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

[CamiLynn]

Why not just tip the bator from side to side? Prop up one end with a book or something and then switch sides a few times a day.Then you wouldn't have to open the bator every time you turned the eggs.

Idk, didn't think about that, but they hatched out great the way I did it. Plus I'm bad about listening to my own advice...I candled much more than I should...*insert the hiding under the chair here*

 

[Roxannemc]

Awww thank you- I might do that, but right now my bator is FULL. If it does not improve in the next few hatches I might just take you up on your offer!

I keep jumping in on others conversations!.But Often ppl use local eggs for a control group with your shipped.
If the locals hatch and shipped dont u petty much know you had it all set right it was just the shipped eggs were messed up.
Believe me i only get 1/4-1/3 of my shipped hatch and i have had pretty many shipped eggs.
Plus some ppl say they get 100% all the time or near it on shipped ...boy are they lucky is all i can say
Everyone i know its pretty common to get about 25-33 %
50% hatch on shipped is REALLY GOOD!! Ask Brook!!Shes had more shipped than i have.
.

 

[Roxannemc]

I just re-candled the two eggs I was not sure about. They are developing, with clear veining and little chicks. That means out of the 7 I set, 7 are developing great! I know how rare this is, and me, we'll, I'm shocked since this is my first time ever hatching. Beginner's luck. Next time I probably won't be so lucky. Hopefully all 7 will make it too lock down... I'm on day 11.

GREAT going !!

on them all hatching well.

 

[CrzyCknLady]

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?.

I am doing a dry incubation so I wanted to keep the temp 100-102 with a low humidity (less than 40%). I am doing well keeping the temp and humidity right where I want it. I'm going to put a few holes in the top of the cooler tomorrow and fill the holes with a piece of dowel so I can control the temp easier when I have more eggs in it. I really haven't had to mess with it too much.

I have my egg cartons on cookie cooling racks. I can fit up to 3 racks (but personally I'd never put more than 2 in it) total in there and I can fit up to 36 eggs on each rack - so, at max capacity, I can fit 108 eggs in it without having the eggs go too close to the bulb. I try to keep the eggs from the1/3 to half-way point to the far end - if I wanted to go all the way across, I could fit a lot more in it but that is foolish and unnecessary.

I didn't make it back to Lowe's today - but I don't know if I want a thermostat - like you said - it's not broke so why fix it?

 

[Roxannemc]

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%.

Dan i would get another hygrometer or calibrate yours to see. Sound almost like they shrink wrapped. Is yours digital? They say they are hard to calibrate and often inaccurate
There are some youtube videos if they arent digital
I Just bought one from ebay round brass..Brookhaven has a link on here in an earlier post... To test it you put it in a ziplock bag with a dish with salt in it that u wet to a wet sand consistancy. Leave it in 5 hours but IT HAS TO BE NON IODIZED SALT AND MINE WASNT!! GUH

Also you need another bator if you have staggered hatches. Try craigs might get one cheaper or even make one. Opening it can have shrink wrapped the hatching ones.
Why they call it LOCKDOWN not supposed to open it because of that.. What is your humidity in there with lockdown and non lock down eggs? I am suprised you have done as well as you have if i am understanding your set up correctly Good for you!

 

[aprilschicks]

Just a side note .I had some shipped Light Brahmas too
Only hatch i ever had of shipped that i got 10 hatch well of 14 eggs!!
My best ever.
Just wonder who you bought them from.Someone on BYC? I did.
If it isnt the same guy i got mine from then i think the LBs have a gene that doesnt scramble very easily
In fact if yours are from that same man then i think HIS line must be super strong shipping LBs!!! LOL
I did hand turn too.
But others didnt fair as well. I do like lock to be laying down. Nut iahvedone a little test for a few hatches and its about 50-50 what hatchs

rcreations967 on ebay was who i got the lbs from on ebay just ordered some bbs on ebay

 

[aprilschicks]

rcreations967 on ebay was who i got the lbs from on ebay just ordered some bbs on ebay

just tonight

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

Morning of day 17. Opened the coop and found egg number 4 out of the nest in front of Nell. Picked it up, stone cold

But as this was the egg I suspected had been rejected last week (found on the floor but still warm on a hot day) I guess there is something wrong with it. Not sure I have the courage to open it up - may get hubby to do it later. There is nothing I could have done about it anyway.

So out of 8 at the start - I have had one kidnapping (No. 5 - taken by Penelope but returned), one flight/rejection (No. 4), one dropped (very short distance and no aparent damage No. 3) and one disappearance/abduction by aliens (No. 7)

6 left and 4 days to go!

OK, so egg no. 4 was left outside on top of the coop all day waiting for me to come home from work. I found a sandwich bag and plucked up the courage to knock the shell gently with a hammer. The shell broke very easily - suggesting it had a crack in it I couldn't see. However, can you believe it - the chick was faily well developed and still alive? That egg was cold as stone this morning, I put it to my cheek and felt no warmth at all. It was rejected twice by my broody and spent the entire day (from 6am to 4:30pm) outside without any heat source, although it was a warm day with a top of 31 celcius.
I feel terrible, I should have just buried it or thrown it straight into the bin.

The only consolation is that Nell must have rejected that egg for a reason, and not once but twice - I just wish I had trusted her and disposed of it without looking.

On the positive side, it looks like at least some of the remaining ones will hatch when they are ready.

 

[Nicky-the-witch]

My broody kicked one of her eggs out of her nest yesterday. It wasn't quite cold yet but was kind of cool. I put it back under her and she hasn't kicked it back out again. Think it still has a chance?

From my experience today, I would say the egg has every chance to still be viable - however, there may be a reason your broody kicked it out. I guess she will do it agan, like mine did, if she is still not happy with it. Best of luck whatever happens.

 

[jphendrix]

Can I join? Our eggs are coming in the mail, just shipped today.... we havent had chickens in a while, since we moved.. before we had Silkies I had hatched from shipped eggs.... this time we are getting SILKIE Ameraucanas!!

We built our incubator out of our 20 gallon long fishtank, and a lot of styrofoam... we took some pictures of it but Im not sure where to post them?

Welcome!