Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[sumi]

ugg... I went down to the barn because I forgot to give the ducks more water and I found my beautiful dark brahma rooster Alexander as a bloody mess. Him and the brahma cross rooster must have gotten into a fight. His beautiful white feathers are stained with red and his face is bloody, hot, and swollen. His beak is cracked in multiple places and he can't eat. He couldn't even eat his favorite treat, cheese. I used at least a third of a tube of antibiotic ointment on his face and wattles. Oh what to do... he looks so pitiful...

I'm sorry to hear that

How bad is his beak? When I joined this forum I found a thread where someone glued a chicken's beak back together, but I'll have to go look for it. In the meantime here's something:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/737683/raccoon-attack-this-morning-broken-beak-please-help

He probably won't eat because he's in pain. Dissolve half a baby aspirin in water and try and get that into him. Good luck!

 

[sumi]

Quick update from broody: she hatched a chick yesterday and I hatched 3 so far in the incubator. I went and slipped the first one under her yesterday evening. She took it from my hand and tucked it under her wing, too cute! When I checked on her now I could feel at least 2 chicks under her, but I think there may be more by now. I'm going to give her the last 2 incubator chicks a bit later. I don't want to bother her too much as she's a bit skittish.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

Hi everyone, I started a thread but got invited over. I think it was Sumi?! Thanks
I'm new to hatching and on my 2nd batch. My first being a complete failure.
Well I've been totally and utterly sad over my incubator experiences as the last three days have been hard to try and keep the temp down on the blasted thing! I think the thermostats is not working properly I'm having to literally have the lid off and at an angle so that there is excess heat escaping. The thermostat I have set to 35 c and its reading 37.5-38. But if the lid is on the edge of it reads 39 and the middle 36-38. So readings as high as 102.2 It has doing my head in!
Have been thinking that maybe they have all been cooked so just at day 3 I decided to check my four bantam Cochin Eggs. As they are pinky white So one looks unfertile. Another. I say the classic spiderish! But it was hard to see through all the speckles. Just can kinda make it out! A third sorta similar but the last one oh wow. It was awesome. A perfect spider with veins and a clear red circle within the yolk and on very still inspection. I saw THE HEART BEATING!!! Omg. I'm so happy and so worried at the same time! I now have to come up with a plan for lockdown as humidity will be hard to achieve with a half open tank! Thinking lots of sponges and loads of warm water consistently! Can't believe this has happened to me. I don't have the money for a new one, especially when I've just bought this one. So any ideas? Was thinking maybe setting one up with cardboard boxes. I've got a heat lamp and heat mats that I use for reptiles. Maybe as a hatcher.

Update to this is now working into day three. I've candeled again and found two heart beats on two banties and one on a mixed eggs I got shipped. So in Total I have 34 eggs set.
11 from the shipped 12 went in. One was so badly damaged between a large air sac and bubbles. Not to mention it was very porous! Not impressed at all!
Ok so then there are four from my banties Cochins and and the further 19 are a mix between my banties and my xNeros. So excited to see what they will turn out like!

Basically I am not new to raising chicks but I am to incubating and hatching. I have also kept ducks and chickens for years. And I am an Aga owner, raising 6 kids and live out in the Fens of England with my amazing Hubby.

Just hope I don't bombard you all with updates and questions. I absolutely love chickens and the small farm life! I would not trade it in for anything! But hope you all well on your babies and now I'm going to read some more of this thread! But here is a pic of one of my bantie eggs

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Hi everyone, I started a thread but got invited over. I think it was Sumi?! Thanks
I'm new to hatching and on my 2nd batch. My first being a complete failure.
Well I've been totally and utterly sad over my incubator experiences as the last three days have been hard to try and keep the temp down on the blasted thing! I think the thermostats is not working properly I'm having to literally have the lid off and at an angle so that there is excess heat escaping. The thermostat I have set to 35 c and its reading 37.5-38. But if the lid is on the edge of it reads 39 and the middle 36-38. So readings as high as 102.2 It has doing my head in!
Have been thinking that maybe they have all been cooked so just at day 3 I decided to check my four bantam Cochin Eggs. As they are pinky white So one looks unfertile. Another. I say the classic spiderish! But it was hard to see through all the speckles. Just can kinda make it out! A third sorta similar but the last one oh wow. It was awesome. A perfect spider with veins and a clear red circle within the yolk and on very still inspection. I saw THE HEART BEATING!!! Omg. I'm so happy and so worried at the same time! I now have to come up with a plan for lockdown as humidity will be hard to achieve with a half open tank! Thinking lots of sponges and loads of warm water consistently! Can't believe this has happened to me. I don't have the money for a new one, especially when I've just bought this one. So any ideas? Was thinking maybe setting one up with cardboard boxes. I've got a heat lamp and heat mats that I use for reptiles. Maybe as a hatcher.

Update to this is now working into day three. I've candeled again and found two heart beats on two banties and one on a mixed eggs I got shipped. So in Total I have 34 eggs set.
11 from the shipped 12 went in. One was so badly damaged between a large air sac and bubbles. Not to mention it was very porous! Not impressed at all!
Ok so then there are four from my banties Cochins and and the further 19 are a mix between my banties and my xNeros. So excited to see what they will turn out like!

Basically I am not new to raising chicks but I am to incubating and hatching. I have also kept ducks and chickens for years. And I am an Aga owner, raising 6 kids and live out in the Fens of England with my amazing Hubby.

