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

[Cassandra K]

I need help! This is my first hatch I put the eggs in our styrofoam incubator yesterday and temps were at 102 and 50% humidity consistently, but over night it jumped to 106 and 16% humidity.... I don't want to loose these chicks. Please help!!

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

GOOD MORNING, POPSICLES! COME ON IN, AND GET YOUR HOT DRINKS!!

Thanks! Howdy, MC!

H-H-H-Howdy, y'all

A balmy 13* here.
For the 1st time ever, I found an egg stuck to the bottom of the nest box; had to pry it loose with a knife blade. Bedding ain't quite thick enough in the boxes 'cause they constantly drag it out, creating a bare spot at times. Strange that an egg would freeze in a nest box, though, considering there's always a hen wanting to roost there.

Brrrr... I do everything I can to ensure they all have fresh clean nest boxes with lots of soft material. Within about an hour it's all bare spots and mud (sometimes poop). I think they do it to amuse themselves and laugh at me every time I try to fix it.

Morning all, thanks for the coffee beautiful Abi!

...

There are two hawks outside.

Hoping they move along and I don't lose any chickens.

Quote: IKR?! Crazy. The Naked Necks (you know, the ones with half the feathers as all the others) seem to be the LEAST bothered by the cold despite the big temp swings. Out first thing this am, digging vigorously around. They're the ones who insist on roosting in the open air ("We don't need no stinking hen house!"). Tough buggers they are.

Did the water hauling thing early this morning since it was 21F this am. Would rather have stayed in bed.

I already have to change the water a couple times a day because it gets too hot in the summer - this is supposed to be the EASY part of the year!

Quote:

Hey, everyone, guess what today is!!!!!!!

- Ant Farm

 

[duluthralphie]

I need help! This is my first hatch

I put the eggs in our styrofoam incubator yesterday and temps were at 102 and 50% humidity consistently, but over night it jumped to 106 and 16% humidity.... I don't want to loose these chicks. Please help!!

First Welcome to BYC.


If they went to 106 degrees, I am afraid you have lost them.

I assume you do not have a fan in your incubator. I have found the ambient temps must be very consistent with the foam incubators.

I do not know of any help, but you have my sympathy. What type of thermostat do you have on it?

Good luck on future attempts. And again sorry this happened.

 

[duluthralphie]

Thanks! Howdy, MC!

Brrrr... I do everything I can to ensure they all have fresh clean nest boxes with lots of soft material. Within about an hour it's all bare spots and mud (sometimes poop). I think they do it to amuse themselves and laugh at me every time I try to fix it.

IKR?! Crazy. The Naked Necks (you know, the ones with half the feathers as all the others) seem to be the LEAST bothered by the cold despite the big temp swings. Out first thing this am, digging vigorously around. They're the ones who insist on roosting in the open air ("We don't need no stinking hen house!"). Tough buggers they are.

Did the water hauling thing early this morning since it was 21F this am. Would rather have stayed in bed.

I already have to change the water a couple times a day because it gets too hot in the summer - this is supposed to be the EASY part of the year!

Hey, everyone, guess what today is!!!!!!!

- Ant Farm

Admit it. you envy her! Living here with me in these sub zero temps!

 

[Pensmaster]

Thanks! Howdy, MC! 

Brrrr... I do everything I can to ensure they all have fresh clean nest boxes with lots of soft material. Within about an hour it's all bare spots and mud (sometimes poop). I think they do it to amuse themselves and laugh at me every time I try to fix it. 



IKR?! Crazy. The Naked Necks (you know, the ones with half the feathers as all the others) seem to be the LEAST bothered by the cold despite the big temp swings. Out first thing this am, digging vigorously around. They're the ones who insist on roosting in the open air ("We don't need no stinking hen house!"). Tough buggers they are. 
Did the water hauling thing early this morning since it was 21F this am. Would rather have stayed in bed.

I already have to change the water a couple times a day because it gets too hot in the summer - this is supposed to be the EASY part of the year! 



Hey, everyone, guess what today is!!!!!!! e

- Ant Farm 

Um lockdown for some of the eggs. For those that fell in later we'll......

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: Unless the thermo/hygro isn't calibrated & might be reading high, which very well could be the case. I'd try marbles in the channels for heat sinks, a damp sponge to raise the humidity, get a calibrated thermo/hygro in there, & wait to see what happens; nothing to lose at this point.

Edited for correction

 

[duluthralphie]

Unless the thermo/hygro isn't calibrated & might be reading high, which very well could be the case. I'd try marbles in the channels for heat sinks, a dish of dry rice to lower the humidity, get a calibrated thermo/hygro in there, & wait to see what happens; nothing to lose at this point.

I forgot to mention you have nothing to lose leaving them in there, unless you need the space.

How long have they been in the incubator?





I candled my eggs to go in this week, I am undecided whether I should plant them or not. I thought I had about 5 dozen eggs to go in. After candling I found I only have 3 dozen that were not cracked in the cold. Of those I know half will not develop because the core temp dropped too much. I will flip a coin later to see if I plant them or just wait and add them to next weeks setting.

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: How do you propose to plant them if the ground's frozen?

 

[kwhites634]

Quote: I messed up my 1st post, & you quoted it b4 I corrected it.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Quote:

Quote:

Yup!

Got the brooder finished late last night (who needs a second bathroom anyway?) - Setting it up today, just in case.

- Ant Farm