Anyone want to hatch with. Today is the big day!!!!!!!!!! (thursday)

[Cattitude]

I've got the Easter thread batch a cookin', and this second batch that I set on April 9/10 that is due on April 30/May 1. Started with 41 in the first batch but had 5 non-starters. The remaining 36 look as good as I can tell (lovely but tough to candle blue & green eggs). Too early on Bator 2. We'll all hold each others' hands, laugh and cry with each other, and keep each other company on the trip!

Oh, and of course, post pics!

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

YAY got some hatching buddie!!

 

[ginznchix]

Quote:
Thanks for the info! I guess I'll leave it off, you're right the hen isn't on them ALL the time. If I take it on and off I'm SURE to drop it!

 

[pistol123]

I candled today, 36 silkie eggs and18 clear so not fertile, so I go into lock down on Sunday night, hope the others are going to make it, this is nerve wracking!

 

[vanalpaca]

All my eggs didn't fit in her 'bator. So I had 36 less the 2 cracked ones. 30 went into the bottom rack for auto turning and the extra four she 'started' for me by putting them in the bottom of the bator and said she will be hand turning them.

I brought home her 'hova bator' which is foam with a heating element in the top and a wire rack in the bottom to place the eggs on and hand turn them. Supposed to put water in the bottom and a thermometer in it. Keep it at 100 degrees and check humidity.

I got a thermometer that has the humidity dial on it too!

Mine also doesn't have any kind of fan to move the air around.

Anyone try this type of 'bator before and any tricks to get the best results from them?

An egg turner at TSC costs $39.99 right now and I won't know if it fits unless I take the bator in and try it, but it does look close.

Ok, I'm all ears!

Oh, and I'm getting a 'broody hen' SUNDAY just in case I need the real thing. I figured that isn't a sure thing either! She is a Light Sussex and it sounds like she is out of the lines currently available in the US. Just went broody!

Guess who is building a chicken tractor, with coop and nest boxes by Saturday!!!
Cheers,

 

[justmedr]

Quote:
I have a couple still air that I use. I run mine a little higher temp 101.5 on top of egg. Place the thermometer on top of the eggs and get a reading of the top of the eggs. I dry incubate in mine. I only add water if the Humidity drops below 30% and that is only a small amount of water. I live in Florida so the room humidity is already 40-50% so if your in a dry climate it might not work as well. Place the incubator in a area were the temp stays the same, it will help with temp fluctuations.

 

[twinlights]

Day 18 here.

I have 22 mille fleur bantam cochins, and three spangled Orloff eggs still in.

I had one clear and two quitters early on. Now we wait.

 

[vanalpaca]

Still air no fan no egg turner (yet) Hovabator is running at 50% humidity, whew!OK, I added an egg turner and retrieved the 4 eggs from my friend today and they are all in there with the bantam eggs on far left and right racks. Hope all is ok!

Temp appears to be 99-101 fluctuating as light goes on and off. Hoping that stays good. Thermometer is about 2/3's up on the eggs. A few eggs felt cooler than the others when I was turning them, So I also move their location in the brooder over a bit, too, so each one gets a chance to get good atmosphere. All centered in the middle almost the size of a paper plate holder.

Ambient house temp is 64 and humidity is 65-70%.

Put the brooder up on a book so it can get better airflow underneath it, the counter was wet from it sitting there, better now.

Got half bantam and half Large eggs in, stuck them all in the center right up against each other. Did the first turning this a.m, time to turn them counterclockwise now!

It seems to regain it's temp after turning within 10 minutes.

I did fill a tray with water and put paper towel in it in case I need to put a towel in the brooder to boost humidity, it is behind the brooder. We have 45-65 temps outside, windy, and the house is on radiator heating so sometimes it dries out a bit. So far though, I am surprised the house humidity is so good.

 

[creepinturtle]

we have chicks hatching everyday

when we feed we just stuff the new eggs in the hova~bator with the ones already in there. so far we have 24 chicks of various ages from just hatched to about 3 weeks old. just a simple still air hova~bator, hand turning. so far only had a few duds, a couple completely developed but didn't hatch

when i cracked them to see what happened green liquid came out but no smell. got 50 eggs in the bator right now. mostly RIR but we mixed a barred rock in there and soon gonna have a barred rock RIR mix hatching, candeled it yesterday and he/she is kicking good

 

[ilovebuffs]

I'll hatch with you! I put 63 eggs in the bator (GQF remodeled 1202). I'm doing the Dry incubation method. I've got 24 Speckled Sussex from 2 local breeders, 3 Buff Orps from local breeder, 5 Cuckoo Marans from the neighbor, 9 Bantam Wellsummers from gamebirdsonly, 8 Silver Laced Wyandottes from prettypoultry, 9 Silver laced Wyandottes from my flock, and 5 Blue laced Wyandottes from my flock. These are all due on the 28th. Then I have 11 large fowl Polish that went in 4/14. Staggered hatch...we'll see how it goes.

This is not my first hatch, I hatched last year and this is my 3rd hatch this year. This hatching thing is really addicting! Hope you all have AWESOME hatches!