Incubators Anonymous

[DwayneNLiz]

My final four are in lockdown. Due tomorrow, which usually means there should be pips today, but nothing so far.

c'mon lil eggies!!

 

[R2elk]

Don't you know they must be candled twice daily and air holes of no less than 1/2 inch diameter need to be put in the shells in order to get anything to hatch??

I know that you say this in jest but I have had better hatches (at altitude) on shipped Cream Legbar eggs by making a pin sized hole through the shell into the air sac at lockdown. By better, I mean that I got 3 eggs out of a dozen to hatch instead of the usual zero hatch.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I have 10 in lockdown with one hatched last night and one this morn.... not bad for shipped eggs! oh we have 2 external pips this morn

 

[BantyChooks]

I know that you say this in jest but I have had better hatches (at altitude) on shipped Cream Legbar eggs by making a pin sized hole through the shell into the air sac at lockdown. By better, I mean that I got 3 eggs out of a dozen to hatch instead of the usual zero hatch.

Quite interesting.

It's also a pretty common procedure when hatching close to show quality calls. With them you're gonna have to assist anyway, so best to start it early and have the duck be able to breathe.

Of course, I'm sure Ralphie disagrees vehemently on the topic of dux breathing.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I know that you say this in jest but I have had better hatches (at altitude) on shipped Cream Legbar eggs by making a pin sized hole through the shell into the air sac at lockdown. By better, I mean that I got 3 eggs out of a dozen to hatch instead of the usual zero hatch.

this is my first set of shipped eggs, but with the bad hatches I had of my own eggs I decided to go with a higher humidity for everything and so far it seems to have payed off. I am right at 6000 feet and the batch I just finished was my own backyard mutts, I went into lock down with 18 eggs 14 hatched, now one was a scissor beak with only one eye and the last one didn't absorb its yolk and died but still much better than my last hatch of 2 out of 22 going into lockdown. So far out of shipped Bielefelder eggs I have 2 babies running around the brooder and there was at least one more external pip when I left the house this morn. All the reading I have done so far has said that shipped eggs are hard. we will see what my final numbers are before I get too excited lol

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I have ayam cemani on lockdown now, due to hatch tomorrow. I had planned to sit down my incubator after this hatch but loo and behold, my oldest CX hen had started laying. All of those eggs will go in lol

 

[aliciaplus3]

I have ayam cemani on lockdown now, due to hatch tomorrow. I had planned to sit down my incubator after this hatch but loo and behold, my oldest CX hen had started laying. All of those eggs will go in lol

My husband keeps thinking I am going to shut mine off..... for a while and I keep finding a reason why I can't just yet. because I didn't get very many to hatch and we don't have enough layers, because we don't have any of this breed of chicken( bielefelder) and won't they be amazing? because I need to see if crossing this turken rooster with that dark Cornish hen will make a good eating rooster. because if I set any later they will be in the house forever> Colorado Winters. lol

 

[Finnie]

c'mon lil eggies!!

I got a PIP!!

this is my first set of shipped eggs, but with the bad hatches I had of my own eggs I decided to go with a higher humidity for everything and so far it seems to have payed off. I am right at 6000 feet and the batch I just finished was my own backyard mutts, I went into lock down with 18 eggs 14 hatched, now one was a scissor beak with only one eye and the last one didn't absorb its yolk and died but still much better than my last hatch of 2 out of 22 going into lockdown. So far out of shipped Bielefelder eggs I have 2 babies running around the brooder and there was at least one more external pip when I left the house this morn. All the reading I have done so far has said that shipped eggs are hard. we will see what my final numbers are before I get too excited lol

Fingers crossed for you!

My husband put his foot down. No more brooding in the garage. (Can't blame him- they make a mess and he has nowhere to work on his stuff.) So after these four, I'm quitting. Next year I'll have to figure out brooding out in the coop. I was supposed to do that this year but the coop wasn't (still isn't) finished.

I'm hoping I can sneak any of these four that hatch under my broody Langshan who only has the one that hatched last week. I hope she can't count!

 

[aliciaplus3]

I got a PIP!!

Fingers crossed for you!

My husband put his foot down. No more brooding in the garage. (Can't blame him- they make a mess and he has nowhere to work on his stuff.) So after these four, I'm quitting. Next year I'll have to figure out brooding out in the coop. I was supposed to do that this year but the coop wasn't (still isn't) finished.

I'm hoping I can sneak any of these four that hatch under my broody Langshan who only has the one that hatched last week. I hope she can't count!

my last broody is happily chasing 5 babies even though she only hatched 1 ..... and the other 4 were 4 days older.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I think I have another hen (white leghorn) going broody, I am thinking about letting her keep a few eggs..... except my last broody is still in the dog crate I use for a broody suite. I think this is the same WL that sat for 23 days on eggs even though none hatched. I think part of that is the fact that she chose to sit in the middle of july and my chicken house was a little too warm.