Against the odds hatching thread (with pictures and questions)

[Clearwater Chicken]

60% should be fine

 

[K0k0shka]

Wow , 17 out of 22 on your shipped eggs made it to lock down . Not that I know enough to comment but that seems to me to be pretty darn good .

Thanks! I won't count my chicks till they're hatched thought (ha! now I understand just how true that is) because shipped eggs' highest point of failure is lockdown. They fail the most at the very beginning (that's when I had the 5 blood rings on the worst air cells), and at the very end, when they can't position themselves right because of the messed up air cells. So... I'm definitely happy that 17/22 made it thus far, but I'm still very nervous about the hatching process....

 

[K0k0shka]

60% should be fine

Good to hear, thanks. I'll try to keep it at least at 60%.

 

[Clearwater Chicken]

yeah 60-75% is good. my incubator is also difficult with humidity. I am doing a dry hatch and my humidity so far is at 49% cause i have 2 aquariums that evaporate a quart each day. my last hatch my humidity was from 60%-80%, it was bad. had had 20 out of 42 hatch

 

[Clearwater Chicken]

My big failing is that i couldn't resist the temptation to open the incubator on my last hatch won't do it this time though!

 

[aart]

It is hard to see those channels!
The liner you used probably makes it near impossible even with the lid off.
It also might inhibit evaporation and thus humidity.

I outlined the channels with a sharpie to help see, and used 1/8 inch HC on bottom of bator.

 

[K0k0shka]

It is hard to see those channels!
The liner you used probably makes it near impossible even with the lid off.
It also might inhibit evaporation and thus humidity.

I outlined the channels with a sharpie to help see, and used 1/8 inch HC on bottom of bator.

I should've done something to help me see the channels better... Put colored tape along them or something (I don't want to sharpie it, because that's permanent, and the incubator isn't mine...) That's not the biggest issue though - if I shine my phone flashlight down through the windows, I can see the ends of the channels, because I left the kitchen liner a little short and their ends are uncovered. So, I can see them, but how do I reach them without either opening the lid, or occupying too many vent holes with tubing?

I agree about the kitchen liner blocking evaporation. Every lockdown article emphasizes the liner as necessary though... so I thought it would be okay if people are recommending and stressing it? The incubator's floor is a dense plastic mesh. The chicks won't have traction problems, but I read about them getting their toes stuck in the holes and potentially broken. That's the only reason I covered it. However, I have a different kind of kitchen liner, with larger squares of the spongy material and equally large holes between them, sort of checker style. I could try that... But it would mean opening the incubator again, wide enough to take things out Should I try that?

 

[K0k0shka]

Humidity has held at 70% for about an hour now! Wohooooo!!!!
If it starts dropping and refilling that one channel and the jar (which I have tubing for) isn't enough, I'll crack the lid open and slide the shelf liner out. I've been looking up incubator flooring and mesh density and I think the kind of mesh I have will be fine for the chicks. It's very dense, about 1/4 inch.

 

[aart]

You are doing great here, hatching is a steep learning curve.
Hang in there!

I should've done something to help me see the channels better... Put colored tape along them or something (I don't want to sharpie it, because that's permanent, and the incubator isn't mine...) That's not the biggest issue though - if I shine my phone flashlight down through the windows, I can see the ends of the channels, because I left the kitchen liner a little short and their ends are uncovered. So, I can see them, but how do I reach them without either opening the lid, or occupying too many vent holes with tubing?

I agree about the kitchen liner blocking evaporation. Every lockdown article emphasizes the liner as necessary though... so I thought it would be okay if people are recommending and stressing it? The incubator's floor is a dense plastic mesh. The chicks won't have traction problems, but I read about them getting their toes stuck in the holes and potentially broken. That's the only reason I covered it. However, I have a different kind of kitchen liner, with larger squares of the spongy material and equally large holes between them, sort of checker style. I could try that... But it would mean opening the incubator again, wide enough to take things out Should I try that?

I use this, it's kind of flexible tubing from a plant waterer.

Then I bought this needle and syringe for adding water.
Have use it with the included syringe and also cut off the luer lock and shoved metal tubing into green tubing above.

I know a lot of folks use the kitchen liner stuff,
but I've never had any trouble with the metal or plastic mesh and toes getting stuck.

 

[K0k0shka]

You are doing great here, hatching is a steep learning curve.
Hang in there!


I use this, it's kind of flexible tubing from a plant waterer.

Then I bought this needle and syringe for adding water.
Have use it with the included syringe and also cut off the luer lock and shoved metal tubing into green tubing above.

I know a lot of folks use the kitchen liner stuff,
but I've never had any trouble with the metal or plastic mesh and toes getting stuck.

I like that tubing, it looks stiffer than what I have. Mine is aquarium tubing and it's too floppy... I can't direct it once it goes in, it kinda loops wherever it wants to. So I can't use one hole to reach down through and get to different channels. The long needle looks convenient, too. I'm just out of time and anything I order now, won't arrive in time, and I don't want to leave my house looking for tubes. I'll dig around the house and see if I can find anything stiffer... maybe a straw or something, though that may not be long enough...