California - Northern

[OR4-hmom]

Looking for suggestions all you pro-hatchers out there. The eggs I ordered were supposed to be here at most 1 day apart. I've got 18 that have been coming to room temp and resting for 14 hours. The other dozen might to here tomorrow and no idea how the air cells are going to look. Should I go ahead and load the 18 and get them going or wait till the others get here? I hate to stagger the hatch but I only have 1 incubator. I'm also wondering about the increased humidity affecting the late arrivals when bumping it up for the early eggs. Am I over thinking this?

 

[OR4-hmom]

Thank-you, porcelain is my favorite color too 

That's the color DD is holding for. I had no idea they came in so many varieties, I'm hoping for blue or lab cuckoo. The ginger reds are unusual also.

 

[PetRock]

I've given up trying to be good. I don't do very well at it. Fortunately my hubby is mostly an enabler. I was good last fall and pretty much cut my flocks down to just the birds I would be breeding this year (plus a few pets like my little charity case rooster). So now the cycle will be in full swing again with two incubators full and two brooders reaching capacity. Oh hubby??? I need some more growout pens please

(I usually build them myself, but I have to pretend to ask..)

I totally understand about the grow out pens! I always seem to need more brooder and grow out space! We are going to process our quail this next weekend and that gives me two more 3 x 6 outdoor brooder/grow out pens. I was feeling good about that when I suddenly realized today that I have one group that are 2 1/2 weeks old, 1 group that hatched this past weekend, another that is hatching Sat, and another next weekend. I think that I am going to have enough brooder space but I only have 2 heat lamps! Need to make a trip to Lowes or Home Depot and pick up another one. I was going to order a couple premier heat plates but they are back ordered until April which will do me no good for these hatches. I don't want to think about how high my electricity bill is going to be!

 

[ronott1]

Looking for suggestions all you pro-hatchers out there. The eggs I ordered were supposed to be here at most 1 day apart. I've got 18 that have been coming to room temp and resting for 14 hours. The other dozen might to here tomorrow and no idea how the air cells are going to look. Should I go ahead and load the 18 and get them going or wait till the others get here? I hate to stagger the hatch but I only have 1 incubator. I'm also wondering about the increased humidity affecting the late arrivals when bumping it up for the early eggs. Am I over thinking this?

You should set the eggs as soon as they come to room temperature. Age is very important for hatching. No matter what the air cells look like, do not turn them for 3 to 5 days and set them in the incubator big end up.

Add second shipment the same way.

If they are a day apart, set them for hatching (lockdown) on day 19 for the first batch and day 18 for the second. 65% humidity for one day will not do any damage to the eggs.

At your place and if using a wafer incubator, you have much bigger challenges with keeping the temperatures stable especially at night when the room cools.

I have posted it before but sticky chicks happen because the average temperature during incubation was too low. If humidity is in the 35 to 55% range during incubation, then humidity will not cause sticky chicks.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Sorry to hear about the shingles. I hope if either of us gets them it is me, trying to imagine how whiny DH would be if he got them.

 

[OR4-hmom]

Thanks as usual Ron!
I'll load them when the turner gets back to center then in plug it.

I found a pretty constant location, right on the end of the kitchen counter, so I can peep at them when I walk by.

I have bumped the temp about half a degree, running at 100° rather than 99°. We are well insulated and that helps keep humidity even, running at 30% with only damp sponges.

 

[Audio51]

Quote:
Poor thing is right!
! Seems there must be some underlying immune problem to get them that often.

 

[ronott1]

Thanks as usual Ron!
I'll load them when the turner gets back to center then in plug it.

I found a pretty constant location, right on the end of the kitchen counter, so I can peep at them when I walk by.

I have bumped the temp about half a degree, running at 100° rather than 99°. We are well insulated and that helps keep humidity even, running at 30% with only damp sponges.

Now if the egg were packed well and not used to play soccer you will have a great hatch!

How exciting!

 

[lizanne]

I agree! It actually makes sense though. Before there were antibiotics, people didn't just do nothing. They used herbs and oils to help with ailments. I think with modern medicine, people envision that to build a strong immunity you don't take antibiotics and just suffer through it. At least with ancient treatments, you can build immunities while easing the suffering. It's what people did in the "old days". Hopefully there can be some relief.
Wow! Dont you love that?? Marked FRAGILE and they still don't get it. I ordered some FRAGILE gum paste flowers for a wedding cake. The UPS threw it over my 8 ft fence, even though I had a sign on the fence of where to safely put it. I read a post by someone that they actually have better shipments on eggs if they DONT mark fragile. That amazes me.
It's like on the movie "A Christmas Story" with the lamp marked Fragile. "Fra-GEE-leh!" It must be Italian!"

They just can't comprehend

Close to 50% of packages that come through our post office are marked Fragile. There is a huge difference between a fragile pair of shoes, and hatching eggs though. Most Mail carriers don't understand the mechanics of hatching eggs, and how being shaken will effect them. I explained it to one of our "old timer" carriers one day when he had a package that said "fragile, hatching eggs", after I told him he carried the box super carefully. I don't think it's lack of caring (most of the time), just a lack of understanding. All they do differently when the packages are going through handling is put them at the top (in the big metal cages they ship in).

 

[Audio51]

I just received some Serama eggs I ordered from eBay. The package is clearly marked FRAGILE but the mailman just tossed the box down on the granite counter top at my work.......I'm sure the look on my face was horrified/shocked/po'ed. Poor little eggs. None are broken however. Seller packaged them in thick foam with holes cut in for the eggs. Foam on top and bottom also. They got here from Washington state in 2 days.

I have heard that fragile packages often fare better when they are NOT marked "fragile". Sometimes I think the carrier takes it as a personal challenge and does their best to handle it roughly. I'm glad not are broken. Hope they settle well and you get a good hatch!