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

[chicken pickin]

These are gorgeous chicks! I am new in the chicken world and don't know the abbreviations yet what are these? And what do they look like as adults?

I believe those chicks are GCMs Golden Cuckoo Marans.

 

[fosterson]

The issue is the well is only about two fingers wide and less than a 1/2 inch deep and goes in an uninterupted circle all the way around. I have no water in the well right now and the humidity is dropping fast, so I don't think that is going to work so I need to figure something out. Maybe a picture to help explain this? It is just so small there isn't much to do, that is the biggest thing my big bator has so many more options since it is a good size.
Maybe aquarium gravel in the well to displace water!

Okay. Again, you've got several days more! Let the 'bator run for several hours dry and see then. If that is too low, maybe a very SMALL cut of a sponge filled with water and see how that goes. Or here's an idea. Get some grocery store eggs and put them in there at room temp, and let it run for a while. See if the moisture coming out of the eggs keeps the humidity proper?

 

[ronott1]

We have a contest posted in the first thread!

Best hatch rate with a first prize of BBS Orpington eggs form @chickydee64 !

 

[Aphrael]

The issue is the well is only about two fingers wide and less than a 1/2 inch deep and goes in an uninterupted circle all the way around. I have no water in the well right now and the humidity is dropping fast, so I don't think that is going to work so I need to figure something out. Maybe a picture to help explain this? It is just so small there isn't much to do, that is the biggest thing my big bator has so many more options since it is a good size.
Maybe aquarium gravel in the well to displace water!

If the other suggestions above don't work for you, another idea might be to use hot glue or something to make little "walls" to separate the channel into individual sections. Then put water into only as many sections as you need to get the right humidity. I would definitely try running it dry with grocery eggs first though to see if that gets you a good level. Too much humidity throughout incubation can cause problems hatching.

 

[ronott1]

The issue is the well is only about two fingers wide and less than a 1/2 inch deep and goes in an uninterupted circle all the way around. I have no water in the well right now and the humidity is dropping fast, so I don't think that is going to work so I need to figure something out. Maybe a picture to help explain this? It is just so small there isn't much to do, that is the biggest thing my big bator has so many more options since it is a good size.
Maybe aquarium gravel in the well to displace water!

Make sure that any air vents are open all the way. Also, make sure nothing is blocking are flow from the bottom of the incubator.

 

[SoManyHats]

We have a contest posted in the first thread!

Best hatch rate with a first prize of BBS Orpington eggs form @chickydee64
 !

How will hatch rate be calculated for this?

 

[ShayBaby]

Oh boy. Well I plan to join, but the way my hatch rates have been on shipped eggs (0%), looks like I'll be joining for the fun and not prizes. Of course the only girls I have laying fertile eggs have stopped for the year.
:cd

 

[chicken pickin]

We have a contest posted in the first thread!

Best hatch rate with a first prize of BBS Orpington eggs form @chickydee64 !

 

[Cynthia12]

Someone please tell me why my chickens have been out in the freezing rain ALL DAY. I'm worried they will die overnight because they're wet. But then I think they must know what they're doing... ???

Winchester??! I lived there back in the 60's! I loved VA. That place, and Stephen City is my best past memories. My grandmother had chickens in Stephen City, not in Winchester. Bet it has changed bunches!

 

[ronott1]

How will hatch rate be calculated for this?

It will be total hatch rate because it is the simplest way.

The percentage of all eggs set that hatch. I did away with the small and large hatch contests and combined it into one contest. We will have a 5 egg minimum though.

I will edit the contest post. Thank you for the question!