Set eggs 3/5. Looking for others to hatch with!

[wholewheatchicken]

your a blonde right?

I truly am. We would keep each other rolling, I'm sure.....not that I think you're a blond.....you're just funny.
Please help me, Mohillbilly. My question/problem is this: My temps were holding steady in the hatching bator and then the first chicks started to hatch and the humidity went from 60% to 65-ish%. Yesterday my temps dropped from 99 - 100 to 95 - 97. Today as more chicks are hatching it is 93 - 95 with the humidity remaining 65%. One newly hatched chick looked like it was shivering a bit. I don't know if it's cold, but am worried about the temps. I have four pips so there is nothing to do at this point, but for the future what is going on? And I'm going to jump out on a limb here and guess it's my less-than-state-of-the-art thermometer that is not able to hold my temps at the set point as the environment is changing so the way to fix it is go get myself a heating element and thermostat from Cutler's? Or go straight to the source and have you send me one inside of the incubator???? See, I think I'm learning. Am listening intently!!!!!!!!!
I thought I would post my question here so others could see the Q&A. I will PM you and let you know it's here.

 

[mohillbilly]

I truly am. We would keep each other rolling, I'm sure.....not that I think you're a blond.....you're just funny.
Please help me, Mohillbilly. My question/problem is this: My temps were holding steady in the hatching bator and then the first chicks started to hatch and the humidity went from 60% to 65-ish%. Yesterday my temps dropped from 99 - 100 to 95 - 97. Today as more chicks are hatching it is 93 - 95 with the humidity remaining 65%. One newly hatched chick looked like it was shivering a bit. I don't know if it's cold, but am worried about the temps. I have four pips so there is nothing to do at this point, but for the future what is going on? And I'm going to jump out on a limb here and guess it's my less-than-state-of-the-art thermometer that is not able to hold my temps at the set point as the environment is changing so the way to fix it is go get myself a heating element and thermostat from Cutler's? Or go straight to the source and have you send me one inside of the incubator???? See, I think I'm learning. Am listening intently!!!!!!!!!
I thought I would post my question here so others could see the Q&A. I will PM you and let you know it's here.

It sounds like you have figured your problem out light bulbs cant keep up with the hatch once they are done your temp should come back up temp drop during hatch is normal but you need a better element and thermostat to bring it backup fast....It is usually wise to go to the source that being me and get your incubator to start with.

No i am not blonde yet
as to being funny the last time I was on stage they didnt think I was so funny....HMMMM may have been because I was telling gay jokes in a gay night club (didn't know till I got on their stage)

 

[wholewheatchicken]

It sounds like you have figured your problem out light bulbs cant keep up with the hatch once they are done your temp should come back up temp drop during hatch is normal but you need a better element and thermostat to bring it backup fast....It is usually wise to go to the source that being me and get your incubator to start with.

No i am not blonde yet

You were fast. I should have looked to see if you answered before I PM'd.
That's what I thought. I am hopeful it will hold out well enough to get these little ones through to the end. Getting close to the end here. I do notice every time the lightbulbs come on the chicks scramble to get over there underneath them so it is obvious they need a better heat source.
Thank you

 

[JulieNKC]

I have 3 chicks out, 2 more pipped. That leaves 6 eggs left to do something.
My turkey eggs are over halfway done cooking, and I just got a dozen call eggs today.

My sizzle roo has started crowing and trying to get with the girls, now I just need to break a silkie broody so I can hatch some sizzles next.

 

[dixie&trixie]

Yes, she has 3 EExBCM eggs under her. I just candled them and I could see nothing but an air cell. What does that mean? I dont hear any peeping, or see any movement. I am going to leave them alone for another couple days. The anticipation is killing me!!!!

My experience is it will depend on your broody. Aren't there still a few eggs under her that you're not sure about? If there are eggs, leave them under her. If you know when she started sitting, it will be about 21 days or so. If you don't know, it's a guessing game. Are you able to buy a better light to candle with so you can see if there is development if there are eggs?
I have had two broodies who just wouldn't give up until they got a baby. My Maggie sat from December 14th of last year to February 2nd to get her own babies and she wasn't negotiating it. She took care of those babies for about seven weeks before she gave them up. She's in the barn right now and I think she is waiting to steal a chick from one of the other girls. My toolbox Earleen sat for six weeks on top of the toolbox and she moved to a nest over the weekend and I gave her another hen's egg so she can hatch it and get up. Sometimes you can break them pretty easy and other times they have made up their mind they want babies under them.
You can collect eggs and store them. Make sure you mark a date on them so when the time comes you pick the most fresh eggs you have. If you know who laid them, that is helpful to mark that on the egg too so you can see who makes what color of chicks. Use a pencil. I have noticed under the broody it might fade off and you have to touch it up on occassion. Keep them in a cool area that has some humidity to it and turn them.

 

[JulieNKC]

First 3 EE chicks, all nice and fluffy.

 

[dixie&trixie]

So adorable!! I hope mine hatch out.

 

[CALI CHICK]

Just an update on my 5 EE's in lockdown. They are on Day 19.

The wait is so looooooong and nervewracking!

I'm using a cut-down egg carton, with airholes in the bottom and sides for air circulation. (I'll try to take a picture) I don't know if I like them yet or not? (If they all hatch....of course, I'll love them!) I've been reaching in quickly to sort of rotate the eggs, but I won't do this closer to Friday, in case they pip. It's probably good that the eggs are at a more consistant level (thus temperature) than they would be if I had laid they down. All the chicks looked active and veins were visible when I candled on Day 17. I didn't bother to candle again before moving them into the hatching incubator.

The hatching incubator is a still air which makes finding the average temperature a little more challenging. I have a probe at egg-top level which goes up and down to the tenth degree. It is averaging about 101.9. The 2 tilted floor thermometers (one digital, one old school) are registering about 97. The average of those temperatures is about 99 degrees.

Perhaps I should bump up the temperature, but I'm hoping a little cooler is better than TOO hot? So many variables.

Humidity is showing 70% on the digital (which was calibrated with the salt method a month ago) and showing about 60% on the old school coil one. I'm not seeing any condensation on the windows like I did for the last hatch when I had it up to 75%. I'll add more water if it goes down and maybe try to get it higher on Friday? But I'm not sure if I need to. Maybe it's OK where it's at?

I'm so excited for these babies. I might need to set up another brooder. The plan was to move the silkie chicks outside to their coop with a heatlamp. But, it's kind of cool and it's been raining all week so the silkies are still taking up the container space. The silkies are 4 weeks old and 5 weeks old and 'no' they don't have all their real feathering yet. Do ya'll think they'd be OK outside with a heat light? Below is a picture of the doghouse that I converted. First it was for the rabbit, but I decided to use it for a silkie coop instead. I have thick plastic over the screens to keep it warmer. When they are older, I'll cut a "door" in the other side with a ramp and also want to add ventilation holes near the roof. Then I plan to build an enclosed and covered pen just for the silkies.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Yes, she has 3 EExBCM eggs under her. I just candled them and I could see nothing but an air cell. What does that mean? I dont hear any peeping, or see any movement. I am going to leave them alone for another couple days. The anticipation is killing me!!!!

How long have they been under her....careful, it's the anticipation that potentially kills the babies!

 

[dixie&trixie]

Is anyone out there selling an incubator? Ive got the itch now and would like to give this another go. I have more fertile eggs I would like to make use of. Please PM if you can help me out!!