Due around 3/26? **non-intervention success story pg 9**

[OCchickens]

Quote:
Keep us posted on the humidity experiment -- still a bit of a mystery to me.

 

[OCchickens]

I just candled this morning, and took out one egg with a dead chick that died at about 10 d or so. Day 16 today. So I have 18 eggs now.

Air cells looked different in different breeds -- the silkie cells looked just about right for this point but the EE cells look too small! I'm going to decrease my humidity for the next few days.

After reading more about dry incubation, I think I've been running my humidity too high -- in the high 40's. Humidity definitely seems like the biggest quandary in hatching!

 

[walkswithdog]

The chicks are due the 25th and the poults are due the 29th... OMG as of 16 days there were three each that were going well. All my own eggs. The chicks are mutts, BR/BA and the poults are Bourbon Reds.

I am so jazzed and so terrified. I didn't set many and had several clear but these were nearly the first eggs from these birds so any at all is just so cool.

All of this in the first run of a homemade bator. OMG talk about a glutton for punishment. I should have just stuck with the chicks because having poults in there makes me screaming nervous.

Laura is trying to get me to go somewhere next weekend, that is sooo not happening...

 

[Dotshines]

Hi this is my second hatch. I have 12 eggs in there and they are looking good . I only ended up with 3 babies on my first hatch I hope I do better this time. I have just my own eggs this time.

Good hatching vibes to all.

 

[peepinglaura]

I thought I would join the party. My first hatch is a staggered one, set a day and a half apart (not the ideal setup for my inaugural hatch). The first batch is due on the 25th, the next late on 26th. Fingers and toes crossed. My kids would be very blue if none hatched. I'm also hoping not to have a struggling hatchling, where we have to decide whether to intervene.

I have 12 eggs on the go. So far they all seem alive, despite 2 temp surges.

What humidity level are you all aiming for in these final 3 days?

Laura

 

[OCchickens]

Quote:
Laura - good luck with your first hatch! I was in your shoes 6 wk ago hoping I had something to show for it -- I was doing it as a project for my son's school. I also had set 2 batches 24 hours apart. It worked out ok although I lost 2 of the later eggs, maybe because I opened the bator to rescue a chick who was getting trounced by the others (he has some physical differences but has done great!) . I ended up getting 12 chicks out of 16 eggs.
Glad you joined our thread!

 

[peepinglaura]

Thanks, OCChickens! Wow, I felt pressure just doing this for my kids, let alone as a school project! I am getting really nervous, mainly because there doesn't seem to be a right answer regarding perfect humidity level, and because I'm not completely sure I trust either of my thermometers- however, it's a little late in the game to panic about that!

Laura

 

[OCchickens]

Quote:
Keep us posted!

I think for my first & only hatch I had humidity 63% when they started hatching. I had waited until the 19th day to raise humidity because my air cells seemed too small.

This time around, air cells also seemed too small. This weekend I followed the radical advice of someone in the area who has hatched a lot who says he runs his bator completely dry until hatching time. He said he's has much better hatches since doing that. So I dried it off, not sure when I'll add back water -- either tomorrow morning day 19 or Wed. am day 20. He actually waits til 1st pip to add water & then he puts HOT water in the central trough only. (this is with a hovabator)

 

[peepinglaura]

OCChickens, I'm really interested in your result. I was reading a lot about the dry incubation method but was far too timid to try it on my first hatch.

If I ever bring myself to do this again, I may be brave enough to experiment.

Laura

 

[twzlrwho]

I have 12 Columbian Wyandotte eggs and 6 surprises in my home made bator. Though I am expecting them a little earlier than the 26th. This is my first hatch so I am super excited.

Good Luck!!!