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

[ronott1]

Is it a bad sign when I'm already itching to buy more eggs to hatch?

I would expect nothing less....

 

[ChickenCanoe]

That's what I thought, but this person who claimed great success seemed very offended when I said I'd had no luck so far hatching eggs wrapped that way. Maybe the success was in collecting money for something turned worthless by packaging. Don't know.

The Doms were wrapped in paper towel, placed in 1/2 cartons, and the 1/2 cartons were each wrapped with big-bubble bubble wrap, so there was cushion outside the carton but I still don't see how the egg and its air cell can be protected that way. Almost all visible air cells had detached.

Yesterday I received eggs placed in a box with the bottom cushioned with a thick pad of bubble wrap, and bubble wrap on all four sides, eggs were individually wrapped in 3-4 wraps of what looks like pipe insulation, set upright in the box, filled in with packing peanuts, and then topped with another layer of bubble wrap. This is the first time I've gotten eggs wrapped that way, and honestly they were in good shape. 1 was cracked vertically, all the others look perfect, did not detect any detached air cells. I let them rest overnight and set this morning. We shall see!

Sometimes people get upset when they've always done things a certain way and then be told they've been doing it wrong.

These are the shippers I use.
http://southernfarmhatchery.com/Egg-Shipping-Foam.php

Here's other options.
http://paradisepoultryandwaterfowl.com/foam-egg-shippers/
http://www.jamesmariefarms.com/foam-egg-shippers-pricing.html

Quote:

So if the 20 hatch you will have an 83% hatch - that's great! Is that about what you usually get? I am so hardly able to wait to see pics of pene babies

Actually it was not a very good explanation upon rereading.
I have 38 left out of the original 47 set. 20 went into the hatcher yesterday, 9 more this morning and the last 9 are from a different pen/rooster so I may hatch them in the incubator or move them tomorrow early if no pips yet.
So far this is probably a better rate than any other artificial attempt. The broodies have a much better rate. I attribute this hatch rate(if they hatch) to finally having 2 accurate, instant read thermometers that actually agree.

So here's some from previous hatches. A lone chick hatched by a Pene broody.




here's some Penes and other breeds hatched under my Black Leghorn.

... I wish they could stay as little fuzzy chicks forever.

But then they would never lay eggs or be able to stand their ground against a hawk.

Awesome to read about all the excitement of chicks pipping.

My oldest son text me and siad we have a chirper

. Only down fall is I had thermostat problems at the beginning and had to order a new one.

So out of 33 I only have 6-7 that made it! But with the new thermostat it does not vary like it did.I should have did it to begin with and not try to make it work. I put more eggs in there and will have a staggered hatch.

I've always had thermostat problems. Didn't know how bad until I found better thermometers.
I have two of these controllers, one for the incubator and one for the hatcher.
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/digital-electronic-egg-incubator-thermostat.html Good concept but after this hatch, I'm pulling them out and sending them back.
I've bought a lot of stuff from them that I've been happy with but I'll never use these again.
When I first installed them in my cabinet and hatcher they worked great, within a week of incubating, one of them quit heating. It has gotten worse since then.
The amount of heat output in relation to the setpoint and reading were way off. I'm only guessing that either the sensor or the electronics that read the sensor are off. I'm guessing it is the electronics since they keep changing.
Currently the controller on the incubator is set at 92 to maintain 99 degrees. The hatcher controller is set at 94 to maintain 98 degrees. Earlier in this hatch, I had to keep the incubator setpoint at 88.5 for a 99.5 degree temperature. I have to check them against the known good thermometers several times during the day and night. It's amazing I'm getting any to hatch.
I'm convinced that I cooked several hatches in the past year.
I'm switching to two different and redundant controllers (at a much lower cost)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271185626115?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
and
http://www.ebay.com/itm/27075634802...eName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
The second one doesn't have a digital readout but is very accurate for the price.

 

[bantambury]

well, at noon one of my OEs hatched! she has the same strange comb as my silkie mix milkshake does!


i have a friend coming over at 3.....but SO many of my eggs have pips! 11 out of 12!

well, im HOPING for new years chicks instead of early birds! ROFL


]]



good luck everyone!


hoping I het a showgirl or frizzle out of my silkies!

