5th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2014 Hatch-A-Long

[chicken pickin]

Staggered hatches. I have two Farm Innovators 4200 with auto turners and fans and a 1588 that does have a turner but I use it as a hatcher. My dream is cabinet units but that's a long way down the road, this year I would like to get the Brinsea Ron has, I have heard great things about it. Anyway, by using one strictly as a hatcher, the incubators stay cleaner and I can set as many eggs as I want each week - usually can't fill an incubator - then the next week set more, etc. - when time to hatch I move the eggs that are due to the 1588, and if I've behaved and waited a week to set the next group of eggs there's time for all to hatch and fluff and move to the brooder, clean and disinfect the hatcher and let it dry. Unfortunately I seem to have breached the seal between the display and the outside layer of plastic, I can't see the display now, but I always use a thermometer/hygrometer on the bottom where the eggs actually are.

Exactly. Like Pozees said. 2 incubators are great for doing staggered hatches. That way you can set eggs weekly and hatch weekly and only the hatcher gets messy and needs cleaning. Staggered hatches need to be timed properly so the eggs going into lockdown don't interfere with the eggs in lockdown, giving them time to hatch, fluff up, be moved to brooder and hatcher cleaned.

 

[chicken pickin]

i think im gonna go with the 1588! and ive heard bad things about the little giant still air. how was ur hatch rate in it?

Hatch rate has been excellent with chicken eggs. Most set eggs hatch with the exception of a few eggs each hatch. Poults on the other hand Ive had a harder time with(im working on a better hatch rate for them) I hatched ducklings once and they were shipped eggs 6 out of 12 hatched, I was very happy with that.

 

[SunnySkies]

I loved having two bators.

But a word to the wise...

When you wash your hatcher out and set it n the sun to dry after your hatch, be sure your free range chickens can't get to it. Or they will peck a hole in that nice incubator.

Sigh. Guess how I know this...

 

[Threedog]

be sure your free range chickens can't get to it. Or they will peck a hole in that nice incubator.

Sigh. Guess how I know this...

LOL I love and hate how inquisitive these critters are!

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

Hatch rate has been excellent with chicken eggs. Most set eggs hatch with the exception of a few eggs each hatch. Poults on the other hand Ive had a harder time with(im working on a better hatch rate for them) I hatched ducklings once and they were shipped eggs 6 out of 12 hatched, I was very happy with that.

out of the little giant?! or the 1588?

 

[chicken pickin]

I loved having two bators.

But a word to the wise...

When you wash your hatcher out and set it n the sun to dry after your hatch, be sure your free range chickens can't get to it. Or they will peck a hole in that nice incubator.

Sigh. Guess how I know this...

lol Sorry to hear that. My chickens love Styrofoam. My chicks when brooded in the garage, they find the Styrofoam insulation and have pecked the heck out of it.

 

[chicken pickin]

out of the little giant?! or the 1588?

the 1588.

I returned the LG.

 

[Frankie Ruiz]

how do ur hatches go in the little giant? if u still use it.

 

[cracrzy4chicks]

I loved having two bators.

But a word to the wise...

When you wash your hatcher out and set it n the sun to dry after your hatch, be sure your free range chickens can't get to it. Or they will peck a hole in that nice incubator.

Sigh. Guess how I know this...

 

[Blarneyeggs]

I loved having two bators.


But a word to the wise...


When you wash your hatcher out and set it n the sun to dry after your hatch, be sure your free range chickens can't get to it. Or they will peck a hole in that nice incubator.


Sigh. Guess how I know this...

lol Sorry to hear that. My chickens love Styrofoam. My chicks when brooded in the garage, they find the Styrofoam insulation and have pecked the heck out of it.

Oh boy, you gotta be careful with the styrofoam, it can impact the crop.