FEBRUARY Hatch-A-Long, come join in!!

[dldolan]

Yippee! My USPS called me this morning around 8am (I am grateful after reading your posts, dwegg!) so I got the eggs, let them set 8 hours, gave 4 to my broody cochin#2 and she was SOOOO excited! Locked down tight! (Funny, before she climbed aboard my lead hen RIR took a look at them and did a NO WAY, what are those dark brown things? ) Funny.
Slipped the other six eggs under her two hours later...just makin' sure. She scooted them all (10) under her and is happy as a clam. I mean, hen...!

I remembered to take photos...see how some are smaller?? And browner? And some shinier? ?? Then I numbered them to see which would hatch better...smaller/larger, darker/less dark, odd/even??

Hopefully I will have some nice Splash to go with my 4 BCM additions!

 

[BBK]

Quote:
Loving the brillant and contrast in colors of these eggs...OMG! Hope they ALL hatch!

Now my BIG question. besides the broody girls. Is anyone doing a DRY hatch? And Have you done them B4? Please add a little run through...

I've never tried that, but I'm thinking about it. my hatches from last yr. were not great. So, i'm up for anything to increase my hatch rate.
thanks
Melinda

 

[Livinwright Farm]

Popcorn's brooding start date was January 13th, so hopefully I will see little chickies around Feb. 3rd or so....

 

[midget_farms]

Quote:
What is a DRY hatch?

 

[chikincrazee]

Hi dwegg we will hopefully have some nice ameraucanas in Febuary....I pick up the rest of my silkie eggs today they made it before the post office closes...yipee will have to see how many fresh eggs I can set tonite too....did I just say that....maybe i better by a brooder to go with the sportsman..

 

[thechickonthehill]

Quote:
What is a DRY hatch?

Got the following off another BYC thread last year. I can't remember who the author is but I found the info very useful. I just put eggs in the incubator yesterday and will have more to put in next week so will have a couple of February hatches.

DRY INCBATION
After reading the article that Buddy posted on DRY INCUBATION...I’ve kept in contact with him and Jamie...this is what I have and sent out to another person. We all don’t agree with this, but this works great for me since I have an LG9200:

First you know to calibrate your meter
1/4 water 1/2cup salt in a cup, stir vigorusly, place in a zip lock bag, also take meter and place it in the bag next to the cup, seal and let it sit 6hrs min. but best 12hrs. reading should be 75%,...if not then its off. CANT BE FIXED, but you can use it by just adding or subtracting what % its off on every reading.

Run bator 48hrs or more BEFORE you set eggs. Reason you want to see how its running and make any adjustments you need to before you set eggs and ruin your hatch. Too late then. I know ...we get impatient...but have too. I will try and explain this as simple as I can to make sense, if you don’t understand...ASK QUESTIONS, and I will try to help.

Ok...How an egg comes to hatching, First you know its full of fluids, water, yolk, In order for a chick to form, its like a baby, it takes it Nutrition from its contents. So To Form, the yolk and such has to absorb into the chick.

The temp/humidity helps it do this. The Egg Must lose 11-14% weight during incubation, it needs to evaporate its contents for the chick to have room, move and develop, be able to turn the way it needs too. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON, WE STOP TURNING THE EGGS...SO THE CHICK CAN TURN AND DO WHAT IT HAS TO INSIDE THE EGG.

If the humidity is too high, it hinders and slows down the evaporation process or stops it all together. If the temp is too high, it causes the chick to grow fast also, and pip or not pip and die. They have a egg tooth, this can puncture the membrane and then cause the chick to drown in its own fluids.

Still with me? ok... When the hen lays her eggs and broods to hatch...she lays, warms the eggs, gets up, walks away to eat, stretch...the eggs cool down a bit, she goes back and warms them just right again...does this for "18" days...in your bator..you’re doing the same thing...you keep the temp at 99.5-100.0 and humidity on the "low" end 35-38%. She rolls them, moves them...that us like the bator turning them. Studies show that a reading under a hen ...high was 38% when tested.

So on Day 18 she knows its time...She plans to raise her humidity, and to also stop turning her eggs. She raises humidity by, sitting, fluffing feathers, pushing eggs up against her skin, causing it to get humid. We can’t do that so we raise humidity by adding water to the smallest well in the bator.

