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

[msladyhawke]

I'm feeling really guilty about putting my baby chicks in the garage permanently. Last night was their first night out, and it dropped below 30. They have a heat lamp and an Ecoglow, but I'm still feeling like a bad momma.
But I needed to make room in the bathroom for incubating.

Stop feeling guilty, lol. You've given them heat and they will be fine.

 

[chicken farmer]

I added the air cell charts for Duck and Chicken to the first page.

Here is the chicken air cell chart

So theres more air in the egg the longer the days go on

 

[msladyhawke]

I'm stuck in South Jersey trying to get home. 3 inches here already. Roads are covered. It wasnt supposed to snow this much, argh!!!!!

 

[ronott1]

So theres more air in the egg the longer the days go on

In Dark eggs like Marans and Penedesencas you can tell if an egg is developing by measuring the air cell development. Often you cannot see into the middle of the egg but you can still see the air cell usually.

Weighing works the same way.

 

[msladyhawke]

Would like to hear if the refrigerated eggs hatch for you. I tried about 15 once and none hatched!

I did recently hatch 4 out of 5 of my Barred Holland eggs that were in the fridge for a good week...

 

[AK FLOCK SWAP]

I want to join? What do i do,,I have been saving eggs for a few days now..I will be setting mostly EE . A few chabos ( Japanese bantams) I am in Fairbanks Alaska. Anybody else from AK participating?





I will using a 1588 Styro bator and hatching with my DIY hatcher.

PEACE & Happy Holidays to you all<<<<

 

[ronott1]

I want to join? What do i do,,I have been saving eggs for a few days now..I will be setting mostly EE . A few chabos ( Japanese bantams) I am in Fairbanks Alaska. Anybody else from AK participating?





I will using a 1588 Styro bator and hatching with my DIY hatcher.

PEACE & Happy Holidays to you all<<<<

Nice set up!

You have been added to the participant list!

 

[Wisher1000]

AK Flock Swap - Looks to me, like your DIY hatcher should be your DIY bator.....just saying.......

 

[Penny Hen]

I have never used a still air, but what I've read is that with the fan you can keep the set temp a bit lower since theoretically all the air in the box is the same temperature, where with a still air the air at the top is warmer than the air at the egg level. Most people say never put the plugs in, for me that doesn't work because it is so arid here, so I leave them in, but I have yet to have a great hatch, so you might not want to go by me LOL. It's tough to hatch at this elevation (5400+) and aridity, but usually if my own birds lay eggs that are fertile I do okay. Still have failures but not nearly as bad as with shipped eggs. Anyway, for just about everyone else I'd say leave the plugs out to improve air flow.

I would use stout paper just in case there's any condensation when setting eggs. Sounds like you will have an interesting hatch!

Here is a link for hatching at higher altitudes. http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_C...les/RossTechNote_HatchingAltitudes2013_EN.pdf

A lot of the problem seems to be the reduced air pressure at higher elevations. I wonder if you set up a small room for positive air pressure (pumping more air in continually) if it would help mitigate the problem?

 

[AK FLOCK SWAP]

Thank you..It will be nice to have a better hatch rate,,As my flock all were ebay eggs.. Should have a better hatch rate this spring...So Fredge eggs can still hatch ,,i thought temps would need to be above 40?