6th Annual BYC New Year's Day 2015 Hatch-A-Long

[LemonMeringue]

STILL AIR INCUBATOR
We are moving eggs around in the still still incubators already? I thought it was every 3 or 4 days. I haven't done that before and I think it has caused problems.
When you move eggs around do you use a pattern so you know you are moving them around good enough? My chicken helper and I were thinking we would move in rows. Left to right then top to bottom.

 

[carcar80]

STILL AIR INCUBATOR
We are moving eggs around in the still still incubators already? I thought it was every 3 or 4 days. I haven't done that before and I think it has caused problems.
When you move eggs around do you use a pattern so you know you are moving them around good enough? My chicken helper and I were thinking we would move in rows. Left to right then top to bottom.

Well technically I put my eggs in late Wednesday so I figured it wouldn't hurt. This move I just moved them each down one row. Didn't consider right to left. This is no good for my OCD to try and figure out and now I'll have a headache. I'll also need a diagram when someone figures it out as I'm a visual learner.

 

[LemonMeringue]

Well technically I put my eggs in late Wednesday so I figured it wouldn't hurt. This move I just moved them each down one row. Didn't consider right to left. This is no good for my OCD to try and figure out and now I'll have a headache. I'll also need a diagram when someone figures it out as I'm a visual learner.

That is probably why I was thinking of a "pattern". Lol
And I was thinking that I might get the response is, Oh, I just move them around. Which would probably be fine. That just makes my brain hurt. Whatever way we do it I'm going to write it down so that we can see how it works. Diagrams would be delightful

 

[Roan]

STILL AIR INCUBATOR
We are moving eggs around in the still still incubators already? I thought it was every 3 or 4 days. I haven't done that before and I think it has caused problems.
When you move eggs around do you use a pattern so you know you are moving them around good enough? My chicken helper and I were thinking we would move in rows. Left to right then top to bottom.

Quote:

That is probably why I was thinking of a "pattern". Lol
And I was thinking that I might get the response is, Oh, I just move them around. Which would probably be fine. That just makes my brain hurt. Whatever way we do it I'm going to write it down so that we can see how it works. Diagrams would be delightful

The idea of moving them around as opposed to just turning them is so that none of them are kept in a cooler or warmer part of the incubator. As long as each each is moved around some, it keeps them from that situation. Incidentally, if you are NOT using any kind of egg holder, I would say that just rolling them over half a turn 2 - 3 times a day is going to keep them away from that situation. If you have a container ie a flat or egg cartons, then rotating the holder and sliding it from one side to the other should be suffice.

In my opinion.

 

[LemonMeringue]

The idea of moving them around as opposed to just turning them is so that none of them are kept in a cooler or warmer part of the incubator.  As long as each each is moved around some, it keeps them from that situation.  Incidentally, if you are NOT using any kind of egg holder, I would say that just rolling them over half a turn 2 - 3 times a day is going to keep them away from that situation.  If you have a container ie a flat or egg cartons, then rotating the holder and sliding it from one side to the other should be suffice. 

In my opinion. 

Ours is an egg turner that is pretty full.

 

[Amberjem]

moved mine today everyone on the top row went to the bottom row and other side of the egg carton O side tilted to the right, will move them (light as angel touch) every other day, next time will be the X side tilted left

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Oh! That sounds like a good idea! Thanks!

The windows on a LG have some conduction going on so I believe some insulation on the windows like a big sponge will help

hmm, something else to add to the incubator worksheet then?

and any opinions about using a shirt to drape over the incubator to help keep the heat stable? it's a cotten blend that's not as thin as a t-shirt but not as thick as a hoodie if that helps. lol I could go with a t-shirt though.

I don't currently have any cardboard I can use to box it in at this short notice.

It doesn't have to be cardboard, almost anything will work. A piece of wood, a book, etc.. It doesn't even have to be right up against it. Convection is going on in the room around the incubator. If you stand something close by, it will slow the heat from escaping into the room.

My humidity is all over the place. It was way low due to forced air heating (16%) shortly before setting so I took a new kitchen sponge and got it wet and put it in. When I went to set, it was up to 64% and the sponge was almost dry. So I took that out and cut it smaller and then wet it and put back in. I will check when I get home from work but I might have to go back to using one of the built in wells. It is such a pain to refill them because the eggs are in the way and it is hard to see so I overflow them. Lockdown is easier. I fold that kitchen sponge and put it in a hall pint mason jar that I fill up with water and that is usually just right and doesn't need to be refilled during lockdown. Anyone got good ideas for moisture in a Farm Innovators styro with turner? There isn't much room in there and about half of that little space is taken up by my thermo and hygro.

This will work to print out but is there an easier way to convert it to an excel spread sheet? I can make a sheet then plug in the formulas by hand but didn't know if there was another way?

Perhaps a copy and paste if you copy the same number of cells that you're pasting into.

...
They're saying, "hey! chill! you humans take hours to hatch too, you know. and not only that, you then take months before you can even crawl! so what's the rush with us? sheesh!"

Such a good point.

That's exactly how I plan to do it when I get more set up. How many flocks do you have? I hope to have at least 4 different flocks in the end so they would get to free range every fourth day.

I have 9 scattered housing units so sometimes 7+ flocks. The breeder units each have 2 or 3 pens attached so I can rotate foraging areas. Another flock or 2 free range every day. They tend not to mix much and I don't see any mating from one flock to another.

we set 41 [full tray] bcm eggs for the nyd hatch. Eggs are from my 3 favorite hens 1 fav rooster

- collected daily since 11-17 til 12-10 .... all eggs have date wrote on them and will be paying close track of the oldest eggs for my own data on how long eggs stay good .