So you place your eggs on day one: after all the testing and adjusting, knowing your temps are holding at 99.5-100 BUT NOT MORE THAN 100.6, start watching it then, your RED ZONE is 101.0 that is too high. LEAVE RED PLUGS OUT...OF BATOR, DO NOT ADD WATER...YOUR DOING DRY INCUBATION. Just like the hen.

DO NOT OPEN THE BATOR "AT ALL"...NOT FOR A TINY BIT...you will change all your settings you worked so hard to get, and just remember LG's are TOUCHY.
what I do is watch me temps/humidity every 2hrs when I first place my eggs in, reason...THE EGGS HAVE FLUID IN THEM...YOUR TEMP/HUMIDITY WILL CHANGE...ITS OK, DO NOT PANIC...this is normal...but watch the temp for the RED ZONE...it has to adjust, and you do it by your room temp. Do not place bator by a vent, keep it away from a window, high draft area, in a stable temp. controlled room.

at 10 days you if you MUST can candle your eggs...but open it quick and remove the eggs to candle every time you open it, it changes the settings. keep this in mind and your set. I say Candle at 10, and throw out what you don’t see thriving. Some take their chances and don’t candle. Of course you know when you load the bator, its small end down, big end up, that is where the AIR CELL is...Remember on the last part of the run...opening can make or break your hatch rate.

NOW IF DURING THE 1-18 DAYS, YOUR HUMIDITY DROPS TO 25%, you add a teaspoon of water through the tiny holes on the lid, DO NOT OPEN THE BATOR...you can use a hose which I bought one at home depot...the kind you use for those spray bottle that have a hose with a pump, just cut the pump handle off...slid it through the hole and put a tiny bit of water into the SMALLEST WELL...monitor it again for an hr...if it needs more use the next smallest well....give it time to adjust...DO NOT LET IT SIT AT 25% or LOWER FOR MORE THAN AN HR...you want to bring it back up to 35-38%. Remember you want the egg to evaporate the correct way.

DAY 18 You want to stop TURNING THE EGGS...so you open the bator remove the tray and place the eggs on their sides not touching each other. NOW YOU WANT TO BUMP UP HE HUMIDITY...like a mother hen does, you need to keep them moist to hatch from the shell with ease...65-75% is a good average.

I keep track on a chart, I didn’t at first...I’m smart and a Medic...I’ve always been good about remembering vital signs, medical history...etc...BUT...when hatching, you will find yourself adjusting the a/c room temp, watching your humidity/temp..you want to REMEMBER what you did to cause the rates to change. So keep track. This is how I do mine.

Start Date Aug 22 940am ....due hatch sept 11th

9:40am 99.6 38% RA 85 (this is your a/c temp)
11:15am 100.6 42% RA 82 and I put a little arrow down next to this number this tells me I bumped the a/c down to 82 from 85 and I watch my next reading...etc etc...

You with me so far in understanding? ANY QUESTIONS??? I hope this has helped you understand it a little more. DO NOT HELP A CHICK OUT OF ITS SHELL, LET IT TRY ON ITS OWN...MIGHT TAKE A FULL DAY OR LONGER...if you have to contact me again. The chicks once hatched can stay in the bator for 2 days and survive...they are still eating off their own yolk they absorbed into their body.​

 

[dwegg]

Quote:
Wow those are some pretty eggs...

your picture tag says splash marran? I wanted some splash! Can't wait to see who hatches what on here... Egg citing!

 

[BBK]

Quote:
What is a DRY hatch?

Got the following off another BYC thread last year. I can't remember who the author is but I found the info very useful. I just put eggs in the incubator yesterday and will have more to put in next week so will have a couple of February hatches.

DRY INCBATION
After reading the article that Buddy posted on DRY INCUBATION...I’ve kept in contact with him and Jamie...this is what I have and sent out to another person. We all don’t agree with this, but this works great for me since I have an LG9200:

First you know to calibrate your meter
1/4 water 1/2cup salt in a cup, stir vigorusly, place in a zip lock bag, also take meter and place it in the bag next to the cup, seal and let it sit 6hrs min. but best 12hrs. reading should be 75%,...if not then its off. CANT BE FIXED, but you can use it by just adding or subtracting what % its off on every reading.

