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

[JLaw]

Montanadolphin you cam use what ever you want to hold the eggs still as long as they can breath and dont mess with your humidity and temp too much. As for burning jeads off should be fine i would think. Cause it shouldnt get much hotter than the 99-101 temp your bator is at. Also 1-3 day olds dont jump so much as climb. So shouldnt hit it. As for far end up i use an egg turner and mine sit that way from day 1 so i use a carton to hold mine. I've never hatched without it so someone else will have to chime in on that.

 

[Canieldonrad]

incubators can be used as hatchers....correct? I hope because I don't have a hatcher!

They can. Many will use different units for incubating and hatching. It helps to increase humidity for eggs about to hatch, while keeping humidity low for eggs still incubating. It also makes clean up easier.

 

[JLaw]

Sorry so many typos i suck at spelling and using phone dont help lol.


Whoops a hatcher helps for staggerd hatches but also lets you get lock down set up day or so nefore. Also lets you clean hatcher while your incubating more. Figure lockdown is 3 days thats 3 days sooner you get to start incubating if your doing back to back full bator hatches.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Question: My incubator (old as dirt) has a metal screen insert...the eggs roll around and don't like to stay put...taking extra time for me to get them in the right position when I turn, which is 5 times a day.

Would it be ok if I put paper towel or a washcloth or something in there on top of the metal, then put the eggs on top of the washcloth/paper towel so they sit still better?

Also, I saw a couple posts about putting the eggs fat end up in egg cartons at lockdown to cut down on the mess that comes along with hatching. Is this a good idea to do? How much mess does hatching chicks make in an incubator?

Finally, I also read that it's ok to keep the first hatched chicks in the bator while the rest are hatching...but no longer than three days because of the yolk. My incubator has a disc that is hot as crap, as well as the metal rods that come out of it. Won't the baby chicks burn their heads on it if they jump????

You want rubber shelf/drawer liner. It's in the kitchen department at Wal Mart. I use it the entire hatch, and when hatching is over roll it up and throw it away. It leaves virtually no hatching mess behind...and has saved quite a few eggs that have slipped out of my hand while turning.

 

[cluckcluckluke]

I candled today and pulled 19 for obvious reasons like being clear or no development. Went from 74 to 55 eggs.

That sucks bro.
I hope you get 55/55 now

!!!

My EE always tries to kill me. She explodes out of the coop every time I open the door. Psycho chicken. She's lucky she's inept at it.

I can imagine that!
I had a broody once that was SO LOUD, like it was crazy. If you even went in like 10 metres of her shed go bonkers!!!

 

[cluckcluckluke]

IS ANYONE hatching White Leghorns?!???

 

[chicken pickin]

IS ANYONE hatching White Leghorns?!???

I think there are a few people hatching grocery store eggs, most likely they are Leghorns.

 

[Whoops]

Sorry so many typos i suck at spelling and using phone dont help lol.


Whoops a hatcher helps for staggerd hatches but also lets you get lock down set up day or so nefore. Also lets you clean hatcher while your incubating more. Figure lockdown is 3 days thats 3 days sooner you get to start incubating if your doing back to back full bator hatches.

Makes sense. Thank you for explaining.

 

[Wunjo]

IS ANYONE hatching White Leghorns?!???

I am hatching WL mutts. So WL Hens with the Daddies being RIR, Brahma, and an EE. There are other's here hatching Trader Joe's egg's which are supposedly WL.

 

[Nonyah Biz]

just want to give a Big Thank You to BYC for a fun hatch along

and a Big Thank you to all of you who have helped this newbie with my first hatch and making it very fun and insightful

even though im a pain in da arse

LOL