4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Blarneyeggs]

Speaking of speaking gibberish, I think I'm ready for a nightcap, LOL.  When It's chilly, I like a drink (but not when it's hot out!)  So off I go.  Next time you hear from me, it'll be in gibberish

you need to be cold for a nightcap? I just need to be awake.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quote:

 

[Sahwithchicks]

Speaking of speaking gibberish, I think I'm ready for a nightcap, LOL.  When It's chilly, I like a drink (but not when it's hot out!)  So off I go.  Next time you hear from me, it'll be in gibberish

you need to be cold for a nightcap? I just need to be awake.

^^ HA!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Help me, I am a hatching addict and cant stop setting new eggs! (just set chocolate orp) along with a rack of duck and more goose

 

[BHep]

morning all ........... bunch of over achieving eggs over here ................ lots of internal pips and peeping going on(ducks). Had to sort load hatching trays and up the humidity early. Need to finish setting up the chicken dividers and be ready to sort them for hatching.

DID I MISS LOCK DOWN ??? !!

 

[Brookhavens]

From my readings, when this happens, a lot of people find that their thermometer wasn't working properly, even if it had been working properly before. I used a medical thermometer inserted into a small baggie of water to simulate an egg (ziplock type, double bagged, wrapped around the thermometer) to check my digital thermometers. Also, if your eggs were shipped, well... this was a really lousy time to have eggs shipped (but this fun was well worth it!) Anyway, my machine has been pretty steady, and my eggs almost all either didn't develop or quit on me, and I think that was due to the postal system which is pretty rough!

What a great idea!! I have been trying to think of a way to calibrate the one digital that I have and this solved it.

 

[Brookhavens]

This has already been answered. I usually hatch mine at 65% (though if you fill the all the water tray on the genesis, it will bring the humidity to exactly 75%, which has worked too).
I really think the key is in not opening the Bator. If you run a 50% and do not open te Bator once, you still will have enough humidity for the chicks to hatch with out problems. If you run a 50% and open the Bator for any reason after eggs have externally pipped, you have a high chance of getting glued chicks. I remember talking to some people about the difference between shrink wrapped and sticky(I call tem glued) chicks.
Shrink wrapped is caused by low humidity for a duration of incubation, causing moisture loss in the membrane. High humidity can help at hatch, but the biggest problem is the ability for te chick to move in the membrane.
Sticky (what I called glued) is low humidity (or draft of low moisture air from opening Bator) after external pip. This causes the normal papery membrane that should be in the egg to get glue like and stick to the chick (stick to anything!) making movement darned hard for the chick to move and properly escape the shell. If you have a seriously glued chick you may have to assist, though last resort. A spritz with a sanitized water bottle can help the egg and the incubator if you open it. I had to help a sebright a few days ago. It pipped in my incubator score I moved it to the hatcher. The time and change it took to move the egg from the Bator to hatcher caused bad glued membranes. Luckily, I didn't have any other pips so I could help it with out worrying about getting into the Bator.
Though I don't recommend it for those who aren't familiar with hatching, I have found running a 75% humidity can allow quick peeks into the hatcher to make changes or grab a bunch of chicks if they are being to rough with the other eggs. 75% seems high enough that the humidity doesn't drop down to levels that cause stickiness, if done quickly.
I have only hatched duck eggs once (never again, I can't stand the mess ducklings make) but mine took a LONG time, compared to chickens, to go from iternal pip to hatch. Mine peeped, and I think it took three days to hatch after I started noticing peeps and internal pips. I really thought they weren't going to make it, but 10/11 hatch just fine!

Great advice!!! People have to remember that everyone's conditions are different. What works for one person may not work for someone else. Living in Florida I thought that I could dry hatch successfully and I can't. I do use it from day 1- 18 and then at lockdown up the humidity to the low 60's and then high 60's when they pip.

 

[Brookhavens]

Good morning everyone. Lockdown is today at Noon for chicken eggs that were set on the 11th.

What's going on inside our chicken eggs-Day 18:

If you candle today before lockdown this is what the inside of your egg should look like:

The air cell will be very distinct. You may be able to see slight veining under the membrane with the chick directly beneath that.

 

[Talbott Poultry]

Ok not sure if I can catch back up.
Have been off line for five days and am 600+ post behind.
Will try to catch up on past and stay caught up on present.

So far I have managed to read EVERY POST and I hate to miss anything.

 

[Tamrync]

Here are the pictures so far of my Mystery NYD swap eggs! (my eggs came early)
I had 6 out of 6 quail hatch!! 2 out of 6 OEGB hatch yesterday morning and this morning when I moved my mystery ducks to the brooder, 2 more hatched. Pictured is 8 of them but 2 more are in the incubator. I can't tell about the remaining 2 eggs, they may have pips. I will post pictures of them tomorrow!! What a great hatch, Thank you silkie sensations and _________?
I think my ducks are Khaki Campbells?

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