The Ameraucana Thread: Where everything and anything about the breed can be discussed (APA, Non-Stan

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
I have a Sportsman 1502 with the supplemental reservoir on top so the water pan never runs dry. The humidity stays between 45-47 and I never mess with it. I transfer the eggs from the turner trays to the hatching tray in the bottom two days before the hatch making sure to keep the incubator door shut as much as possible and the eggs out of the incubator as little as possible.

I'm usually hatching anywhere from a dozen to three dozen eggs at a time. When the eggs hatch the humidity automatically rises due to the moisture in the shells and on the chicks. If I remember right the humidity gets to about 52-55 during the hatch.

The ONLY time I mess with the humidity is when I have to open the incubator to pull out chicks from the hatching tray due to over crowding. Because I often have several breeding pens going at once, I have to separate the eggs in hatching tray so I can toe-punch accordingly. I had a separator built for just this. Sometimes due to the number of eggs in a divider, I have to pull chicks out in order to allow room for the other eggs to hatch. When that happens, I will spray the eggs down with water and add the humidifier pad to the water pad to prevent the membranes from sticking to the chicks and preventing them from getting out.

God Bless,

 

[Outrun Acres]

I have a Sportsman 1502 with the supplemental reservoir on top so the water pan never runs dry. The humidity stays between 45-47 and I never mess with it. I transfer the eggs from the turner trays to the hatching tray in the bottom two days before the hatch making sure to keep the incubator door shut as much as possible and the eggs out of the incubator as little as possible.

I'm usually hatching anywhere from a dozen to three dozen eggs at a time. When the eggs hatch the humidity automatically rises due to the moisture in the shells and on the chicks. If I remember right the humidity gets to about 52-55 during the hatch.

The ONLY time I mess with the humidity is when I have to open the incubator to pull out chicks from the hatching tray duI e to over crowding. Because I often have several breeding pens going at once, I have to separate the eggs in hatching tray so I can toe-punch accordingly. I had a separator built for just this. Sometimes due to the number of eggs in a divider, I have to pull chicks out in order to allow room for the other eggs to hatch. When that happens, I will spray the eggs down with water and add the humidifier pad to the water pad to prevent the membranes from sticking to the chicks and preventing them from getting out.

God Bless,

Wow, the Sportsman sounds like a neat incubator. I am glad to hear that most people use humidity lower than 60% during hatch. It makes sense now. I couldn't believe how much the humidity would rise while eggs were hatching. It also explains why I had trouble getting humidity above 60% in my incubator. It's not supposed to be higher than that! No wonder I had wet sticky chicks last time!

What did you use to make your divider? Does anyone use cages or boxes? I need to make something to slit up some of my eggs for hatch.

 

[jerryse]

I have a Sportsman 1502 with the supplemental reservoir on top so the water pan never runs dry. The humidity stays between 45-47 and I never mess with it. I transfer the eggs from the turner trays to the hatching tray in the bottom two days before the hatch making sure to keep the incubator door shut as much as possible and the eggs out of the incubator as little as possible.

I'm usually hatching anywhere from a dozen to three dozen eggs at a time. When the eggs hatch the humidity automatically rises due to the moisture in the shells and on the chicks. If I remember right the humidity gets to about 52-55 during the hatch.

The ONLY time I mess with the humidity is when I have to open the incubator to pull out chicks from the hatching tray due to over crowding. Because I often have several breeding pens going at once, I have to separate the eggs in hatching tray so I can toe-punch accordingly. I had a separator built for just this. Sometimes due to the number of eggs in a divider, I have to pull chicks out in order to allow room for the other eggs to hatch. When that happens, I will spray the eggs down with water and add the humidifier pad to the water pad to prevent the membranes from sticking to the chicks and preventing them from getting out.

God Bless,

X2 I keep the paper humidity pad in the humidity tray all the time.

 

[Tailfeathers]

I have a friend of mine from church that owns a sheet metal business and he made the divider for me. It's sort of hard to explain but I'll try. Picture those cardboard dividers that come in boxes like, for example, wine bottles. It's sort of an accordion like thing. If you know what I'm talking about the cardboard dividers fold up flat and when expanded they make individual squares.

For my divider there are two longer sheet metal pieces that fit length-wise down the hatching tray to divide the hatching tray into thirds length-wise. The two long pieces have slits cut from top to bottom to within 1/8 - 1/4" of the bottom and the slits are spaced evenly down the two long pieces. Then there are several pieces of sheet metal cut to the width of the hatching tray. Each of these have two slits to equal the spacing for the two longer pieces. The slits on the wider pieces then slide down into the longer pieces forming the individual boxes if you will.

Anyone who's interested and can't visualize the above can email me and I can send them a jpg pic of it.

God Bless,

 

[Outrun Acres]

What does everyone use to identify their chicks after they hatch? I have heard of people using different color zip ties when they are little. Does anyone have any suggestions on what method has worked best for them?

 

[ChickNmamma]

What does everyone use to identify their chicks after they hatch? I have heard of people using different color zip ties when they are little. Does anyone have any suggestions on what method has worked best for them?

With any solid band you will have to change it as they grow, and they do grow quickly.

I hadn't marked them before - but I wanted to see if feather sexing would work on my new AM chicks, so I took what I had on hand. I made spiral anklets out of plastic coated paperclips and put them on. I made them loose - but they were tight in about one week. I made some more - super loose - and those were tight in a week too. I then put some purchased number bands on at 4 weeks (7), if they get tight I have the size 9.

I hear some people use vet wrap because it stretches, but I didn't have any of that - and I did have my round nose pliers and some paperclips.

 

[salt and pepper]

I just got three ameraucana chicks!!!! One is a beautiful lavender =) Question, they all (except one) hatched yesterday. Is a green/brown poop normal? Thanks!

 

[my sunwolf]

I just got three ameraucana chicks!!!! One is a beautiful lavender =) Question, they all (except one) hatched yesterday. Is a green/brown poop normal? Thanks!

Green is definitely normal for the first day or so. Congrats!!

 

[salt and pepper]

Thank you! I also got three black copper marans, four buff orpingtons, and two rhode island reds. I know have 18 chicks in my house

I also thought it might have been caused by the stress of being moved. They are soooo cute!

 

[Outrun Acres]

I just got three ameraucana chicks!!!! One is a beautiful lavender =) Question, they all (except one) hatched yesterday. Is a green/brown poop normal? Thanks!

Yay very exciting! Lavenders are so pretty. I am going to candle my day 7 eggs tomorrow. Hoping they are fertile and developing! I also think the poop is normal if it is that color.