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

[hippiestink]

I'm not sure what I just read in the last ten pages, but....you guys are crazy!

I don't own a dishwasher, we have ONE bottle of laundry detergent, all the towels are white and we don't keep track of who's is who, we wash our hands, try not to scratch our bung holes, our chickens don't flatulate, we fold our cloths so they stand upright, and we all sleep in the same room!

YEESH!

Also @hippiestink I'm so glad you found some good help for breastfeeding and baby is doing well! It's so good to hear!

The hospital gave us a list of midwives who service the surrounding areas and when I looked up the practice that ours works for I saw that al their midwives are also IBCLCs. As soon as I saw that I immediately jumped on it! An IBCLC is so worth it, they're pure gold.

Ralphie is wearing too-thin bell bottoms, kids in the 70's (not me) wasted records, 8-tracks are the best, whites has glasses like John Lennon, some people need dedicated bowls for popcorn, it's freezing cold in the VWN, Ralph and wicked were made for each other, retirees make washing dishes complicated, and Connie has farting chickens.

Dang, I really missed out lol. All I got going on is that last night Honeybee actually let us sleep for two three-hour stretches and I just made a new batch of laundry soap.

 

[Faraday40]

Hello! Should I clean my eggs? They are shipped and I am having them rest before I put them in. And also, when I turn the eggs manually, I usually lay them on their sides, but this time Im doing it vertically up and down with the air cell on top. How can I turn them this way? Do I tilt side to side. Also an odd number so its different every night. ??? And the air cells are different sizes in different eggs but I only have one incubator right now. Still air little giant. Should it be at 101 degrees???/

Below: Simple home-made egg turner. Just roll & go! I turn eggs 3xs per day.

*If shipped eggs still have detached air cells after resting, I skip turning for the first 1-2 days.

My family teases me, but I also make little "chick jails" out of strawberry containers. I cut out top & bottoms for air flow. This way I can know exactly which chick came from which hen. Chicks move around A LOT when hatching.

 

[hippiestink]

Below: Simple home-made egg turner. Just roll & go! I turn eggs 3xs per day.

*If shipped eggs still have detached air cells after resting, I skip turning for the first 1-2 days.

My family teases me, but I also make little "chick jails" out of strawberry containers. I cut out top & bottoms for air flow. This way I can know exactly which chick came from which hen. Chicks move around A LOT when hatching.

That is BRILLIANT. I would have never thought to do that.

 

[BantyChooks]

Below: Simple home-made egg turner. Just roll & go! I turn eggs 3xs per day.

*If shipped eggs still have detached air cells after resting, I skip turning for the first 1-2 days.

My family teases me, but I also make little "chick jails" out of strawberry containers. I cut out top & bottoms for air flow. This way I can know exactly which chick came from which hen. Chicks move around A LOT when hatching.

Great ideas! I used to use cardboard egg cartons for turning, but then the fine people here said it would cause uneven egg temp and early death, so I quit using them just in case.

Dang, I really missed out lol. All I got going on is that last night Honeybee actually let us sleep for two three-hour stretches.

Congratulations!

 

[mlm Mike]

I hope I get to laugh my...um, head off!!! I had to put down Dh's kitty.

Duly noted. Thank you!

.....

Oh...do I still mark it down?

Sorry about DH's kitty.

 

[mlm Mike]

Good morning everyone!

Raining horrible muddy mess, but it's almost 50*F.

 

[Faraday40]

Great ideas! I used to use cardboard egg cartons for turning, but then the fine people here said it would cause uneven egg temp and early death, so I quit using them just in case.

Would the foam kind work better or is it because of the diff in height (top is closer to the light bulb.)?

My first few tries I used a plastic tray see-saw. I had too much of a temp swing. (Higher side higher was higher temp than the lower side.)

BTW- My incubator is a home-made cooler-bater. I just preferred to turn it sideways so I could have a better view. Being sideways may also help keep the heat in when I need to turn eggs.

 

[BantyChooks]

Would the foam kind work better or is it because of the diff in height (top is closer to the light bulb.)?

My first few tries I used a plastic tray see-saw. I had too much of a temp swing. (Higher side higher was higher temp than the lower side.)
View attachment 1189649

BTW- My incubator is a home-made cooler-bater. I just preferred to turn it sideways so I could have a better view. Being sideways may also help keep the heat in when I need to turn eggs.
View attachment 1189650

Neat idea. I thought of that back when I was building mine but it's too small.

Would the foam kind work better or is it because of the diff in height (top is closer to the light bulb.)?

Supposedly. That's what I've been using. I also cut it into strips and lean against cardboard triangles to eliminate the one side being higher thing.

 

[mlm Mike]

Hello! Should I clean my eggs? They are shipped and I am having them rest before I put them in. And also, when I turn the eggs manually, I usually lay them on their sides, but this time Im doing it vertically up and down with the air cell on top. How can I turn them this way? Do I tilt side to side. Also an odd number so its different every night. ??? And the air cells are different sizes in different eggs but I only have one incubator right now. Still air little giant. Should it be at 101 degrees???/

I typically do not clean my eggs before incubating, if there is visible "dirt" I do clean that off. I use Wipe 'n Wash egg cleansing Towelettes from TSC.

 

[BantyChooks]

I typically do not clean my eggs before incubating, if there is visible "dirt" I do clean that off. I use Wipe "n Wash egg cleansing Towelettes from TSC.

Careful, Ralphie's gonna leave mean notes on your door.