4th Annual BYC NYD Hatch-a-long

[Talbott Poultry]

What a night up till 2:30 with kidney pain wanting to cut the cancer out myself. Then get woke up by DW and told the water is frozen come to find out at 7:00 the pump is dead. Come in the house to find the incubator unplugged and down to 67 degrees. Don't know what I'm going to do for water.

I feel for you.
Sorry to hear about the cancer.
When can they get the pump replaced.

As far as the unplugged incubator. Plug it back on and hope for the best.
A couple of years ago, I had a broody that got off the clutch at 19 days.
As if that was not bad enough I was 18 degrees outside.
Not sure how long she had been off when I found them, Could have been from 1 hour to maybe 4 hours.
The eggs were very cold to the touch. I gathered them up and brought them into the basement.
Layed them on the couch foe about and hour to start bringing the temp back up.
After they warmed up I put them in a room temp incubator.
Then I let the eggs and incubator both warm up at the same time.

I managed to hatch 10 out of the 12 eggs she was sitting on.
I will say they they were a couple of days late.
Just goes to show, we think everything has to be perfect, but they can really endure a lot.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

When receiving shipped eggs during winter (or colder months) we do the following:

• unpack as soon as we pick them up
• place in a holding flat pointy end down
• allow to warm to room temperature - pre heat the bator during this time
• once at room temp place in incubator with the turner OFF for 24 hours
• after 24 hours in the bator with the turner off it is flipped on.
• DONT FORGET if you use a hatcher to pre heat it by day 15 for chickens (day 20 for ducks) (day 25 for geese) so its ready

If any eggs have a wonky air cell they are left not being turned and propped at a 45* angle. We hand turn these 3-5 times a day until the air cell stabilizes.


We have additional steps taken for waterfowl eggs since they have other requirement. Our hatch rates run 98-99% for our own eggs and 89-92% on shipped eggs.

 

[msladyhawke]

My daughter, Harmony and I are in!! YAY! Now gotta hunt for eggs! lol

Yay!!! More PA people hatching! What fun!

 

[msladyhawke]

GOOD MORNING HATCHERS!

Good Morning! Good luck at the show! Crossing my fingers for you!

 

[Kismet]

Hello CelticOaks,

Thanks for these additional points. When you finally put them in the incubator, is the incubator also at room temp and it comes up slowly over the 24 hours before you turn on the turner? Or, is the incubator at 100 degrees, i.e. hatching temperature, when you put in the eggs? Your hatching percentages are impressive and I am open to trying new suggestions.

When receiving shipped eggs during winter (or colder months) we do the following:

• unpack as soon as we pick them up
• place in a holding flat pointy end down
• allow to warm to room temperature
• once at room temp place in incubator with the turner OFF for 24 hours
• after 24 hours in the bator with the turner off it is flipped on.

If any eggs have a wonky air cell they are left not being turned and propped at a 45* angle. We hand turn these 3-5 times a day until the air cell stabilizes.


We have additional steps taken for waterfowl eggs since they have other requirement. Our hatch rates run 98-99% for our own eggs and 89-92% on shipped eggs.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Kismet, just updated the info thanks for the reminder. When the eggs are warming to room temp i am preheating the bator (if not already in use)

we run 3 cabinet bators, 1 cabinet hatcher, 2 brinsea eco20 advance for NICU bators and a backup styro still air for over flow hatching.

 

[Razadia]

Nevermind, I was way off.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

We also turn all hatchers and bators on 3-4 weeks before we ever plan on using them. Everything is re-calibrated, tested and wiped down one final time before we roll into breeding/incubation season again. Water tanks are filled and we fix anything that needs it, otherwise they are left on and running in prep to start setting eggs.

Each unit is wiped down (racks in the cabinets) each month October - June as we almost never go completely empty ever during those months. I would love one large mega capacity bator, but i am too hands on with hatching waterfowl. So we use multiple cabinets so I am not disturbing the chicken eggs so much.

 

[Brookhavens]

I got everybody washed for the show and nails trimmed. I just wish I could have gotten my bantam White Langshan cleaner. The darn girl is yellowish. Ugh. Now I really need to clean their feet and legs.

Try adding some laundry blueing to the rinse water.

 

[cluck-cluck]

What a night up till 2:30 with kidney pain wanting to cut the cancer out myself. Then get woke up by DW and told the water is frozen come to find out at 7:00 the pump is dead. Come in the house to find the incubator unplugged and down to 67 degrees. Don't know what I'm going to do for water.

Oh, I'm so sorry! When it rains it always pours! Hang in there, when it's sunny, it really shines too!

BTW, I think it's been found that while operating on yourself is possible, it's not advisable

Talbott poultry, that's amazing that those eggs hatched!

Good instructions, CelticOaksFarms, thanks

Hope you're rewarded with lots of wins, mrheinz77, for all your hard work and that you have a marvelous time!