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

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: Love the new avy sumi, update on hatch? I may run into it eh? lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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 threead! But here is a pic of one of my bantie eggs

Awesome!! Welcome!!


Oh no what kind of bator is the wafer going on thermostat, maybe call the co?

 

[chicksooner]

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

Just make sure your hands are super clean before handling and they will be fine. I am a candling addict as I like to keep track of what is happening. My need to candle has lessened some and I have had a few nearly hands off completely hatches. How is the temp? In the summer I put a little fan by the bator to help keep cool air moving around it. It might help to get your temp lower if there is plenty of cool air moving around it. Feel free to ask any questions. Good luck!

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

shipped eggs are tricky and usually stress me out more since they are usually something I am really wanting. I have black orpington eggs set 5 days ago and they were shipped from PA to OK. I still have some loose aircells and I have tried candling but the shells are so thick I can't see much. So waiting for a few more days. Oh and in my obsession I sniff the bator a couple times a day to make sure no one is stinking yet. I always seem to get one stinker with shipped eggs.

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.

You can try turning it down. What was your temp at last hatch? It might be one of those things you have to play around with until you find the "sweet spot". Day 20 hatch is not bad but I prefer day 21.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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.

I say leave it, what breeds were in last time again? sorry I cant remember too much going on here and Easter thread! lol

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Be still my beating heart, you're from England, also on my Bucket List!!Welcome to the thread!!

Yes. Live in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. Another words there are Bulls in a field opposite my house and views of more fields for miles. Nearest grocery shop is 9.8 miles away!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

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?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

scroll to temps! have a read and come back with questions! I don't have that bator, but my styro temp knob stinks to adjust, always fiddling with it! That's why we made a coolerbator with a wafer thermostat! set it and forget it! LOVE IT!

LOCAL EGGS ROCK!!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

So just thinking if I manage to hatch my own mixed eggs what do you all think they would turn out like. Here's pics!

OMgoodness! What breed? look at those curls!!! OH WOW!

 

[MissBroodyHen]

Lol. I'm used to seeing him and his other male counter part. This is TACO. he is a Batam Cochin!! I have a hen too her name is Madame Rice and she produces very small bantam eggs! Taco is despite his size very dominant and extremely protective of HIS flock! Between both Cocks they also seem to be putting out a lot of fertile eggs! Cause you can see those little disks when you crack them for food! It's just the colour they are like a silver with very small amounts of brown specks round the mane! Madame rice not so much. But I will see if I can get a pic of her. Nope she has gone for a wonder so can't at the minute but ill try later when they come back.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

In luck just spotted her. Note the size difference. Full grown too!