August Hatch-A-Long!

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

I'm bummed, just candled the broody's eggs for the first time at 12 days and five out of the nine were duds or early death. I figured I'd have some quit because the stupid broody squashed one egg in the fist week, pooped in the nest once, and I caught her eating one developing egg yesterday :'(
So unfortunately I'm down to 4 eggs under her. Red sex links make real crappy broodys. At least I have my incubator 3/4 full of viable eggs.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Hi All,

I am on day 18 of my first hatch ever and I am feeling kind of panicked.  I have a Brinsea Octogon 20 Advance with an auto-turner.  I have been running my incubator without water and the humidity has been 32 - 35%;  temp has been 99.8 with a variance of 0.1 degree.  Today, I took the incubator off the turner, took the holding rails out, and filled the water canals with water.  I set all the eggs on their sides with their air sac up.  I have 19 eggs and so far they all seem to be doing ok.  My 8 Easter Egger eggs have such a dark shell I have only been able to see and mark the retreating air cell. My 11 Araucana eggs are all developing - even the four that had been refrigerated.

It has been 2 hours since I "locked down" the incubator and the humidity is up to 56%.  I have the air vent 1/2ish open which is what the Brinsea booklet suggests.  I have been keeping it wide open during the entire incubation period.  How long does it take the humidity to reach 70%?  Any other advice?

Vickie
Kelso, WA.

I have the same incubator. I leave the vent open all the way during lockdown because I have read that the chicks need plenty of fresh air during this time. To get the humidity above 65% as recommended I place a couple pieces of cheap cello sponges full of water inside. I also place a piece of a rag down inside the water wells an extending down on the floor of the incubator. My humidity stays about 70-75% easily. When it drops I use a small tube thru the vent hole and using a flavor injector syringe i add more water directly on one of the sponges and/or rag below.

This is what works for me.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Anyone else have their face smooshed up on the bator windows? I am only on day 12. Reminds me of the Mervny's commerical. "Open Open Open Open"

Yes! I remember that commercial, and their great sales too! Lol. I have my incubators in my bathroom and have a chair parked in front of them so I can sit while I stare at the eggs.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Everything I read and see people writing about says not to open it.  The Brinsea booklet says to open only every 6 hours at the soonest.  

My question is - how do you know if you are out of water? and if you are how do you add it if you need to keep the incubator closed?

I watch my thermometer that also reads humidity. If the humidity starts going down its because my water is getting low so I add water at that time. To add water without opening the incubator I use a small tube that I insert thru the vent hole and use a flavor injector syringe to squirt water thru the tube.

 

[familypendragon]

Hm, I am starting to feel a little tingle... maybe that means something is about to happen with batch 2... or maybe it means nothing except I have an over active imagination, LOLOLOL! We'll see!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I candled my 18 Catdance Silkie eggs last night...I think it was day 4.5 and many of them have veins!!! I think there were about 6-8 that I couldn't see veins but not going to worry yet. I will recheck them at day 10. I marked the air sack so I will be able to see increased air sack sizes if nothing else. There was one that I couldn't even identify the air sack...guess it got scrambled?

In that same batch are two eggs that came from my own chickens, Barred Rock Roo x Red Sexlink hen. They both have veins as well. In lockdown right now is a single egg of my own (same pair as the other two). It has not pipped yet but the temps increased this afternoon for no reason so it must be because the chick is in there working up a sweat (joking) trying to pip. This egg did not get shipped or even stored...it went straight from the nest box within a few moments of being laid, to the incubator that was already running with other eggs. So other than being from a fairly new layer (she was about 7 mo at that time) and from my 13 week old cockerel, it should be a perfect egg.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Hm, I am starting to feel a little tingle... maybe that means something is about to happen with batch 2... or maybe it means nothing except I have an over active imagination, LOLOLOL! We'll see!

Ha ha you are so funny!

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

this is my last month for me...I don't want to have to worry about wee ones in the winter! what will I do??

Same for me. I'm in AZ so not too worried about winters, but hatching babies is emotionally draining for me, lol but just as rewarding as giving birth...well almost

 

[jnjmanning]

Those are such beautful babies! How do you get them to hold still for photos? Your photos are exceptional!

The ones in my hands??? These are the friendliest babies! I have trouble getting them to get out of my hand....lol They run to my hand when I place it in the brooder box.

 

[turkenlurken]

2 little ones out tonight. Not sure but I think they are partridge. Peeping up a storm. My lonely chick will be happy to have friends in the morning. 2 eggs to go, hope they hatch too..