Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[joni1986]

Very cute. Now that I know it can work I'm gonna try this soon. I want to hatch some babies sooo bad!!!

 

[theawesomechick]

Introducing...HOOTIE!

How precious! Oh, he has got to be the single most cutest chick I have ever seen! (Other than my own chicks, of course.

You know how it is with being chick mommas...)

 

[foxvalleyfarm]

Very cute. Now that I know it can work I'm gonna try this soon. I want to hatch some babies sooo bad!!!

Good luck just make sure you don't let the plastic bag cover most of the box. And let it run for a bit to get used to what setting keeps the temps where they should be

 

[theawesomechick]

I was inspired by this thread to make use of our heating pad and brood my chicks without a glaring bulb! My chicks are six weeks old, and they just moved into the coop. I have a heating pad set up. I just put it on the floor, which is covered in sand, and covered it with hay. The chicks just lay on top of it. I know that six week old chicks should be old enough to live with the cold, but the coldest they've been in so far is 60 degree temps, and outside temps are 45 degrees. I fell a bit nervous about the fifteen degree drop.

 

[Beekissed]

I have my heating pad brooder all set up in the coop, waiting for these chicks. With any luck I'll add some meat chicks to them on Monday and they can all brood together. Temps are supposed to drop here to the 20s at night and 40s in the day, so it will sure test this brooder heating pad setup.

 

[Beekissed]

Okay...here's the situation. Earlier in the day I could hear chicks peeping in those other eggs but now, no more. I candled them and can no longer see any air cells on either one but neither has an external pip. Normal? Leave it alone? Or open a hole on the big end? No peeps can be heard from them any longer, not with tapping or making hen sounds...are they dead, you think?

 

[subhanalah]

If you're opening up the nest anyway, I'd say you should candle. See what's going on? I'm a helper though, do you want to assist the hatch?

 

[theawesomechick]

Yes, assist the hatch if needed. You worked so hard to bring the little guys into the world, don't let it end when you're sooo close!

 

[perchie.girl]

Hootie is a Cutie Patootie..... Congratulations.

Leave those eggs on lockdown to keep the humidity up.

When I hatched Guinea Keets they would pip and zip and sPRoiing out of the egg. flipping and flopping about in the incubator till they figured out how to get their feed under them.... It took two days for the three of them to hatch. I left them all there not wanting to open that incubator. Guinea eggs are very very hard and tough.

Remember in their gut they have enough food and water from stored egg yolk to last them three days without any thing to eat and drink.

deb

 

[Beekissed]

I can't really keep up too much humidity now because I have a dry little chick in the nest still, so the moisture in the soil is going to have to suffice.