EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

Pensmaster · Oct 16, 2016

kajira said:
it gets MAYBE 60-70 at night.

This is why I can hatch year round and kick the babies out as soon as they start getting feathers.

I've a brooder in the barn. Then it's to the greenhouse with them once they've feathered.

casportpony · Oct 16, 2016

kwhites634 said:
Quote: IMHO low humidity can dry the membrane that cover the chick if it will stay to long before unzipping.
That brings about another question: Why raise the humidity at all? Mama hen can't turn a dial to raise the humidity on day 18. The humidity's going to go up naturally, under a hen or in an incubator, once chicks start hatching, so what's the rational? I've done it with my few hatches, only because I'm told that's normal procedure, but I dun't know why.
My little broody just hatch one yesterday, and she was on and off the nest probably 6 times after it pipped. Then there have been quite a few that I forgot to turn the humidity up for, and they hatched just fine.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that people mess with what works for them, especially you @chicken hawk 33 , just follow Sally's directions.

-Kathy

kwhites634 · Oct 16, 2016

meltel said:
Quote: What if you put a few colanders in the run, filled with sand? The holes would let the sand drain. You'd still lose some through the holes, but probably not as much as what would be washed away normally.

Pensmaster · Oct 16, 2016

casportpony said:
My little broody just hatch one yesterday, and she was on and off the nest probably 6 times after it pipped. Then there have been quite a few that I forgot to turn the humidity up for, and they hatched just fine. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that people mess with what works for them, especially you @chicken hawk 33
, just follow Sally's directions.

-Kathy

The last broody had an egg that had pipped when I saw it and it wasn't under her. Not sure how that turned out, but there wasn't any membrane on any of them. It's beak was working away.

kajira · Oct 16, 2016

My alpha hen and my Cochin Roo.

kwhites634 · Oct 16, 2016

BantyChooks said:
Quote: How do they get it out when it sticks to the roof of their mouth?; they don't have fingers

campingshaws · Oct 16, 2016

My brooders are officially empty! And everyone is out of quarantine! :wee

e I've never had silkies/mixes and I just love them. Little red cockerel is POSSIBLY a welsummer/New Hampshire cross. Silkie mixes are half EE. Blue pullet is cochin/hona. Blue barred cockerel (?) is cochin/hona. From this mix pullets come out blue and cockerels come out blue barred. Is this more likely a coincidence than a sex-linked occurrence? It's been consistent in 4 chicks from 4 different hatches.