 

[carriebain]

Nope, not at all. Go ahead

I would expect nothing less....

Lo!!! Oh, good! I thought someone might try to stop me! Wait, I forgot only my hubby TRIES to do that!!!!!!

 

[GAGE]

Humidity is holding at 65%, but I have not removed my vent plug.. I have a Genesis 1588, and do not remember removing it in the past, but with 21 possible hatching, will there be enough oxygen? I can get my wife to mist the eggs down, and then pull the plug if need be, but with one pip so far, I would hate to pull the plug and lose too much humidity. What do you all think, are your plugs out?

 

[ronott1]

Humidity is holding at 65%, but I have not removed my vent plug.. I have a Genesis 1588, and do not remember removing it in the past, but with 21 possible hatching, will there be enough oxygen? I can get my wife to mist the eggs down, and then pull the plug if need be, but with one pip so far, I would hate to pull the plug and lose too much humidity. What do you all think, are your plugs out?

Th plug is supposed to be in for high elevation.

I run with the plug out. I do have a sponge in the incubator inside a storage container. Humidity is 75%.

 

[GAGE]

Th plug is supposed to be in for high elevation.

I run with the plug out. I do have a sponge in the incubator inside a storage container. Humidity is 75%.

I put a dish with a sponge in last night, but unfortunately we are not at a higher elevation. I will pull the plug this evening to where I can monitor it and possibly add an additional humidity source.

 

[draye]

Well, I have five that have already hatched.
Look like it was 5 of the NN-Bantam OEG crossbreds: 3 NN and 2 non-NN.

 

[Aphrael]

Look what I got!!

Apparently this little one decided that pipping and then resting for a day was a drag. In less than an hour after her initial pip she was out and scooting round the bator making noise! She even enticed her next door neighbor to pop out a pip now too!

 

[Aphrael]

Sometimes people get upset when they've always done things a certain way and then be told they've been doing it wrong.

These are the shippers I use.
http://southernfarmhatchery.com/Egg-Shipping-Foam.php

Here's other options.
http://paradisepoultryandwaterfowl.com/foam-egg-shippers/
http://www.jamesmariefarms.com/foam-egg-shippers-pricing.html

Quote:
Actually it was not a very good explanation upon rereading.
I have 38 left out of the original 47 set. 20 went into the hatcher yesterday, 9 more this morning and the last 9 are from a different pen/rooster so I may hatch them in the incubator or move them tomorrow early if no pips yet.
So far this is probably a better rate than any other artificial attempt. The broodies have a much better rate. I attribute this hatch rate(if they hatch) to finally having 2 accurate, instant read thermometers that actually agree.

So here's some from previous hatches. A lone chick hatched by a Pene broody.




here's some Penes and other breeds hatched under my Black Leghorn.




But then they would never lay eggs or be able to stand their ground against a hawk.


I've always had thermostat problems. Didn't know how bad until I found better thermometers.
I have two of these controllers, one for the incubator and one for the hatcher.
http://incubatorwarehouse.com/digital-electronic-egg-incubator-thermostat.html Good concept but after this hatch, I'm pulling them out and sending them back.
I've bought a lot of stuff from them that I've been happy with but I'll never use these again.
When I first installed them in my cabinet and hatcher they worked great, within a week of incubating, one of them quit heating. It has gotten worse since then.
The amount of heat output in relation to the setpoint and reading were way off. I'm only guessing that either the sensor or the electronics that read the sensor are off. I'm guessing it is the electronics since they keep changing.
Currently the controller on the incubator is set at 92 to maintain 99 degrees. The hatcher controller is set at 94 to maintain 98 degrees. Earlier in this hatch, I had to keep the incubator setpoint at 88.5 for a 99.5 degree temperature. I have to check them against the known good thermometers several times during the day and night. It's amazing I'm getting any to hatch.
I'm convinced that I cooked several hatches in the past year.
I'm switching to two different and redundant controllers (at a much lower cost)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/271185626115?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
and
http://www.ebay.com/itm/27075634802...eName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
The second one doesn't have a digital readout but is very accurate for the price.

I think you'll be happy with the STC-1000. That is what I use in mine and I love it. It is very steady and reliable so far.