Topic of the Week - Hatching Eggs

[AmyLynn2374]

I am me new hatching eggs because I recently got interested into doing so. What if the chicks hatch whilst I'm out during the day? I'm concerned about this because if the chickens hatch and are in the incubator still, will it harm them? Do I have to take the eggs out at a certain time or day and place them under a heating lamp? Please help I really want to succeed on this!

*Edited by staff*

Hi!

They are ok in the incubator for a while. Some people don't even take them out until the hatch is done. A good share of people wait until they are dry and move them. I move mine as they become active in the incubator. I won't leave a strong healthy chick in the incubator more than 12 hours. I believe that chicks should have access to water within the first 24 hours to rehydrate. So it all comes down to a personal decision. I'm going to give you a couple links that may help you along in your journey, or future journey's into incubating.
http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity
http://hatching411.weebly.com/

 

[lhodg1]

Great thread!!
My daughter and I started hatching chicks several years ago. We started out with a small 3 egg incubator and then tried our luck with the larger models. I ordered eggs from hatcheries, unfortunately our hatch rates were only about 5% (2-3 out of 50 eggs hatched). I thought maybe it was the incubator and decided to invest in an R-com pro 20, still without success. A friend asked us to hatch eggs from chickens we gave him last year. I decided to set them in our Farm Innovators Digital Circulated Air Incubator and woooohoooo, 25/32 hatched!!!

I've read that mail order eggs can be problematic, and I had ordered them during December as a Christmas gift, which is probably why so few hatched. It was so exciting to see our efforts finally pay off, fo hear the first peeps, see them breakout and start cheeping to their mates!! We also learned you don't have to spend a lot of money on an incubator (the hard way)!!! I just set a new batch this morning in our trusty Farm Innovators bator

. We've learned so much from BYC!! We've relied on your friendly advice and support to manage incubating through an ice storm, power outage, slow hatchers, and lame chicks. BYC taught my daughter Josie how to make a splint for a chick with a hock joint deformity. Thank you so much!!!! Happy Hatching!!!
Lisa

 

[guinealeghorn]

I've never hatched my own eggs, but would love to try. I just want to save this thread.

 

[LeeRoadPoultry]

I started duck eggs a week ago. Candled some today and they all appear to be clear? Humidity is around 40-50% and fertility shouldn't be an issue. Should I wait and candle again? Or open some up?

 

[wabbit1964]

I started duck eggs a week ago. Candled some today and they all appear to be clear? Humidity is around 40-50% and fertility shouldn't be an issue. Should I wait and candle again? Or open some up?

Were these shipped eggs? Has it been a full 7 days? I would look very carefully there may be the beginnings of the veining there. Also you mentioned humidity what about temp? I know when my incubators run a few degrees low it makes my development behind schedule. Don't give up yet. I'd wait till at least 14 days as long as you don't smell anything funky.

 

[wabbit1964]

I've never hatched my own eggs, but would love to try. I just want to save this thread.

you can hit the subscribe button at the top and it will keep it under your subscriptions for future viewing.

 

[wabbit1964]

I forgot how many years we had been hatching so I had to go back and find my little blog I did on here when I joined https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wabbit1964-harmony-hen-house.. So we got our first chickens in 2012 and started hatching in 2013. When they joke about chicken math and hatching being addicting it is true.4 years later and I still feel awful when I have eggs that are quitters or chicks that don't make it.

 

[abbysilkys]

Is that an internal pip for sure?

 

[casportpony]

I started duck eggs a week ago. Candled some today and they all appear to be clear? Humidity is around 40-50% and fertility shouldn't be an issue. Should I wait and candle again? Or open some up?

I'd wait a few more days just to be sure.

 

[LeeRoadPoultry]

I've been watching about temp and humidity. I'll wait a couple days