August Hatch-A-Long!

[dvoice]

Still will get some probably
Ive had 104 for short times and did and low the same sort periods. What day are you on?. Nothing more frustrating though.Wait all that time things right and then ...this...

I'm on day 4 now. wish there was somewher close to get a thermostat to tie me over till the new controller

 

[Roxannemc]

This is why I try to let more experienced people jump in - and if they don't I try to preface anything I say with the word "inexperienced" and "I have found in my reading" etc. or try to send people to links of the same info that I read so they can use their own judgement. Of course, there aren't hard fast rules either - if you ask the same question to 2 very experienced hatchers you may still get two totally different opinions. I am sorry you felt mislead and it lead to what you feel were fatal decisions. Just know that you did your best and we are all always learning from our experiences. Hopefully more experience means more successful hatches - but even then there are no guarantees. I would call my first hatch a success with about a 65% hatch rate. But now I have shipped eggs in there and have a bad feeling.... Its day 20 and I don't "feel" anything yet, there is no wiggling, etc. But my fingers are crossed and I wait...

65% is good... Congrats.!

Sadly some ppl don't want t o preface their answer ..
.I have a grand daughter like that. LOVE HER DEARLY shes my heart ..but do something for 1 day and shes an expert! always been her personality Doesnt want to learn the right way to be sure shes right

I try and put my 2 cents in on things here which maybe ppl don't agree or get mad at the old know-it -all but some ppl are too kind and are quiet even if they know someone is doing things wrong and will have a bad outcome they don't say as they dont want to hurt the persons feelings Someone will say "my humidity is 85 that's ok isn't it?" Please tell them... NO.....its not .!!. get it down.
The silent their privilaged to not to get involved but if they know how to help thru experience ... they should.
Nothings worse than hatch day and not ONE chick,.
,If they are only guessing then say "I don't know for sure but I read .." yes.....Or" im new too but". or just commiserate or don't reply

We are always learning every hatch each one of us.and each hatch teaches us more.Not sure if you ever have seen it all .....Probably not all .

We are only human not prophets or clairvoyant We do what we can ...

 

[chickinthebator]

So I was woken up in the middle.of the.night by very long chirping
Checked the incubator an the little one who hatched yesterday PM was sitting on one of the other eggs and peeping loudly. She is either telling them to hurry up or practicing her broody skills

I find this too funny! - Imagine if its a boy ?!

 

[chickinthebator]

I'm excited to see pics

Same here!

 

[chickinthebator]

:'( Only slept for 5 hours, but in those 5 hours one of my assisted chicks - my little yellow RIW marans mix with the super fuzzy legs - got snuggled to death in the chick pile. So sad.... I hate when they do that!

Sorry to here this best of luck with the rest

 

[chickinthebator]

3 of my 4 packs of eggs arrived today - still waiting on another bator and set of eggs

 

[familypendragon]

Well Monday was a big problem day.On Day 3. First thing in the morning I went into the shop and noticed the heat was approx. 1 degree too low and heater was full on and temp didn't move for 1/2 hr. Using small baseboard heater. Heater problem. Next went and bought new heater. Left Controller plugged in but disconnected the 2 live wires for heater. While changing the heater I touched the ground wire to something a shorted out the heating capabilities of the controller(everything else works, egg turner,temp and humidity sensors and DEFINATELY the alarms..lol)electrician friend tried soldering the circuit board back to proper, didn't work. figured I'd hardwire heater for always on and adjust vents. After making about 6 more vent holes(up to 2") heat was still getting up to about 104. disconnected heater and tried adding larger bulb(150W) to interior light fixture. about 4 degrees too cold. added a secong light fixture and a 60w bulb. heat is fine but depending on room heat, need to make constant adjustments to vent. with 2 lightbulbs going my humidity is way down at 25%. Can't get it any higher no matter what.Ordered new controller and hope to have it here by Friday, If not 96 eggs are probably ruined if they not already.Temp ranges from 87 to 104 while trying to figure it out.

Oh my, that does sound like a nightmare Good luck!! Most of that was way over my head technical jargon - but I am having luck with my first hatch using a piece of woven hemp cloth in the bottom of my bator for humidity. Hemp is extremely absorbant, which is why its used for a lot of cloth diapers. And the woven texture gives even more surface area. I am dripping heated distilled water through a vent hole onto the cloth and not having to open the bator at all. I don't know if there is a similar work around you could do with your mega bator or not?

 

[jnjmanning]

I candled the 13 eggs in the incubator a few minutes ago! I'm very excited that on day 5 I have seven that have great veining and movement! (My 8-year-old is amazed)

There's one that has a detached air cell and the yolk looks a little scrambled. I'm assuming that it's not going to do anything. This is only my second hatch and I've not seen one like this before.

I have one side saddle air cell, if that makes any sense. Should I put an egg carton in there and hope it moves?

And I have four that I can't really tell much about yet. I got excited and candled a couple of days early.

What can I say? But I'm seeing so much more just tonight than I did the entire 21 days of the last hatch. I will give them 5 more days and candle again. See if anything else is going on.

I have tried everything under the sun to get detached cells to re attach. I never had any luck. They say to not turn for 1st 5 days and then keep upright for hatching. Some can get them to hatch, me my luck is horrible. I wish you better luck!

 

[AParmer]

I have tried everything under the sun to get detached cells to re attach. I never had any luck. They say to not turn for 1st 5 days and then keep upright for hatching. Some can get them to hatch, me my luck is horrible. I wish you better luck!

I don't have high hopes for it. But going to give it another week and see what happens. I learned my lesson about looking at the air cells before putting them in the bator. These were from my mother's flock so I assumed they'd be okay since they weren't shipped. At least there's only one. Thank you much!

 

[Gen9]

I don't have high hopes for it. But going to give it another week and see what happens. I learned my lesson about looking at the air cells before putting them in the bator. These were from my mother's flock so I assumed they'd be okay since they weren't shipped. At least there's only one. Thank you much!

There were a couple eggs I've come across with detached air cells. We're talking straight out of the hen & into the house- all about 50ft in total. Not jumbled around... Sometimes they just happen I guess. I don't even bother with it, in that case. Shipped eggs, maybe a different story, personally, I just wouldn't bother... You never know unless you try though