Keep us informed. IMHO, 24 days is a real old egg for incubating. Did you do anything special for the old ones like plastic wrap or pre-incubation?

Ok folks...finally got all of my eggs in the bator. Birchen sea turtles, sizzle x duck billed platypus (f2), heritage show quality american alligator, and my project quail x bald eagle olive eggers.

I got real excited to see someone hatching turtles and alligators but then I saw who posted.

I will have brahma x ostrich in the spring

Just so it isn't bama x ostrich.

I would REALLY LOVE to see pictures of the broody hen hatchers hens sitting...pleeeaseee??? I just hatched five silkies just so I could have real live hen hatches!!! I ALWAYS use an incubator!

Sitting hens or duck pictures please!!!

I would post a picture of my eggs for the hatch along but they look the same as they did yesterday...

These are old pictures, no broodies right now.

This broody had her 4 chicks killed by a mink while they were out foraging so I gave her 35 chicks to mother when they came out of the hatcher.




broody EE that came off of her eggs




black leghorn that hatched several broods for me


black penedesenca followed by her lone chick


welsummer and ameraucana chicks hatched by a BO

The shipped eggs were packed terribly!

Paper egg cartons, not bubble wrap on the eggs. the cartons were wrapped in large bubble wrap and the foam nugget spacers.

One egg was smashed and oozed onto two others.

Packed correctly, this shipment would have made it perfectly.

The yolk looked good though.

I hate when yolk and albumen get all over the eggs.
How did you clean them?

I am just dying here wondering if my eggs are developing how am I gonna get thru the next 7 days until I can candle!


I saw someone say the tilt of the eggs needs to be 45 degree's?

step away from the incubator and get another hobby

I'd say the more of a tilt you can get the better as long as it won't fall out of whatever is holding it.

Blue australorp eggs so I really want them!

I've heard of them but never saw one. Pretty rare, huh?
Have you ever seen a white Aorp?

It is fun! And all the chicken people I have met are so nice too! You have a lot of neat breeds to work with! I have wheaten/blue wheaten Ameraucanas and golden cuckoo Marans (Silkies and d'Anvers too) plus have hatched black/blue copper Marans for a friend and have had great hatches with my Octagon 20 ex advance incubator, but it is almost dummy proof

The key to good hatches with the Marans is keeping the humidity between 40-42% for the first 19 days and upping it to 65% for hatching.

There are so many breeds I'd love to raise but I only have room (and time) to do justice to one breed.
If I had room and time, I'd breed Jaerhons, White Minorcas, Black Leghorns, White Faced Black Spanish, Blue JGs, Ayam Cemani and if I could find them, Peruvian Quetros.

Im officially in with eggs set under a broody Silkie. DH isn't happy

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Mine isn't thrilled either. He is almost through building my new chicken house plus a new covered pen to replace the one the tree fell on that was attached to my bantam house. I promised to reduce my flock . . . someday.

I'm with both of you. The only thing my wife does is cook the eggs. Other than that she could care less.

The cutoff for the set numbers is Saturday.

Hatching stress will be in effect but eggs shipped a long distance can hatch.

I hatched eggs shipped from Alabama via ground over a holiday weekend. It took, if I am remembering correctly, 8 days to get here. I had a good hatch with them too.

The ground transport may have benefited them, not going through the pressure changes of a flight or two.

Alabama is awesome

I used to have a bunch of friends from the Muscle Shoals/Sheffield area.

For such a big gulf state, you guys really got gypped on ocean front real estate. I guess there is Gulf Shores and Mobile Bay.

I just love to watch the broody hens with their babies. They are so tender with them and the way they pick out food from the feeder and drop it in front of them to show them the food. And boy do they get upset when they feel their babies are in danger. And the roo gets plain mean. They mean business when they say leave my babies alone

Tender with chicks and frightening to anything else.

QUESTION:

Should I have rocking eggs on day 18? Might they come early?

makes sense
a live embryo moving into position

That is probably why I was thinking of a "pattern". Lol
And I was thinking that I might get the response is, Oh, I just move them around. Which would probably be fine. That just makes my brain hurt. Whatever way we do it I'm going to write it down so that we can see how it works. Diagrams would be delightful

I think rotating them more often is better in case there are temperature differences throughout the incubator.

 

[FuzzyHens]

I hope you have a great hatch. will you pm me please your egg source. I am so wanting to add a few cochin bantams and really would love to add splash and blue.

PM sent.

 

[ronott1]

QUESTION:

Should I have rocking eggs on day 18? Might they come early?

The chicks will be moving then. They internally pip a bit later but close to day 18.

Can you hear chirping yet?

 

[ronott1]

T




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I've heard of them but never saw one. Pretty rare, huh?
Have you ever seen a white Aorp?
There are so many breeds I'd love to raise but I only have room (and time) to do justice to one breed.
If I had room and time, I'd breed Jaerhons, White Minorcas, Black Leghorns, White Faced Black Spanish, Blue JGs, Ayam Cemani and if I could find them, Peruvian Quetros.

I used soap and a warm wash cloth and then rinsed them with warm water. Three of them needed washing. The others were ok. I lost one egg only though. Candling did not show cracks, no detached air cells and only one saddle.

I have only seen pictures of White Australorps. They are very rare.

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The also came from Alabama...And @Wisher1000 packed them well.

The lack of pressure change could have made a big difference.