December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[The Colonel]

There should be a way for you to add water to your incubator without ever touching the lid. The easiest way is to create a small hole in the side of your unit above the water channel (if you have two water channels, do one for each). Then you can run a piece of aquarium tubing down through the hole and to the top of your water channel. Be sure to keep it away from your heating element, and secure it somehow so it won't move around. Then you will be able to insert a plunger and add water as necessary. Then after you've done this, take a little while before your next setting to try it out with the bator running for a couple days, your goal here is to see if you can get it steady for the appropriate days. I.e. lockdown humidity levels. Doing this should make it easier to handle situations in the future. Hope this helps.

 

[The Colonel]

my goodness what a mess! So last night at about 2 am I finally make my way to the incubators which I haven't loooked at a a fre days. Being sick. My grandma has been chucking and updating me with how thing are looking but mostly "so cute, a few more can out" . So look and it is a nasty mess. Most eggs were hatched but the ones that aren't are covered in egg remains, it dried up on them and other eggs glued to them. One is peeping but looks like he has been peeping for a long time and he is almost out but the shell is dried to his body. I don't even think I can wait till the end of the day to day to have 22 complete days , should gather all my strength and take it all apart. So upset

When is hatch day?

 

[Rainier]

Two are out and five external pipped! This is a special hatch as it's the first time I've had more than two external pip and my daughter turned 18 today!

 

[The Colonel]

and now we wait. Good luck with the rest of your hatch

 

[TheChickenQueen]

So, it is day 16 here. And I'd like to know how most people place their eggs for lock down. I've heard on their side, in a carton. And does anyone put anything under the eggs if they are on their side? I'm trying to have a plan for lock down before hand.

 

[ChickenLady2014]

X2 bump it up enough for the viewing window to stay foggy for a few hours before you give up hope. Has she been adding water and checking readings for you also? What is their humidity?

X3

 

[ChickyChickens]

X3

X4

 

[ChickenLady2014]

So, it is day 16 here. And I'd like to know how most people place their eggs for lock down. I've heard on their side, in a carton. And does anyone put anything under the eggs if they are on their side? I'm trying to have a plan for lock down before hand.

Hi Honey bee, my first hatch I just used paper towel under the eggs. They got very messy when the chicks started to hatch. The little one had all sorts of gunk on the other eggs. When I was certain that there wasn't any more external pips. Then I reached thru the top viewing opening and grabbed the hatched chicks out. Then I placed a new wet paper towel under the other eggs to bring up humidity. This helped, 1 more pipped & hatched & the 3 remaining were quiters. My second hatch I used paper towel down first, then I place each egg in a paper muffin liner. This was helpful, but it doesn't seem to matter much because once all those chickie start moving around, they can be pretty messy. This hatch I'm going to try hatching upright in special hatching trays. Time will only tell, lockdown starts for me late Saturday night, for first batch. I will post when hatch is complete about how I liked hatching in trays. Best of luck to you!

 

[backyardjack]

Two out of six eggs have hatched and 3 have pipped yay looks like I'm going to get a good lot of chicks the first time round, whoop whoop!! Now lets just wait and see what happens!

 

[KDob521]

Two out of six eggs have hatched and 3 have pipped yay looks like I'm going to get a good lot of chicks the first time round, whoop whoop!! Now lets just wait and see what happens!

Woohoo!! Way to go!!