December Hatch-A-Long 2014

[PD-Riverman]

Ok thanks! I didn't know broodies could tell

I am no scientist, but I have my "feelings". I feel that when the broody hears a peek from a unhatched chick----she will not leave the nest till they hatch. "Your feelings can differ".

 

[Purpletie3]

I personally feel that the area we live in has a some affect on how we set-up. I feel we need to find what works best for "us". I mainly hatch chicks that will be full size chickens----not alot of bantams, but I do hatch a decent amount of silkies. I hatch the silkies right with the rest of the eggs. If I start hatching alot of Other type eggs and I get a low percentage of hatch--I will start hatching them by theirself and work with the humidity/temp till I get a better hatch %.
 I have real good hatches at 35 to 40% for the first 18 days and around 70% the last 3 days, BUT I did experiment with different humidity % in the beginning to find out what works good for me.(???how accurate is my humidity meter???) I will say this---I have always hatched a decent amount of chicks no matter what the humidity was(within reason), but a higher hatch percentage at the above humidity percentages.

One time---months back I was in a hurry and set up the styrofoam incubator with 28 eggs I think, on day 18 when I went to light, remove turner for lock down----I never Plugged in the turner from the beginning, but 7 eggs still hatched.

With the styrofoam incubators I do not have as good of a hatch % as with my home-made cabinet but I usually hatch around 75% of what goes into lock-down. I have had lower hatch % and higher. With the Cabinet hatcher I usually hatch about all that goes into it---as I posted a few days back in my hatcher I had one tray with 38 yellow buff eggs, hatched 38 chicks.

As I have preached so many times(alot of people have a different opinion) """"""""""I""""""""me"""" have a better hatch % by putting the eggs into Lock-Down and Leaving them alone till they all hatch or day 22 NEVER opening the Incubator For NO reason during this time. "Your Mileage may vary""  and They are your eggs---hatch them anyway you want!!!

Just for info(repeating from another post) Myself, my Mother, her step-daughter and a couple other friends had a real bad hatch percentage when we open out styrofoam incubators at will---anytime we wanted, removing a just hatched chick, helping a chick hatch, opening to add water, etc. I remember one time I hatched 1 chick out of a incubator full of eggs/30 some at lockdown. "WE" all started having real good hatch percentage when we quit opening at lock-down!! If someone on here says they can open theirs at will with a HIGH % hatch----Good, but that does not mean you will have their same luck where you live.

I personally see NO reason to open it during lock-down or to Bother a broody hen during her lock-down.

I Just Want So Bad for ALL of you To Have a Real Great hatch-----which is why I am here posting----even though I feel I am wasting my Time---alot of the time!! Good Luck to everyone!!

I thank you for your input. I know it takes hours away from your day to follow and help others on here. I want to find out the best way to hatch here in Central New York winters. Best way is to glean information from those who are successful and experienced.

Part of the problem here is drafty farmhouse, bouncy floors, climate, and then figuring out the incubator. Plus I have shipped eggs that arrived in boxes that looked like the post office drop kicked them!

Trial and error. I thank you for your time, input and experience!

 

[ChickenLady2014]

I personally feel that the area we live in has a some affect on how we set-up. I feel we need to find what works best for "us". I mainly hatch chicks that will be full size chickens----not alot of bantams, but I do hatch a decent amount of silkies. I hatch the silkies right with the rest of the eggs. If I start hatching alot of Other type eggs and I get a low percentage of hatch--I will start hatching them by theirself and work with the humidity/temp till I get a better hatch %.
 I have real good hatches at 35 to 40% for the first 18 days and around 70% the last 3 days, BUT I did experiment with different humidity % in the beginning to find out what works good for me.(???how accurate is my humidity meter???) I will say this---I have always hatched a decent amount of chicks no matter what the humidity was(within reason), but a higher hatch percentage at the above humidity percentages.