Just hope I don't bombard you all with updates and questions. I absolutely love chickens and the small farm life! I would not trade it in for anything! But hope you all well on your babies and now I'm going to read some more of this thread! But here is a pic of one of my bantie eggs

My first was a complete disaster too. Out of 20 eggs nothing. My second had 8 hatch out of 13 set. So much better. I'm also new to hatching but not raising chickens. But once those chicks start popping out of the shell you just won't be able to stop. LOL.

Hope everything goes good on your second hatch!

 

[NestingHillsSC]

Well fired up the bator this morning. Will set what eggs I have tomorrow morning. I have 22 right now. Have to see what eggs I get today. How many they lay and if I can use them.

Opinions! All my eggs hatched 1 day early last time. Should I lower the temp 1 degree or just go with what worked last time. HAHHAHA. I want to lower it to get the hatch at day 21 but don't want to because I had them hatch last time. You know. LOL. My Therm only goes up and down 1 degree.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

My first was a complete disaster too. Out of 20 eggs nothing. My  second had 8 hatch out of 13 set. So much better. I'm also new to hatching but not raising chickens. But once those chicks start popping out of the shell you just won't be able to stop. LOL.

Hope everything goes good on your second hatch!

yep me too. Got the temp bang on at the minute. Going to candle daily really because I want to learn as much as I can and also just for the confidence of it all. I nearly cried seeing them heart beats. I really don't think it will take me much to put in another lot of eggs when these are done. Lol

 

[NestingHillsSC]

yep me too. Got the temp bang on at the minute. Going to candle daily really because I want to learn as much as I can and also just for the confidence of it all. I nearly cried seeing them heart beats. I really don't think it will take me much to put in another lot of eggs when these are done. Lol

Yea. The first time I tried I candled a lot. The second I only candled at day 7, 14 and when they went to lot down on day 19. Seemed to have a lot better out come.

 

[pogmobum]

You can't really judge size of aircell on a shipped egg. The odd shapes mess it up. Keep your humidity about 45% and you will be fine. Is this your first hatch. Sorry I can't remember. My first hatch was shipped and I was a nervous wreck.

Not my first hatch but its my first time with shipped eggs, thanks for the info will do that

 

[sumi]

Hi everyone, I started a thread but got invited over. I think it was Sumi?! Thanks
I'm new to hatching and on my 2nd batch. My first being a complete failure.
Well I've been totally and utterly sad over my incubator experiences as the last three days have been hard to try and keep the temp down on the blasted thing! I think the thermostats is not working properly I'm having to literally have the lid off and at an angle so that there is excess heat escaping. The thermostat I have set to 35 c and its reading 37.5-38. But if the lid is on the edge of it reads 39 and the middle 36-38. So readings as high as 102.2 It has doing my head in!
Have been thinking that maybe they have all been cooked so just at day 3 I decided to check my four bantam Cochin Eggs. As they are pinky white So one looks unfertile. Another. I say the classic spiderish! But it was hard to see through all the speckles. Just can kinda make it out! A third sorta similar but the last one oh wow. It was awesome. A perfect spider with veins and a clear red circle within the yolk and on very still inspection. I saw THE HEART BEATING!!! Omg. I'm so happy and so worried at the same time! I now have to come up with a plan for lockdown as humidity will be hard to achieve with a half open tank! Thinking lots of sponges and loads of warm water consistently! Can't believe this has happened to me. I don't have the money for a new one, especially when I've just bought this one. So any ideas? Was thinking maybe setting one up with cardboard boxes. I've got a heat lamp and heat mats that I use for reptiles. Maybe as a hatcher.

Update to this is now working into day three. I've candeled again and found two heart beats on two banties and one on a mixed eggs I got shipped. So in Total I have 34 eggs set.
11 from the shipped 12 went in. One was so badly damaged between a large air sac and bubbles. Not to mention it was very porous! Not impressed at all!
Ok so then there are four from my banties Cochins and and the further 19 are a mix between my banties and my xNeros. So excited to see what they will turn out like!

Basically I am not new to raising chicks but I am to incubating and hatching. I have also kept ducks and chickens for years. And I am an Aga owner, raising 6 kids and live out in the Fens of England with my amazing Hubby.

Just hope I don't bombard you all with updates and questions. I absolutely love chickens and the small farm life! I would not trade it in for anything! But hope you all well on your babies and now I'm going to read some more of this thread! But here is a pic of one of my bantie eggs

Yep, guilty!

Glad you came over and welcome to the thread! And you can bombard with updates and questions us all you want, us lot can talk the hind legs off a donkey and not all about hatching either! LOL

 

[RenneRae]

Can somebody point me in the right direction, OR answer me here... the temp of a bator with an installed circulating fan?

I know I saw a post with all the logistics and now I've lost it.

Also I'm having trouble getting my temps LOW enough. I think they are good and leave it shut for several hours to come back and find 108.

I haven't set eggs yet (ever) just trying to get the kinks worked out. I have 2 dozen fresh today from a local guy. Donated... I'm sure he thinks I'll fail. He donated a dozen and then told me to take two. he currently has 24 DOZEN in his bator. obviously he's smarter than me right now. They are fresh laid yesterday...so I have time to fix my issues.

I have the Hova 1602 I installed the PC fan myself (hubs did) and it seems so hard to adjust that stupid turnie thing.
Like... How much to turn it to bring it down one full degree? A nudge, a 1/4 turn a whole turn etc... Nothing is getting done around here...nudge stare, nudge stare...
Anyway, whatever...lol can you point me?