"Springing in the Chicks" 2016 April Hatch-a-Long Hosted by Mike & Sally

[Sally Sunshine]

 

[wabbit1964]

@Sally Sunshine Here is my updated update for the April Hatchalong

My April Hatch Statistics
Hatch #1 37 eggs at lockdown/33 hatched/27 survived first week






.
Hatch#2 had 21 friends eggs and 14 of my eggs.. temp issues throughout incubation of hers 2 hatched a day late. 1 made it to external pip and did not make it. 2 died after absorbing egg yolk and internal pipping before external pipping. The eggtopsies showed most quitters are at the end of the early beginning of middle stage. There were a that made it to lockdown and didn't make it until hatch time (had absorbed no yolk). I had trouble with the incubator with maintaining proper heat/ I suspect my humidity may have been too high as well. I started hatching in 2013 and have hatched every spring since and this is my worst hatch ever. I have 2 surviviors out of 35 eggs.




Hatch#3 lockdown 4/26 due 4/29 I am NOT using the incubator that I just used on my last hatch so maybe will have better luck like I did with hatch #1. This is my last chicken egg hatch unless I can get some somewhere, I do want to hatch some Olive Eggers this year at least but maybe I should take a break.

 

[chicken hawk 33]

I'm,worried about one of the two Silkie eggs I have in the bator on day 15

 

[chicken04]

Is it ok to take the eggs out from under the mother hen too see if you hear a chick or will that harm the chick, also will a broody hen keep sitting on eggs if a chick hatched. Please answer my silkie chicks are starting too break through their shells.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Just put 21 eggs in lockdown this morning!

By bedtime, something isn't right with the eggs!!!

It is only day 18 and one of the OEGB eggs is already pipped!!!

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Is it ok to take the eggs out from under the mother hen too see if you hear a chick or will that harm the chick, also will a broody hen keep sitting on eggs if a chick hatched. Please answer my silkie chicks are starting too break through their shells.

I would leave the hen and chicks alone. A broody will stay on the eggs for a few days without moving once the hatching has begun. Any eggs that remain (not usually any, but it happens sometime) can be popped into an incubator and slipped back under the mama hen once they are dry. Best to do that in the evening while she sleeps.

 

[jnr005]

So I took coroplast and made dividers. Only ones I mixed are the wellsummer and deleware because they should be easy enough to sort after. Anyone think there is any issue with using the separators and coffee filters? It will be day 18 tomorrow so I need to do any ajustments by end of the day then. PS I have the 1588 forced air...which seems to blow air from the lid area so I think the temps should be okay throughout...

 

[generaldsherman]

Float tested my last 3 duck eggs, quit a few days before hatch day.

Glad I saw on here to use milk jugs as waterers for ducklings. Just spotted one of my day-old ducklings climbing out of the jug waterer and shaking itself off.

 

[cree57i]

We were supposed to have company tomorrow night, a friend who likes to makes comments about my (lack of) housekeeping. But he's not coming! So I can keep my nose on the bator glass!

Maybe that friend should come over and do the housekeeping for you. That way it would be done "right".

My house looks like a poultry palace. Chick boxes, shipping supplies, chicken vitamins, meds, egg cartons...you get the picture. Just got 2 brooders off the kitchen table onto the front porch.

My husband loves me!

 

[Ur-ur-ur-urrr]

So I took coroplast and made dividers. Only ones I mixed are the wellsummer and deleware because they should be easy enough to sort after. Anyone think there is any issue with using the separators and coffee filters? It will be day 18 tomorrow so I need to do any ajustments by end of the day then. PS I have the 1588 forced air...which seems to blow air from the lid area so I think the temps should be okay throughout...

I don't see any problem using coroplast since there's space at the top of it for air to circulate. However, I do see the coffee filters causing a bit of an airflow issue which could cause some serious temp fluctuations. The plastic mesh under the filters is sufficient for hatching chicks while allowing air to circulate through it. While the filters are porous, they will greatly inhibit the circulation. I definitely would not use coffee filters. Just my 2c...