One time---months back I was in a hurry and set up the styrofoam incubator with 28 eggs I think, on day 18 when I went to light, remove turner for lock down----I never Plugged in the turner from the beginning, but 7 eggs still hatched.

With the styrofoam incubators I do not have as good of a hatch % as with my home-made cabinet but I usually hatch around 75% of what goes into lock-down. I have had lower hatch % and higher. With the Cabinet hatcher I usually hatch about all that goes into it---as I posted a few days back in my hatcher I had one tray with 38 yellow buff eggs, hatched 38 chicks.

As I have preached so many times(alot of people have a different opinion) """"""""""I""""""""me"""" have a better hatch % by putting the eggs into Lock-Down and Leaving them alone till they all hatch or day 22 NEVER opening the Incubator For NO reason during this time. "Your Mileage may vary""  and They are your eggs---hatch them anyway you want!!!

Just for info(repeating from another post) Myself, my Mother, her step-daughter and a couple other friends had a real bad hatch percentage when we open out styrofoam incubators at will---anytime we wanted, removing a just hatched chick, helping a chick hatch, opening to add water, etc. I remember one time I hatched 1 chick out of a incubator full of eggs/30 some at lockdown. "WE" all started having real good hatch percentage when we quit opening at lock-down!! If someone on here says they can open theirs at will with a HIGH % hatch----Good, but that does not mean you will have their same luck where you live.

I personally see NO reason to open it during lock-down or to Bother a broody hen during her lock-down.

I Just Want So Bad for ALL of you To Have a Real Great hatch-----which is why I am here posting----even though I feel I am wasting my Time---alot of the time!! Good Luck to everyone!!

Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to pass on your personal results/experience with hatching. This is only my third hatch, so every bit of advice helps.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I thank you for your input. I know it takes hours away from your day to follow and help others on here. I want to find out the best way to hatch here in Central New York winters. Best way is to glean information from those who are successful and experienced.

Part of the problem here is drafty farmhouse, bouncy floors, climate, and then figuring out the incubator. Plus I have shipped eggs that arrived in boxes that looked like the post office drop kicked them!

Trial and error. I thank you for your time, input and experience!

Thanks. Not living in you area but Like alway----having Idea's---The Bouncy floors can be helped by putting the incubator on a table next the walls(solid wall) or on a table attached to wall---not out in the middle of the room. Most incubators can only stay up to temp---if the room they are in stays up to a good temp, but if you have this problem a simple cardboard box with the bottom cut out---that is a little bigger than your incubator(thinking styrofoam bater here) set over it---with the top parctially open---a few small vent holes towards the bottom can make a word of differente in keeping the incubator up to temperature up to normal. My Cabinet incubator is in a un-heated room of a old camper---I put a thick comforter over the top, front and sides so it will keep up during these cold days/nights. Good Luck!!

 

[Purpletie3]

Thought I would share my cuties from the sizzle hatch!

 

[Debs55]

Okay...so 2 hatched and the third died while pipping!!

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I have just set 48 eggs!

Thats like the incubator I am getting! how do you like it so far?

 

[Renee572]

Okay...so 2 hatched and the third died while pipping!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have just set 48 eggs!

sad! So sorry. But 2 out of 3 is good! How exciting, 48 more eggs to wait on!

 

[Renee572]

Thought I would share my cuties from the sizzle hatch!

so stinkin cute!

 

[Daisyfern]

Thought I would share my cuties from the sizzle hatch!

Adorable! Sunday is lockdown for me.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Thats like the incubator I am getting! how do you like it so far?

It is awesome!!! I LOVE IT SOO MUCH!!! I just had to lower the thermometer but then that was all the rest was PERFECT!!!

sad! So sorry. But 2 out of 3 is good! How exciting, 48 more eggs to wait on!

Yeah!!!! And I will be setting +- 48 eggs a week from this week!!! I will then be getting +-48 chicks a week!!!! I don't know how I am going to live through the cuteness!!!