December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[Renee572]

Okay I did what I said I wouldn't do, I just couldn't stand it anymore. That is waiting for day 10 to candle. It is day 6, I pulled 3 eggs from bator #1 and candled. Each egg is from a different source. Two of the eggs are a dark brown and I couldn't see anything yet, but one was a light colored egg and it had a living embryo started ~ Yay!!!

it's so hard to wait. Glad you could see one was alive! Hope you have plenty more.

 

[Purpletie3]

oh yay thats exciting! after seeing all of my disappointment with incubator #1 my dad ordered me a new bator. fits 48 eggs and is all digital so I'm excited for it to get here so I can test it out

Dads are the best!!! I would be tempted to be ordering millions of eggs...lol

 

[Purpletie3]

Okay I did what I said I wouldn't do, I just couldn't stand it anymore. That is waiting for day 10 to candle. It is day 6, I pulled 3 eggs from bator #1 and candled. Each egg is from a different source. Two of the eggs are a dark brown and I couldn't see anything yet, but one was a light colored egg and it had a living embryo started ~ Yay!!!

Glad they are developing for you...!

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Today's lockdown for 15 of the eggs I have

Just curious, but what's the point of lockdown? Broodies don't stop turning the eggs and raise the humidity (or do they?), so why should we?

Thanks

 

[PD-Riverman]

Just curious, but what's the point of lockdown? Broodies don't stop turning the eggs and raise the humidity (or do they?), so why should we?

Thanks

Yes they do!! A broody increases the Moisture by mainly Not getting off the nest the last couple days. Out of ALL the 33 hens I set this season not a one of them would get off the nest the last 2 days to get anything to eat or drink. I always pour their feed in a pyramid shape for a reason----when I go to feed again and it has not been touched---I know her eggs are in "lock-Down".

"Your Mileage may vary"

 

[Purpletie3]

...

Today's lockdown for 15 of the eggs I have :yesss



Congrats!!!! Hope to see some cool pics in a few days!!!

 

[Purpletie3]

Yes they do!! A broody increases the Moisture by mainly Not getting off the nest the last couple days. Out of ALL the 33 hens I set this season not a one of them would get off the nest the last 2 days to get anything to eat or drink. I always pour their feed in a pyramid shape for a reason----when I go to feed again and it has not been touched---I know her eggs are in "lock-Down".

"Your Mileage may vary"

With all your incubation experience...what levels of humidity do you run??? Do you find certain breeds need different levels?

My hatch rate again is disappointing...trying to find out if there's anything else I need to look at to improve it.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

Yes they do!! A broody increases the Moisture by mainly Not getting off the nest the last couple days. Out of ALL the 33 hens I set this season not a one of them would get off the nest the last 2 days to get anything to eat or drink. I always pour their feed in a pyramid shape for a reason----when I go to feed again and it has not been touched---I know her eggs are in "lock-Down".

"Your Mileage may vary"

Ok thanks! I didn't know broodies could tell

 

[ChickyChickens]

That's great! Good timing on getting them in the bator. I can't wait to try and hatch with a broody. Has to be better than what I have been doing! Lol

Okay...so 2 hatched and the third died while pipping!!

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I have just set 48 eggs!

 

[PD-Riverman]

With all your incubation experience...what levels of humidity do you run??? Do you find certain breeds need different levels?

My hatch rate again is disappointing...trying to find out if there's anything else I need to look at to improve it.

I personally feel that the area we live in has a some affect on how we set-up. I feel we need to find what works best for "us". I mainly hatch chicks that will be full size chickens----not alot of bantams, but I do hatch a decent amount of silkies. I hatch the silkies right with the rest of the eggs. If I start hatching alot of Other type eggs and I get a low percentage of hatch--I will start hatching them by theirself and work with the humidity/temp till I get a better hatch %.
I have real good hatches at 35 to 40% for the first 18 days and around 70% the last 3 days, BUT I did experiment with different humidity % in the beginning to find out what works good for me.(???how accurate is my humidity meter???) I will say this---I have always hatched a decent amount of chicks no matter what the humidity was(within reason), but a higher hatch percentage at the above humidity percentages.

One time---months back I was in a hurry and set up the styrofoam incubator with 28 eggs I think, on day 18 when I went to light, remove turner for lock down----I never Plugged in the turner from the beginning, but 7 eggs still hatched.

With the styrofoam incubators I do not have as good of a hatch % as with my home-made cabinet but I usually hatch around 75% of what goes into lock-down. I have had lower hatch % and higher. With the Cabinet hatcher I usually hatch about all that goes into it---as I posted a few days back in my hatcher I had one tray with 38 yellow buff eggs, hatched 38 chicks.

As I have preached so many times(alot of people have a different opinion) """"""""""I""""""""me"""" have a better hatch % by putting the eggs into Lock-Down and Leaving them alone till they all hatch or day 22 NEVER opening the Incubator For NO reason during this time. "Your Mileage may vary"" and They are your eggs---hatch them anyway you want!!!

Just for info(repeating from another post) Myself, my Mother, her step-daughter and a couple other friends had a real bad hatch percentage when we open out styrofoam incubators at will---anytime we wanted, removing a just hatched chick, helping a chick hatch, opening to add water, etc. I remember one time I hatched 1 chick out of a incubator full of eggs/30 some at lockdown. "WE" all started having real good hatch percentage when we quit opening at lock-down!! If someone on here says they can open theirs at will with a HIGH % hatch----Good, but that does not mean you will have their same luck where you live.

I personally see NO reason to open it during lock-down or to Bother a broody hen during her lock-down.

I Just Want So Bad for ALL of you To Have a Real Great hatch-----which is why I am here posting----even though I feel I am wasting my Time---alot of the time!! Good Luck to everyone!!