BYC's 2026 Valentine's Day Hatch-Along

[gimmie birdies]

Why on Earth are my eggs going north?
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One time I sent a package to my son in Bozeman 10 hrs east of us. They go first Billings, further east 2hrs, to be sorted. Then went west to be delivered. When the package was in Bozeman, the truck broke down. They sent the truck full of mail, 2 hrs west to be repaired in Dillon MT. For one day. Then the mail went back 4hrs east to Billings to be sorted again. Then back 2 hrs to finally be delivered.

 

[redinator]

One time I sent a package to my son in Bozeman 10 hrs east of us. They go first Billings, further east 2hrs, to be sorted. Then went west to be delivered. When the package was in Bozeman, the truck broke down. They sent the truck full of mail, 2 hrs west to be repaired in Dillon MT. For one day. Then the mail went back 4hrs east to Billings to be sorted again. Then back 2 hrs to finally be delivered.

I don't normally watch the delivery route unless something takes an unusually long time to arrive. You'd think they'd have alternate routes to go around problem areas during certain times of year.

 

[Debbie292d]

I really need to stop looking . . .
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It could be worse.

 

[Debbie292d]

I don't know the for sure answer either, but in every other scenario you want to bring frozen or near frozen beings back up to "normal body temperature" very gradually. I would not put those eggs in the incubator until they've warmed up to room temperature.

I agree 100%.

 

[Debbie292d]

54 silkies set. Expectations for about a 70% hatch rate. Several have F's for frozen on them. I wasn't positive, so I included them.

 

[Slothinc]

Candled last night, pulled 21 of the 32 eggs (clears) and kept 11 eggs in. Then added 21 new eggs to fill up the incubator - most of them will also probably be clear - will know in a few days!

 

[redinator]

Candled last night, pulled 21 of the 32 eggs (clears) and kept 11 eggs in. Then added 21 new eggs to fill up the incubator - most of them will also probably be clear - will know in a few days!

You're not worried about staggered hatch?

 

[Debbie292d]

You're not worried about staggered hatch?

Once I get going, all my eggs are staggered. I just go 5 days between. I have a hatching incubator though. So I'd be moving say 2 dozen over to the hatching incubator, which should hatch in 5 days. Now there's room to put two dozen more in.

As soon as the ones come out of the hatching incubator, I have to clean it, then move then next batch of eggs into it. This process goes on for a couple of months in the summer. I save up the eggs for 5 days, and into the incubator they go.

 

[Slothinc]

You're not worried about staggered hatch?

Similar to Debbie, I often do a staggered hatch. I set eggs, wait until I can confirm growth and then I pull out the clears and fill their spaces with others. I have a separate incubator for hatching also, so it works out well. As soon as the first batch is ready to go unto lockdown, I put them in the hatching incubator, and then put the next ones in after all those have hatched.

 

[redinator]

Similar to Debbie, I often do a staggered hatch. I set eggs, wait until I can confirm growth and then I pull out the clears and fill their spaces with others. I have a separate incubator for hatching also, so it works out well. As soon as the first batch is ready to go unto lockdown, I put them in the hatching incubator, and then put the next ones in after all those have hatched.

Now I have several questions . .

How is the hatching incubator different?

Do you move eggs into the hatching incubator as they reach lockdown?

Doesn't the incubator stop auto turning at lockdown? Do you hand turn eggs?

How do you prevent piped eggs from shrink wrapping when you move hatched chicks to the brooder?