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

[MontanaDolphin]

It is up to you!

I hatch in cartons or plastic flats with the big end up

If you hatch on the side, line the incubator with rubber shelf liner, the one with holes in it.

I plan on hatching in a cardboard egg flat...do I cut the bottom of each cup off for air movement?

 

[abmaddox1981]

It is up to you!

I hatch in cartons or plastic flats with the big end up

If you hatch on the side, line the incubator with rubber shelf liner, the one with holes in it.

Cool. Thanks. This is my third hatch and my last 2 were way worse than this so I'm tweakin' as I go!

 

[ronott1]

I plan on hatching in a cardboard egg flat...do I cut the bottom of each cup off for air movement?

I only cut the tops now. They do fine for air flow that way.

Cool. Thanks. This is my third hatch and my last 2 were way worse than this so I'm tweakin' as I go!

I prefer the cartons over laying them on their side. I have read some experiments that had better hatch rates with them upright for hatching.

 

[Pozees]

It is up to you!

I hatch in cartons or plastic flats with the big end up

If you hatch on the side, line the incubator with rubber shelf liner, the one with holes in it.

That rubber shelf liner is the bomb,I use it no matter what. The three chicks that hatched this weekend were in the plastic flats, and they did great, none of the fears I had materialized, so I'll use it again for Monday's lockdown.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I also use the liner. I got mine from the dollar store and most of the thick yucky stuff is too thick to get to the styrofoam bottom. But there are enough tiny holes in it that the humidity is still good.

 

[ronott1]

I also use the liner. I got mine from the dollar store and most of the thick yucky stuff is too thick to get to the styrofoam bottom. But there are enough tiny holes in it that the humidity is still good.

The liner can be tossed into the washing machine too!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
Really, and I have been tossing them. I have a bunch right now as they had a bonus buy and I stocked up. I will try a clean one in the wash and see how it holds up. As long as it holds up well it can't be any worse than washing cloth diapers in the washer.

 

[SunnySkies]

I put mine in lockdown tonight. Some other SFH breeders say they have better luck with dry incubating them but giving them one extra day with lockdown humidity. So I'm trying it.

I could see movement in all of them when I was moving them off the turner, so if they die, it's something up with humidity in my incubator.

 

[AK FLOCK SWAP]

So 30 out of 32,,Thank you sir,,,,

 

[SunnySkies]

Really, and I have been tossing them.  I have a bunch right now as they had a bonus buy and I stocked up.  I will try a clean one in the wash and see how it holds up.  As long as it holds up well it can't be any worse than washing cloth diapers in the washer.

 

LOL, I have washed cloth diapers for NINE years and counting, as the youngest is still not out of diapers, and it does appear that I'm miraculously 9 weeks pregnant again, after four miscarriages and some weird hormonal issues that made the doctors and my midwife say I would never have another baby, so if this one makes it, I have at least 2 more years of cloth diapers. I haven't used paper diapers in, well, ever. The washer will be fine You can run a bleach wash cycle afterwards if you want; add 1c bleach to the washer, no clothing, and run a hot water cycle, unless your septic system doesn't like bleach.

I use paper towels in the bottom of the incubator, the only thing I use paper towels for. [We use washable kitchen towels, cloth diaper wipes, reuseable everything, just about. It has saved us a fortune, even accounting for water, electricity and detergent.] I like the paper towels because if the humidity needs help, I can spray water in via the air holes and help spread it over a bigger surface area to bump humidity.

I have also some canning jars with sponges in them inside the incubator that I use to increase humidity. I do find I have to add water quite often, and I can't figure out why, as the humidity in the house runs 45%. But the bator, without help, wants to hover at way less. Very odd.