FEB HATCH-ALONG THREAD ...COME JOIN US.... EVERYONE!

[CamiLynn]

[COLOR=B22222]The 'turner' in my bator gently rocks the eggs back & forth- sort of what you are showing here. Then when I set my call duck eggs I had read from several ppl that raise ducks, the best hatch rates they've had came when they not only used a turner like mine, but they also 3 times per day hand turn. You sort of slowly twirl the egg while it's sitting in the turner. They said it seems to promote better more even veining & development. So I thought since I was doing it with the duck eggs, I would try it with the chicken eggs too. I won't know for sure if it's helping- BUT I did notice that the basque eggs I put in a few days b/4 the duck eggs show much more development in more eggs (12 out of 14) that previous batches of my chicken eggs. (all my eggs have been shipped) So far as just about everyone knows I've not had good luck with my hatches- so maybe this will help? I don't see where it would hurt anyway... [/COLOR]

Yea, all you can do it try and see what works best for you. I hope it works out much better for tou this time!

My first I did natural and laid them down...I started w 10 eggs and ended up w 7 to lockdown and hatched 5.

This was my first experience with shipped eggs and gosh I had some seriously crazy air cells...like way crazy that I almost threw the last egg away twice as I was sure there was no way a chick was in there. My bf said to get rid of it and I said I wanted to look inside to see if it ever developed and stuck it in my pocket. We worked on fixing the broody hen's broody pen for her and the hatched chicks and when we got done and were walking back to the house, I for some reason took the egg out of my pocket and listened. It chirped!! So I proved to myself to let them be cuz you just never know.

Btw sorry I write a book...I don't know how to tell a short story!!

 

[PugBug]

I got basque eggs coming too!!! I need yours to hatch so I can identify my chicks!!

heck I need something to hatch & STAY ALIVE! I've had the worst luck with all these eggs! I honestly think it's b/c I am 'building' a flock from shipped eggs, & the first batches I set were small (5- 9 eggs). When you think that about only half will develop, by the time I got to lock down I had 1 to 3 eggs. So there was no 'room for error' & seems error is most what I've experienced LOL

Funny thing is, yrs ago a friend gave me an old styro bator. I didn't know anything about using one. They had set the temp, told me not to change- so I didn't. I didn't even have a thermometer! And I didn't add water until 2 days b/f hatch- cause that's what they told me to do. I was hatching eggs from my own chickens, not shipped- but still I hatched & raised nearly every egg I put in. I even hatched some wild turnkey eggs my neighbor found & gave me. Now I have 'learned' so much, try to follow it all & yet out of 6 hatches so far I have my one little silkie chick out of it? Seems like the law of averages would prevail @ some point! And YES I AM venting!!!

LOL

 

[PaleoDan]

So as it stands, I am 50% for my first hatch ever. I still have 13 eggs in the incubator hoping to improve my numbers but here is what I learned/need to learn...

1. I think I need to get better thermometers and a better hygrometer. Mine were okay but I think they did not properly reflect fluctuations that I experienced.

2. My first hatch of 4 eggs produced 2 great little chicks and two that never made it out of the shells. I opened the two on day 24 and saw two completely developed chicks that never even broke the air sack. My 2nd hatch a week later had two eggs and only 1 hatched again, the other was also fully developed but went no further. I had to open the one that made it and help her out after she had only pipped the shell day 21 but was still inside the egg late on day 22.

3 great chicks out of 6 eggs.

First two at one week old.

3. I am sharing one incubator with 4 separate hatches so even when I am in "lock down" I still need to open the gator for the other hatches in progress.

I have some modifications in mind for my incubator after I finish my remaining two hatches but I know I have plenty to learn.

If anyone has some insight into the three that did not make it, I would love to hear some suggestions. I am thinking my humidity was off but it's a guess since the hygrometer was reading 65-70%.

 

[Roxannemc]

K let me see if I can explain this right. I set the eggs small end down and leaned them all to the same side in the cups. When I would "turn" the eggs, I would just shift (lean) to the opposite side of the cup. And just did that back every time I "turned". Does that make sense? Oh let me try this I would take the eggs and put them all like this / in the carton cup, when turning, I would put them like this \. Lol

Thats what turners do Same thing side to side just more often than if you did it. You can use a egg carton(did you?)and just tilt them 3 times a day .All it takes.

 

[CamiLynn]

[COLOR=B22222] heck I need something to hatch & STAY ALIVE!  I've had the worst luck with all these eggs! I honestly think it's b/c I am 'building' a flock from shipped eggs, & the first batches I set were small (5- 9 eggs). When you think that about only half will develop, by the time I got to lock down I had 1 to 3 eggs. So there was no 'room for error' & seems error is most what I've experienced LOL[/COLOR]

[COLOR=B22222]Funny thing is, yrs ago a friend gave me an old styro bator. I didn't know anything about using one. They had set the temp, told me not to change- so I didn't. I didn't even have a thermometer! And I didn't add water until 2 days b/f hatch- cause that's what they told me to do. I was hatching eggs from my own chickens, not shipped- but still I hatched & raised nearly every egg I put in. I even hatched some wild turnkey eggs my neighbor found & gave me. Now I have 'learned' so much, try to follow it all & yet out of 6 hatches so far I have my one little silkie chick out of it? Seems like the law of averages would prevail @ some point! And YES  I AM venting!!!  LOL[/COLOR]

If you want some barnyard mixes I can collect some eggs and we can meet to see if maybe you are just having bad luck w shipped.

