking our neighbors calling on us since we are over our limit.

I have 3-4 thermometers in there (I took one of the 4 out to check the humidity in the room). 2 digital and 2 analog. I calibrated the two that can be placed in water. They all mostly agree except for the one inside the egg is reading much lower. I'm giving that one time. They are all reading a degree or two low, that's why I'm turning it up slowly. I barely move the thermostat and then give it a couple hours. I definitely don't want to cook them!

The thermometer in the water egg is now reading 100.0. This one tends to read just less than a degree high so it looks like things are good. The humidity has also come down to a normal level.

 

[suncatcher]

 
My husband has actually mentioned borrowing a rooster. lol! I said no way, I'm not risking our neighbors calling on us since we are over our limit.

I have 3-4 thermometers in there (I took one of the 4 out to check the humidity in the room). 2 digital and 2 analog. I calibrated the two that can be placed in water. They all mostly agree except for the one inside the egg is reading much lower. I'm giving that one time. They are all reading a degree or two low, that's why I'm turning it up slowly. I barely move the thermostat and then give it a couple hours. I definitely don't want to cook them!

The thermometer in the water egg is now reading 100.0. This one tends to read just less than a degree high so it looks like things are good. The humidity has also come down to a normal level.

Great! It takes awhile when you add the eggs to get back up to where it was before you put the eggs in it. I know I looked at my bator every fifteen minutes the first couple of times, my last hatch, I was much more relaxed, eh, if they hatch, they hatch! I wonder if the lack of attention helped them hatch! lol I sent you a PM on some more incubator information from here on BYC.

 

[trsturself]

Great! It takes awhile when you add the eggs to get back up to where it was before you put the eggs in it. I know I looked at my bator every fifteen minutes the first couple of times, my last hatch, I was much more relaxed, eh, if they hatch, they hatch! I wonder if the lack of attention helped them hatch! lol I sent you a PM on some more incubator information from here on BYC.

Yeah, last time it only took the first night. Things are looking good now though.

 

[Pozees]

Quote:
Perfect!