August Hatch-A-Long

[darkbluespace]

Aside from my mixed chicken eggs that appear to be doing well, I have this odd collection of 5 Serama eggs I took out from under my broody Frizzle. I was sure two of them were quitters although apparently one was not. I had put them all in the bator till I could sort out what was what and this egg I was sure had quit is going strong and looks very developed. Honestly, it is really bizarre! I don't know when it might hatch, but it looks closer to hatch than any of the others, including the three under the hen, I think. Just when I think I have a clue what I am doing, these little eggs are throwing me for a loop. Seems like these chicks may be crazy staggered... good thing I have this new hatcher... these eggs are making me batty.

 

[darkbluespace]

This is our first time with eggs, we are using them for meat birds. Once we find out if we can really do the butchering we will invest in a real incubator (i have a homemade one out of Styrofoam cooler) I like the thermostat idea, right now we have a dimmer.

I totally get it! My first two hatches were with a homemade incubator with dimmer. So far each hatch, I have upgraded with a fan or better cooler or thermostat. It has been a process. It makes sense to work with what you've got for your first time. I just got used to how the temp would be affected and could compensate with a towel over it at night and turning it down a bit during the day.

 

[kada6305]

I totally get it! My first two hatches were with a homemade incubator with dimmer. So far each hatch, I have upgraded with a fan or better cooler or thermostat. It has been a process. It makes sense to work with what you've got for your first time. I just got used to how the temp would be affected and could compensate with a towel over it at night and turning it down a bit during the day.

I was surprised that it went that low, I will be putting a towel over it tonight or not dim it as much before bed. we have 6 eggs, I'll be happy with 2 hatches haha.

 

[darkbluespace]

I was surprised that it went that low, I will be putting a towel over it tonight or not dim it as much before bed. we have 6 eggs, I'll be happy with 2 hatches haha.

You have to remember too, that the eggs warm up and cool down much slower than the incubator, so they are more an average of the temp in the incubator. Do you have heat sinks in your bator? I used mason jars of water with lids in mine to keep the temperature more stable, some people use rocks.

 

[HugHess]

Ugh! I set my eggs last night and all was well but when I got up this morning the temp was 103.6. I hurried and opened it and its still riding 102. I have a hovobator 1602n still air. Hoping they didn't fry....

I forgot to quote, as usual, so here is the article I was referring to ... Great info page of multiple articles.
http://www.brinsea.com/Articles/Advice/PowerOff.aspx

 

[kada6305]

You have to remember too, that the eggs warm up and cool down much slower than the incubator, so they are more an average of the temp in the incubator. Do you have heat sinks in your bator? I used mason jars of water with lids in mine to keep the temperature more stable, some people use rocks.

I never heard of heat sinks? I have the eggs, a thermometer, a sponge and the eggs. The sponge is currently dry as I am using the dry method in hatching and only adding water if humidity goes below 30%.

But adding rock or water with lide will help regulate the temp? The day temp is perfect, the night temp I am worried about getting too low.

 

[Book]

The staggered hatch thing was a crazy idea on my part. WHY did I put just two eggs in to hatch at one point? One was a twin egg, one of the twins pipped the wrong end, neither of them made it Do twins ever make it? The other chick is so small next to the week old chicks!

4 Due out tomorrow

a dozen or so due out in a week

and then more a few days after that and then some in three weeks.

 

[darkbluespace]

I never heard of heat sinks? I have the eggs, a thermometer, a sponge and the eggs. The sponge is currently dry as I am using the dry method in hatching and only adding water if humidity goes below 30%.

But adding rock or water with lide will help regulate the temp? The day temp is perfect, the night temp I am worried about getting too low.

A jar or two of water or rocks will hold heat at the right temp so it makes the incubator temp more stable. Especially If you have to open it to turn eggs, or overnight, the heat sinks will help it stay at temp more easily.

 

[kada6305]

Ah,okay I'll add a mason jar with the lid today. We started incubating since our Duck stopped sitting on her nest...Well yesterday our Speckled Sussex started laying on a nest, which is the eggs we are incubating. So we may have more babies than we were planning at the end of the month! Only thing is she doesn't start sittign on them until 3pm every day, will the eggs still hatch? She never sits on them in the morning.

 

[Mermaid909]

My incubator Is amazing in never goes below 99.7 and never goes above 99.9

.

What type of setup do you have?