 

[CamiLynn]

Thats what turners do Same thing side to side just more often than if you did it. You can use a egg carton(did you?)and just tilt them 3 times a day .All it takes.    

Yes I used it from start to finish with great success

 

[PugBug]

Yea, all you can do it try and see what works best for you. I hope it works out much better for tou this time!

My first I did natural and laid them down...I started w 10 eggs and ended up w 7 to lockdown and hatched 5.

This was my first experience with shipped eggs and gosh I had some seriously crazy air cells...like way crazy that I almost threw the last egg away twice as I was sure there was no way a chick was in there. My bf said to get rid of it and I said I wanted to look inside to see if it ever developed and stuck it in my pocket. We worked on fixing the broody hen's broody pen for her and the hatched chicks and when we got done and were walking back to the house, I for some reason took the egg out of my pocket and listened. It chirped!! So I proved to myself to let them be cuz you just never know.

Btw sorry I write a book...I don't know how to tell a short story!!

it's ok, it's a southern thing I think- we're long winded! Just a tip about shipped eggs, I learned here on BYC- make sure to let them sit a min. of 12 hours, overnight is best- then put them in the bator fat end up & let sit w/o turning or moving for the first 5-7 days. It gives the air cell time to settle & the embryos time to develop the important organs b/f being disturbed by movement. Has worked for me as far as air cell & chick development... OH and by the way, my 2 self-blue d'uccle chicks, 1 looks like a little roo- the other a pullet

 

[Roxannemc]

The 25 watt doesn't get too hot - the cooler itself is 22"x15" and 15" tall with the lid on. It was one that medicine was shipped in to a local doctor's office. I was supposed to throw it away but I can't bring myself to do that so I always bring them home and find a good use for them.

I have lots of stuff stored in my sheds in them..... I had a 40W bulb at first and it got up to 113 in just under an hour - 25 is perfect for this size cooler.......

I built this not even thinking I need a thermostat but now everyone has me convinced I need one.

It's working without it so I don't know......and it's only a 25W bulb.....not too much electricity......

If your temps are staying right where you need them and you are getting good hatches Id say .... Hey, dont fix it unless its broke!!
Does it stay right at 99 -100?
Why i asked what size the cooler was
Apparently the size cooler inner area you use and the 25 watt bulb make for a perfect temp.!!!.How many eggs can it hold?.

 

[PugBug]

So as it stands, I am 50% for my first hatch ever. I still have 13 eggs in the incubator hoping to improve my numbers but here is what I learned/need to learn...

1. I think I need to get better thermometers and a better hygrometer. Mine were okay but I think they did not properly reflect fluctuations that I experienced.

2. My first hatch of 4 eggs produced 2 great little chicks and two that never made it out of the shells. I opened the two on day 24 and saw two completely developed chicks that never even broke the air sack. My 2nd hatch a week later had two eggs and only 1 hatched again, the other was also fully developed but went no further. I had to open the one that made it and help her out after she had only pipped the shell day 21 but was still inside the egg late on day 22.

3 great chicks out of 6 eggs.

First two at one week old.

3. I am sharing one incubator with 4 separate hatches so even when I am in "lock down" I still need to open the gator for the other hatches in progress.

I have some modifications in mind for my incubator after I finish my remaining two hatches but I know I have plenty to learn.

If anyone has some insight into the three that did not make it, I would love to hear some suggestions. I am thinking my humidity was off but it's a guess since the hygrometer was reading 65-70%.

My guess would be the ones didn't make it due to opening & closing the bator- loosing heat & humidity

 

[gapeach717]

heck I need something to hatch & STAY ALIVE! I've had the worst luck with all these eggs! I honestly think it's b/c I am 'building' a flock from shipped eggs, & the first batches I set were small (5- 9 eggs). When you think that about only half will develop, by the time I got to lock down I had 1 to 3 eggs. So there was no 'room for error' & seems error is most what I've experienced LOL

Funny thing is, yrs ago a friend gave me an old styro bator. I didn't know anything about using one. They had set the temp, told me not to change- so I didn't. I didn't even have a thermometer! And I didn't add water until 2 days b/f hatch- cause that's what they told me to do. I was hatching eggs from my own chickens, not shipped- but still I hatched & raised nearly every egg I put in. I even hatched some wild turnkey eggs my neighbor found & gave me. Now I have 'learned' so much, try to follow it all & yet out of 6 hatches so far I have my one little silkie chick out of it? Seems like the law of averages would prevail @ some point! And YES I AM venting!!!

LOL

Vent away!! Lord knows I will do it plenty! I have learned myself stupid on other things in life, lol. I plan on making a few changes this next week, but not going crazy either. (Crazier!) I am going out tomorrow incubator searching (and brooder searching) at the goodwill again. I would be happy to share some of my eggs, I bought too many!!! Want a few?