December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[FoxholeFarm]

Any advice for first time dry hatch? I'm so anxious about it! I am hatching bantam cochin eggs that were shipped and I remember reading somewhere that dry hatching can improve hatch rates for eggs with detached cells. I also have the in a carton with the air cell up because of the detached cells in 6 out of 14 eggs. I dont have a hydrometer so I have no idea about my humidity but my thermometer reads 99.5.

Any advice is welcome!!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Well I guess I miscounted and they went on lockdown a day late cause today would be day 20 for the 11/27. There are 4 of them that r out now and a few others are peeping. My problem has been the humidity being too high. Right now I have to keep taking the plugs in and out because the humidity is getting to 90-100%.
yep all of the dates get a different incubator

I feel you should be controlling the humidity by the amount of surface water you have in the incubator----not pulling and replacing the plugs. I leave one of the plugs out at all times so there can be a good change of air. I personally have never run a incubator with the vents closed---even my cabinet incubator has 2 1" holes that stay open all the time. BUT these "newer" styrofoam incubators do say to leave the plugs in until they hatch and they also have several small holes in the lid that stay open all the time that My older styrofoam ones did not have.

Are you setting a incubator full on each date?? If you are only setting a few you can do as I do to save electricity and time----I set eggs every 7 days, then on their 18th day I move them to another incubator that I plugged in the day before, it is set-up for a higher humidity/no turner---when they hatch, I move them to a brooder and clean up the incubator--getting it ready for the next batch---always setting it up the day before its needed. My Big cabinet has been running 24/7 for months(about 6 months).
Good Luck

 

[Purpletie3]

no one in my house seems to understand how frustrated I am lol so I had planned to put 2 batches of shipped eggs in my cooler bator and fill my new bator with mixes for a tea hatch. and lock down everything in the new bator cause its easiest to keep the humidity up in. so today I noticed something didn't look right with my new incubator..the top of the display wasn't showing up. so I told my dad and he said he'd contact the seller. no problem. I figured I could rig up my old cooler bator and get it working. cleaned it and calibrated the thermostat and couldn't figure out why the temps were so high...apparently the fan was broken. about this same time the power cord on the new incubator starts coming out too..seriously I am so stressed right now. I know my shipped eggs can go in the cooler bator no problem (still worried about lockdown but I can only do my best). But I had already promised a friend to set a batch of mixed eggs and I have about 3 dozen saved up. I really didn't want to have to disappoint her.


ok done venting now

Vent away...I would be super stressed too and probably run to tractor supply for one of their little still air models...and knowing my luck they would be all out! I am so sorry this is happening during your hatch....Good luck with this and let us now how you make out!

 

[Purpletie3]

Well I guess I miscounted and they went on lockdown a day late cause today would be day 20 for the 11/27. There are 4 of them that r out now and a few others are peeping. My problem has been the humidity being too high. Right now I have to keep taking the plugs in and out because the humidity is getting to 90-100%.
yep all of the dates get a different incubator

I poked some extra holes in my hovabator once when the humidity spiked during hatch...covered them with duct tape. Not sure what you are working with for a incubator.

 

[Debs55]

If you were close to me I would loan you a Incubator---or hatch them for you--no charge---Sorry about the problems!!

Thank you that is so sweet! Im working on a solution right now lol

 

[Debs55]

Vent away...I would be super stressed too and probably run to tractor supply for one of their little still air models...and knowing my luck they would be all out! I am so sorry this is happening during your hatch....Good luck with this and let us now how you make out!

lol that would be my luck too. gonna try to find another computer ran today so I can get the mixed eggs in one of the cooler gators. That just means lots of hand turning for me lol. My first set of shipped eggs came today (cochins) and are already warming up in the cooler bator. the second order (silkies) should be here tomorrow or saturday. I wasn't trying to do a staggered hatch but looks like thats how it is gonna go. My dad took a look at my new incubator and deemed it unfixable so he is trying to contact the seller. Maybe it will still be back in time for me to lock down everything at once

 

[ftpagain]

I feel you should be controlling the humidity by the amount of surface water you have in the incubator----not pulling and replacing the plugs. I leave one of the plugs out at all times so there can be a good change of air. I personally have never run a incubator with the vents closed---even my cabinet incubator has 2 1" holes that stay open all the time. BUT these "newer" styrofoam incubators do say to leave the plugs in until they hatch and they also have several small holes in the lid that stay open all the time that My older styrofoam ones did not have.

Are you setting a incubator full on each date?? If you are only setting a few you can do as I do to save electricity and time----I set eggs every 7 days, then on their 18th day I move them to another incubator that I plugged in the day before, it is set-up for a higher humidity/no turner---when they hatch, I move them to a brooder and clean up the incubator--getting it ready for the next batch---always setting it up the day before its needed. My Big cabinet has been running 24/7 for months(about 6 months).
Good Luck

I set them up for about 35 eggs. And I kind of did the same thing. With swithching them to another incubator for hatching but miscounted by one day this time so it might not work out and I'll justleave it all the way it is.

Sad news. :'( I have a defective chick hatched. I don't know what it is but she is just laying in one side and can't get up. The rest are looking alright at this point. Couldn't tell how many are out but I'd guess around a half.

 

[ochochicas]

Any advice for first time dry hatch? I'm so anxious about it! I am hatching bantam cochin eggs that were shipped and I remember reading somewhere that dry hatching can improve hatch rates for eggs with detached cells. I also have the in a carton with the air cell up because of the detached cells in 6 out of 14 eggs. I dont have a hydrometer so I have no idea about my humidity but my thermometer reads 99.5.

Any advice is welcome!!

My advice for any kind of incubation (dry or traditional) is to weigh your eggs. They should lose close to 13% of their weight by day 18. This comes out to approximately 4% loss per week. If at the end of the first week your eggs have lost too much weight, you need to increase the humidity. If they have not lost enough, then the humidity should be decreased for the following week.

Of course this is not an exact science. By day 16 my eggs lose anywhere from 8% - 12%. They all hatch just fine. If you are doing a dry hatch, weigh the eggs to make sure they are not ahead of schedule on the weight loss. If you are losing too much weight you'll need to add some water for the rest of the hatch.

 

[LindaB220]

Any advice for first time dry hatch? I'm so anxious about it! I am hatching bantam cochin eggs that were shipped and I remember reading somewhere that dry hatching can improve hatch rates for eggs with detached cells. I also have the in a carton with the air cell up because of the detached cells in 6 out of 14 eggs. I dont have a hydrometer so I have no idea about my humidity but my thermometer reads 99.5.

Any advice is welcome!!

Go pick you up a cheap hydydometer. It will pay in the long run. PetSmart. or Amazon

 

[Purpletie3]

I set them up for about 35 eggs. And I kind of did the same thing. With swithching them to another incubator for hatching but miscounted by one day this time so it might not work out and I'll justleave it all the way it is.

Sad news. :'( I have a defective chick hatched. I don't know what it is but she is just laying in one side and can't get up. The rest are looking alright at this point. Couldn't tell how many are out but I'd guess around a half.

Congrats on your hatch...hope the little guy on his side rallies!