Curious Incubation Method

[chicken pickin]

I am on my first batch! Its a really neat experience. I am on day 15 I started out with 21 eggs and have candled 3 times. 5 eggs seemed clear from the start but I left them in for a while just incase. Last candling on day 12 the 5 eggs were still clear so I removed them and cracked them open and they were all infertile. The other 16 eggs are doing great the embryos are all growing and showing lots of movement in every egg and the veins all look fantastic. Lock down for me is Friday. I may candle them right before lockdown but I havent decided yet. I have them in an automatic egg turner so they need to get handled anyhow to take the turner out. My hatchday is Christmas Eve.

 

[CluckAcres]

awesome! Let me know how they turn out. I never thought watching eggs would be so fun. LOL

 

[Roxannemc]

oh and it holds heat really good. the elements hardly ever kick on and when they do they kick on for only like 2 seconds and thats it.

Wel lthat sounds ok if it just kicks on very short times.
That is an interesting and creative way to hatch!
GOOD LUCK. Will keep an eye on your thread see how the chickies do.

 

[stevetone]

I wouldn't worry about the length of time that the oven is on (21 days). It is working exactly like a real incubator does, activating the heating element when needed.

I will say that my first reaction was, "What? That's crazy." But if it will hold a temperature like you are reporting, then I see no reason why it will not work.

Do you have 1/4" mesh that you can put under the eggs so that the hatching chicks will have something to walk on?

Also, is the heating element exposed? If so, they may hit their little heads on it when standing. But that will be easy to watch for.

Good Luck!

 

[stevetone]

One additional thought. The oven probably is not sealed very good, an may allow humid air to escape too easily.

If so, getting the hatching humidity up may be a challenge. A lot of exposed water surface area may be needed (perhaps even a pan spanning the entire bottom of the oven filled with water).

Ideally, this would have been worked out before the incubation started. It's kind of like working on an airplane while it is in the air...

 

[CluckAcres]

One additional thought. The oven probably is not sealed very good, an may allow humid air to escape too easily.

If so, getting the hatching humidity up may be a challenge. A lot of exposed water surface area may be needed (perhaps even a pan spanning the entire bottom of the oven filled with water).

Ideally, this would have been worked out before the incubation started. It's kind of like working on an airplane while it is in the air...

I have wire down already and the heating elements are higher so the chicks wont be able to hit their heads. With Humidity that isnt a problem. There is a pan on the bottom that I have beeen putting water in and the humidity is staying just fine. I will just have to put more water in it for lock down.

 

[CluckAcres]

Only 4 more days till lockdown!!! Cant wait. Only problem i had so far was one of my boys opened the door and left it open. Temp got down to 88 degrees and sadly the dog took a egg out and ate it. So i will be moving my incubator up higher out of their reach. Not sure how long door was left open so Im praying that they will be fine.

 

[sumi]

I've read stories on here about people who's incubators got turned off accidentally, one for 24 hours, and the chicks hatched out fine. Lower temperature for a few hours can delay the development of the embryo a bit, so they might hatch a bit later than expected.

 

[wolftracks]

Hens usually don't sit 24/7, so don't worry about the door. I have an option for you for humidity. ummmmm Feminine napkins! Yes, that's what said. They hold moisture better than sponges. Just thought I'd pass that on since you're so creative anyway.

Years ago one of the companies that made covered fry pans, hatched chicks in them as deminstrations. People have hatched them in their bras, in buckets left outside in the sun and NO extra heat, just all kinds of crazy ways.

When I was 12 or 13, I hatched 3 eggs in a shoe box that I had stuffed with cotton and sat it under the lamp on my night stand. I didn't even know I needed to use humidity, but 2 out of 3 hatched.

Good luck with your hatch. Can't wait to see how it goes.

 

[chicken pickin]

awesome! Let me know how they turn out. I never thought watching eggs would be so fun. LOL

Just an updat for you. We had 16 eggs go into lockdown and 15 chicks hatched out. They are all doing great and so cute. The last egg didnt look like it finished developing upon candling on day 22 so I tossed it. Im excited to see your results. And sorry to hear the news of the open door and dog Good luck and I cant wait to find out what happens.