This is my first time hatching chicken eggs so please give me some advice. I have 41 eggs in my LG still-air bator with a turning rack. The eggs came from our purebred chickens and will be mixes. At different stages I've candled the majority of the eggs and so far every one of them has a chick that I can see moving! I've read other posts about using the egg carton method but I don't think that 5 cartons will fit. Also read about others moving their eggs to a "hatcher". With so many, should I do this? Or just remove the rack when it's time and go for it? If you suggest a hatcher, please tell me how to make one and what I'll need. Also, at what day do you generally see the eggs moving? Thanks for your help! Cindy
Basically a hatcher is the same thing as an incubator. You can make one from an ice chest (see Miss Prissy incubator thread). Some folks incubate on angled slats that wouldn't be suitable for hatching...the chicks would fall off. Here are photos of mine. I incubate and hatch in the same bator. However, I had 37 eggs in this one and there wasn't a lot of room for babies after hatching. So I had the brooder box ready and as soon as they dried off some, I moved them to the brooder. I don't like to open the bator lid much so I installed a side door that I can reach into without losing much humidity and temp. Also, there is a shelf below the shelf that you see. It would take as many as 4 dozen eggs but again, there wouldn't be much room for chicks with that many eggs. I don't like the chicks climbing all over the eggs that are hatching, pipped or even waiting to pip. [/img] [/img] [/img]
That side door is a great idea!! I'm terrified to open mine once they start. I see your hatch is going well - congrats!! They are beautiful chicks. Since all the egg cartons won't fit (I don't think, anyway) do you recommend that I put in as many cartons as I can and just lay the others on their sides? Or just lay them all in there without the cartons?