Setting up the bator and setting shipped eggs this week....anyone else wanna join?

[chickenlickin8]

I just couldn't wait to hatch out spring chicks so no time like the present! I'll call them Valentine's Day chicks! I ordered eggs on ebay....Black Australorp, Ameraucana, Lavender/Black Ameraucanas, and Welsummer! I've always done well with shipped eggs. Now just waiting for them to arrive this week and get them set in the bator. I'm so excited. I love hatching my own chicks

Setting up the bator today and let it run a few days before the eggs arrive.

 

[crazyhen]

Yippee!!! I am not alone!! Let the fun begin. Fuzzy Butts, fuzzy Butts Chanting wildly.......
Crazy Old woman running around wildly in Bath Robe, Husband thinks she is crazy, Woman knows she is and doesn't care

LOL Old women are dangerous.

Gloria Jean

 

[noahsmom]

I'm not hatching any eggs, so sorry to hijack but I find this thread so exciting!!
I will be getting some silkie and rir eggs this spring and I'm learning a lot just reading through this thread! I'm also really enjoying it!
I'm new to chickens so I'm really wanting the "whole" experience and I think hatching eggs is a part of it.
I hope you all have success with all of your eggs! Looking forward to keeping up with the thread and seeing the chickies!

Ok... That is all... Please continue!

 

[delisha]

I have a few suggestions for newer hatches and shipped eggs.

Plug in your incubator 48 hours before arrival. Get your temp steady. If that room has to much activity and unstable temps..move the bator to something like a closet or small room. Do not put eggs in until you have steady temps for 12 hours. As far as humidity..each environment is different. All I can suggest is adjust your humidity in the incubator according to your outside humidity. If your house humidity is between 30-50% I suggest dry hatching till day 18. If your house humidity is lower you will need to add a damp paper towel.

When the eggs arrive, wash and sanitize you hands..never handle eggs with out sanitizing.
gently remove them from the wrapping and container and place them in egg cartons with the pointy end down. Let them rest with out touching for 24 hours.

After 24 hours take the eggs in a dark room and candle. Mark the air cells with pencil and make note of it in a notebook what eggs have good air cells and what ones do not. Most shipped eggs are marked. If your eggs are not... number the eggs on the fat end with a pencil.

Place them in the incubator pointy end down and leave them and the thermometer alone for 24 hours.You can just set the egg cartons in if you hand turn. No turning for 24 hours. The temp will fluctuate..leave it be. It takes a while for the eggs to get to temp. If you turn it up, it will get to hot after 24 hours. If after 24 hours the temp is low, place a towel on the back side covering the air holes. Check the temp after 8 hours.If it is too hot, remove a plug. The key is to not turn the knob. If your incubator is steady and in a good room, you will have a good hatch.

Turn on your turner or start hand turning after all your air cells have attached.
If you are using the egg cartons all you need to do is invert something like a pie plate and put on end of the carton on it. Just put the other end on the plate for every turn. Better for sanitation and less loss from infections with less handling.



The picture of the egg on day 7 was from here. I did not take that picture

 

[delisha]

sponges work..or wet paper towels..I do not worry about humidity unless I have large air cells. I have normal high humidity with out adding moisture. I think I will be loosing many to drowning. Tiny air cells with no water added at all. Tons of moisture in the egg.

 

[fishermans wife]

I have one silkie zipping..

Nothing else going on..

Great news!!! Maybe it will chirp the other ones out of their shells!!

 

[delisha]

Only one silkie out..only one more piped..my temps keep dropping..and humidity is way up.this is taking a long time..my temps must have been lower than registered. I bet I do not have more until later tomorrow...We got hit with a good foot of snow. That has a lot to do with humidity spikes too.

 

[mlmills79]

Finally had one pip last night! Several others are rocking and cheeping, i have spent a lot of time staring at eggs the last two days!

 

[chickenlickin8]

I have one late hatcher pipping right now...a Lavender Orp! That should be the last one for a total of 27 hatched once that one is out. Maybe I will be able to get a full night sleep tonight and not wake up every couple of hours checking for pipping and zipping.....LOL! My new addiction is brooder watching now....all those cute little fuzzy butt!! It's madness!

 

[chickenlickin8]

We got hit really bad with the snow storm..lost power.I wrapped the incubator really well.over 13 inches of snow..I am pretty sure the eggs are toast..I candled tonight and I do have some slight activity..I have one silkie that is still alive..but 8 are gone...:depressing..I should have left them in the incubator. I was afraid of them smothering.

Vicki - I'm soooo sorry to hear about that. Cyber hugs coming your way! That storm effected so many people. It looked bad on TV. How are the orp babies? I know you will incubate again and have a great hatch!

SOOOOO happy, the little chick is drinking on it's own. I scared it when I yelled as it took a drink of water all by itself. I don't remember being this worried over my human kids when the were little....

YAY!! Glad the chick is doing so well now. Any other activity?

Hello All,

I have read this thread from start to finish and it's better than ANY book I've ever read! I was right there with you all in the excitement and anticipation! From ordering eggs to broody hens and having eggs delivered to first pips.....makes me want to buy or make an incubator and participate too.....I, however, can only have just a few hens and no roosters where I live, so I was thinking on buying pullets from my local feed store.

In the process of getting my coop and pen together, my hens will be under supervised free range.

I am kind of confused about incubators though....still air vs circulated air, humidity levels, pipping.....it is like giving birth all over again!! And then there's the expense of purchasing everything you need for a homemade incubator vs purchasing one. The whole humidity thing has me nervous. I live in Colorado where it's usually dry as a bone. We just got more snow (further hindering coop building).....

So should I or shouldn't I? I work out of my home so leaving incubating eggs is not a problem. I kind of like that incubator Gloria Jean is using.....input please.....anyone?

Pat, the "chook chick" from Colorado Springs, Colorado

Welcome! Thank you so much for read our thread. Join in and hatch when you are ready! I feel we were and are still all in it together and what an amazing experience it is...with highs and lows.

We all hatch a little different but I use a Little Giant Incubator. This was my 4th hatch and I found this to be my best hatch yet. I did still air with an egg turner. I kept the humidity around 50% til lockdown (Day 18) and slowly raised it to 60% for hatch day (Day 20 & 21) using a wet sponge in the corner. During the incubating period I didn't handle my eggs much, only twice (Day 7 & Day 10) to random candle for veining and signs of life growing. I candle again on Day 18 as I put the eggs in lockdown....clear eggs I toss at that point. Which I had 6 out of 41 eggs.

You will learn alot through trail and error, plus find alot of great advice and experience on this site. Also, you meet so many nice people from around the country at share a love for chickens as you and I do. I love it here and you will too!!

Good luck with finishing your coop and then getting or hatching chicks. Keep us updated. BYC is loaded with answers to all your questions. So many topics and threads to learn from.