Any suggestions would be WONDEFUL!

[lizp8]

Hello everyone!!

At the end of last school year, I attempted to hatch chickens with my students and failed miserably

So, this year I am starting right away and would LOVE any suggestions to assure that I succeed this time!!! I am SO excited and cannot wait to get started. I just ordered the eggs today, so as soon as they get here, I will begin. I am going to set up the incubator today or tomorrow so that the temperature is just right for a few days. Any suggestions about temperature and/or humidity levels that have worked best for you would be great as well! Thank you so much and I look forward to keeping track of this process with you and my class!

Liz

 

[chicmom]

Well, Liz, I hope you have better luck this year. I would suggest that, if you can, find some fertile eggs that don't have to go through shipping, because rough postal handling often kills the embryos.

What kind of incubator do you have?

Welcome to BYC from Ohio!

Sharon

 

[extraordinaryfowl]

I run my incubator at between 100-102 degrees and that works well for me, although the personnel preference of many will vary. Make sure you turn them once a day until you pet them in the incubator, and the twice a day from there on out. I've always followed the directions for adding water for humidity and that works fine for me. Also, you should stop turning them a day or two before they are due to hatch so the chick can position itself to hatch properly. Good luck!

 

[lizp8]

Thanks so far! chicmom~ Unfortunately, I already ordered them from online. If it doesn't work this time though, I will know it was the shipping because i am going to do everything I can to make sure they hatch this year!! extraordinaryfowl~ Thanks for the suggestion. I think I will be adding water for humidity also. Also, the incubator is one the school bought and no one was using and it has an automatic turner in it, so it will turn even on the weekends! I will definitely make sure I turn it off a day or two in advance though, thanks for the heads up!

If anyone thinks of anything else to let me know, please do! I look foward to a successful hatching this time around!

~Liz

 

[chicken-whisperer]

What a great treat for students.
First start with fresh fertile eggs and let them sit in a cool spot pointy side down for a day. Place them in a egg turner or mark them for hand turning. (If you hand turn, wear cotton gloves) 99.5 degrees and humidity between 20 and 50 percent I often use a dry method with only one hole open in the incubator and not opening it until lock down. After 17 days increase H2O (my Black Copper Marans eggs need lots of humidity as the shells are thick and heavily coated) remove the turner stand them fat end up still, add moisture I use a sponge in the incubator. wait for peeps, pips and puff balls

Things not to do:

place incubator in hot or cold area
open incubator often
use dirty eggs
use dirty incubator
handle or wash eggs

Good luck

 

[lizp8]

Thanks chicken-whisperer! I will keep all of that in mind. It can be so overwhelming making sure you do everything just right!! I really want to not only be successful, but have a high success rate! I will let everyone know when I get the eggs and when I begin!!

~Liz

 

[busyteacher]

I too hatch eggs with my first graders. They love getting to see the candles eggs and how each chick progresses. Also, if you have a local Ag Extension agency they can provide some resources for you. We had a very successful hatch rate last year. Only lost 6 out of 24 eggs. It was too bad the eggs I was given were meat birds instead of layers.

 

[lizp8]

Thanks for the tip, busyteacher! I will definitely look into that. Once everything gets under way, I will also keep everyone updated and share as many pictures as I can!

 

[Lacrystol]

The only concern I would have is on the weekends, when school is out, who's going to check on the humidity, I'm sure and entire weekend you will lose a lot of water which no one will be there to add more water, unless your doing the dry way??? Great that you don't have to worry about turning them or worry about the temp. But then you also have Lockdown day, which is 3 days before the actually hatching day. On this day theres no need to turn any more..I would put the eggs in on a monday this way when hatching day comes, if they are early they lets say on sunday the kids have something to start there Monday off with...and you can turn the turner off Friday before for that weekend.. for lockdown day.. But if you do it on a Tuesday or Wednesday then you have to consider someone will need to come in on Saturday or Sunday to turn off the turner...any maybe the kids can see them actually hatch....

 

[Lacrystol]

Quote:
I disagree with Things not to do and in the list you have "use of Dirty eggs". I have never wash or cleaned my eggs when incubating, if they have a feather attached to the shell they go in, if they have some poop, they go in.. the eggs are protected with a covering the last thing you want to do is rub that off to allow bacteria in the eggs...