August Hatch-A-Long

[jolenesdad]

I have this silly idea of making a DIY incubator that has a way to get your hands in without “opening”. Like a hand hole on a NICU baby.

I don’t really know how actually possible it would be, but omg HOW useful!

@Rockporters i straddle the middle here, and as soon as the scales tip to where more have hatched than are left, I will open and reposition. I agree with @Compost King that once you start assisting and opening the bator you start more issues, but I’m not hatching 100s, so in i go!

I don’t worry too much about the bottom pippers. I’ve had a ton lately. In general most make it out just fine on their own. Those that need help spend, most times, almost 24 hours with that external pip without showing much progress.

It’s really hard to know, though, if they’re about to hatch or are dying in there. So once the majority have hatched I pull the bottom pippers and check them. If they’re looking normal I put them back. If they’re slow or not vocal or TOO vocal I open the air cell and check veins.

 

[Kris5902]

I’m really worried about this too, mostly because I’m hatching for more than just myself this time... when they are all my babies it’s one thing, but I’m going to be a lot more torn between assisting and just letting them go on their own for better or worse this time... I suppose that’s something we will have to talk about today when I let him know he’d down Six eggs

 

[CluckNDoodle]

And this morning i went out to the brooder, and a rat snake had climbed in thru the wiring into the brooder, and ate 6 out of the nine chicks in there.
Boy did i teach that snake a lesson (with an axe and a machete)!!!

Oh no!!! I'm so sorry!!! I had a close call with a snake this year. Believe it or not it's the first snake I've ever actually had to kill in my entire life. I cried, my husband thought it scared me but it's because I felt bad! Lol, I almost always choose to relocate but that big nope rope was already inside the coop and was going for babies so I had to draw a line somewhere....I drew it through his head, with a shovel.

 

[BlueBaby]

Well, the 25 egg's that I was waiting on did arrive. Good job of packing, and none of them was broken or cracked! I unwrapped all of them, and have them in the incubator now without the turner on. Thank's to all who have assured me that I don't have to let them sit to settle for 24 hour's first!

 

[jolenesdad]

Oh no!!! I'm so sorry!!! I had a close call with a snake this year. Believe it or not it's the first snake I've ever actually had to kill in my entire life. I cried, my husband thought it scared me but it's because I felt bad! Lol, I almost always choose to relocate but that big nope rope was already inside the coop and was going for babies so I had to draw a line somewhere....I drew it through his head, with a shovel.

Uggggggggh. I hate them. I live off a creek and have a pond. They’re in my yard sometimes but rarely and I hate that I even said this ... in my coop. So sorry @john_wrightson2003 that SUCKS.

I just ordered a snake stick on amazon and I keep it in the back of the side by side as I go around to do evening chores with my kiddo. I can not handle being within striking distance of a water moccasin it makes me question EVERY SINGLE life choice that brought me to that moment.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

Oh no!!! I'm so sorry!!! I had a close call with a snake this year. Believe it or not it's the first snake I've ever actually had to kill in my entire life. I cried, my husband thought it scared me but it's because I felt bad! Lol, I almost always choose to relocate but that big nope rope was already inside the coop and was going for babies so I had to draw a line somewhere....I drew it through his head, with a shovel.

Way to go, I believe that all snakes should die! I love letting my little dog fight em, well throw it on the ground, and hell run around it, then start grabbing its tail, and slingin it all around, and plays with it till its dead, or ill just kill it if im really mad.

 

[Compost King]

I heard snakes are good for the ecosystem, I say be good for the ecosystem somewhere else! I can't stand snakes.
Today was a day I finished up projects that consumed my mind and I checked the calendar to see how far away I am from lockdown... Friday! I will probably go into lockdown a day early because last hatch I had a few hatch 2 days early. Although I have none of those eggs this time I do have some eggs from a young pullet that may hatch earlier than normal because young pullets have smaller yolks (Last hatch I theorized that the smaller the yolk the sooner they hatch and the larger the y.......)

 

[ScottyGill]

So far Of the 12 eggs I set 10 days ago 4 were duds. One has a saddle cell and tonight I see this. Not being super experienced I will leave them in and keep checking unless someone confirms my feeling that I’m looking at bloodlines. It’s not all the way round in a circle, just one side

 

[Kris5902]

I heard snakes are good for the ecosystem, I say be good for the ecosystem somewhere else! I can't stand snakes.
Today was a day I finished up projects that consumed my mind and I checked the calendar to see how far away I am from lockdown... Friday! I will probably go into lockdown a day early because last hatch I had a few hatch 2 days early. Although I have none of those eggs this time I do have some eggs from a young pullet that may hatch earlier than normal because young pullets have smaller yolks (Last hatch I theorized that the smaller the yolk the sooner they hatch and the larger the y.......)

All depends on the snake and the setting. We don’t have anything large enough to bother an egg here, and they are great for taking our garden pests and baby rodents, if they can get them.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So far Of the 12 eggs I set 10 days ago 4 were duds. One has a saddle cell and tonight I see this. Not being super experienced I will leave them in and keep checking unless someone confirms my feeling that I’m looking at bloodlines. It’s not all the way round in a circle, just one side

If they don't stink I would wait a few days and see if the veins break down more or if they continue to develop. When you move an egg with a quitter inside it's also moves loosely, almost sloshy when gently turned. I do think you're correct about the second one at least though.