Colorado

[maggiemo]

No hatching yet. The hovabator 1588 is having a very hard time holding humidity. I'm afraid that I will drown baby chicks in their shells if I add water. Humidity is at 31%.

My friend will come by later to candle with me. I must be doing something wrong?!?

Can you hear peeping?

 

[samsr]

If you want CO quail eggs, nice birds, contact COsteveo on BYC for eggs out of the Denver area.  My quail are not laying yet and samsr also has quail but I don't know if his are laying either.

My quail are definately not laying yet. I havent seen an egg out of them in about six weeks. I have mine in their winter cage in the greenhouse. The greenhouses coldest temp so far this winter has been 22 degrees. I would say it is working fairly well. Having them in the greenhouse also helps keep their water from freezing. They should fire back up in a month or so.

 

[suncatcher]

Hatching is not as easy as it sounds! Can you put a bowl of water in the bator? Also adding a few new sponges may help? I have had three or four at one time, leave one in the bowl, leaning on the side so it is pulling water from the bowl, but monitor once they start hatching, as they can get into the bowl of water and drown.

Was your temp stable throughout the hatch? Did it ever go down? If so, could be why your hatch is late, your 12/31 should be hatching by now, but is not uncommon with temperature dips that they will be late. Right, you will not see anything in the developed eggs at this time, just mostly dark with the air sac visable. Those that look clear either did not develope or quit this late in the hatch. Could also be that the eggs were not fertilized, it happens this time of year with roosters, they are just not at full speed yet, even though they are doing the deed, they still are not fertilizing the eggs.

 

[suncatcher]

Also, candle the eggs in a dark room, or closet with no external light, night time is a good time to candle.

 

[suncatcher]

Thanks, will keep their names for further reference! I don't really need quail, but they sure are a good price on Ebay! lol :'

 

[COChix]

Hey gang, so how many of you have sold or donated eggs to an elementary class for hatching? What is the protocol on this front? Please give all your experience, we were contacted by a school for fertilized eggs. So I am curious what eveyone' experience has been. Also what happens after the chicks hatch, do you take the babies back?

 

[Double Kindness]

I saw dark masses yesterday when I candled. I'm close to tears thinking I killed my chicks before they hatched. Temps stayed stable, I refrained from opening the incubators much except to add eggs.

I can't hear peeping over the crowing contest the ayam cemani are having. Anyone want any ac roos? Or any of my laying pullets (13 pullets laying, mostly ee's). I think I will try to go to the judging tomorrow at the stock show. To get away from the crowing.

 

[Ashdoes]

For the Hovabator, at lockdown, you have to completely fill the water trays, both of them. That's how you get the humidity all the way up. I don't think you drowned them, honesty a million things can affect outcome.
Did you candle throughout the whole hatch? First hatch is the hardest, the process is quite stressful when you are first learning.

 

[suncatcher]

I had a teacher contact me on some hatching eggs last year, but she never followed through with picking them up. They usually keep what the class hatch;s, at least that is my understanding.

Dark in the eggs at candling is good, they may just be late bloomers!!! I would listen tonight for peeping after everyone as gone to bed so you can hear the chicks....... Some also run a humidifier in the room where the incubator is, this will help with humidity too. It takes several hatch's to get it right, and yes, is a learning experince, not everyone knows how to hatch their first time!!!! Humidity is different in every state, and even in every home it will not be the same. I have found that wood stoves for heat make the house VERY dry!!

 

[barberfamducks]

If anyone has or knows anyone who has Welsh Harlequin ducks I'd love to know My family and I have been searching for some for a while and have had no luck. Any help is greatly appreciated!