Run bator 48hrs or more BEFORE you set eggs. Reason you want to see how its running and make any adjustments you need to before you set eggs and ruin your hatch. Too late then. I know ...we get impatient...but have too. I will try and explain this as simple as I can to make sense, if you don’t understand...ASK QUESTIONS, and I will try to help.

Ok...How an egg comes to hatching, First you know its full of fluids, water, yolk, In order for a chick to form, its like a baby, it takes it Nutrition from its contents. So To Form, the yolk and such has to absorb into the chick.

The temp/humidity helps it do this. The Egg Must lose 11-14% weight during incubation, it needs to evaporate its contents for the chick to have room, move and develop, be able to turn the way it needs too. THIS IS ANOTHER REASON, WE STOP TURNING THE EGGS...SO THE CHICK CAN TURN AND DO WHAT IT HAS TO INSIDE THE EGG.

If the humidity is too high, it hinders and slows down the evaporation process or stops it all together. If the temp is too high, it causes the chick to grow fast also, and pip or not pip and die. They have a egg tooth, this can puncture the membrane and then cause the chick to drown in its own fluids.

Still with me? ok... When the hen lays her eggs and broods to hatch...she lays, warms the eggs, gets up, walks away to eat, stretch...the eggs cool down a bit, she goes back and warms them just right again...does this for "18" days...in your bator..you’re doing the same thing...you keep the temp at 99.5-100.0 and humidity on the "low" end 35-38%. She rolls them, moves them...that us like the bator turning them. Studies show that a reading under a hen ...high was 38% when tested.

So on Day 18 she knows its time...She plans to raise her humidity, and to also stop turning her eggs. She raises humidity by, sitting, fluffing feathers, pushing eggs up against her skin, causing it to get humid. We can’t do that so we raise humidity by adding water to the smallest well in the bator.

So you place your eggs on day one: after all the testing and adjusting, knowing your temps are holding at 99.5-100 BUT NOT MORE THAN 100.6, start watching it then, your RED ZONE is 101.0 that is too high. LEAVE RED PLUGS OUT...OF BATOR, DO NOT ADD WATER...YOUR DOING DRY INCUBATION. Just like the hen.

DO NOT OPEN THE BATOR "AT ALL"...NOT FOR A TINY BIT...you will change all your settings you worked so hard to get, and just remember LG's are TOUCHY.
what I do is watch me temps/humidity every 2hrs when I first place my eggs in, reason...THE EGGS HAVE FLUID IN THEM...YOUR TEMP/HUMIDITY WILL CHANGE...ITS OK, DO NOT PANIC...this is normal...but watch the temp for the RED ZONE...it has to adjust, and you do it by your room temp. Do not place bator by a vent, keep it away from a window, high draft area, in a stable temp. controlled room.

at 10 days you if you MUST can candle your eggs...but open it quick and remove the eggs to candle every time you open it, it changes the settings. keep this in mind and your set. I say Candle at 10, and throw out what you don’t see thriving. Some take their chances and don’t candle. Of course you know when you load the bator, its small end down, big end up, that is where the AIR CELL is...Remember on the last part of the run...opening can make or break your hatch rate.

NOW IF DURING THE 1-18 DAYS, YOUR HUMIDITY DROPS TO 25%, you add a teaspoon of water through the tiny holes on the lid, DO NOT OPEN THE BATOR...you can use a hose which I bought one at home depot...the kind you use for those spray bottle that have a hose with a pump, just cut the pump handle off...slid it through the hole and put a tiny bit of water into the SMALLEST WELL...monitor it again for an hr...if it needs more use the next smallest well....give it time to adjust...DO NOT LET IT SIT AT 25% or LOWER FOR MORE THAN AN HR...you want to bring it back up to 35-38%. Remember you want the egg to evaporate the correct way.

DAY 18 You want to stop TURNING THE EGGS...so you open the bator remove the tray and place the eggs on their sides not touching each other. NOW YOU WANT TO BUMP UP HE HUMIDITY...like a mother hen does, you need to keep them moist to hatch from the shell with ease...65-75% is a good average.

I keep track on a chart, I didn’t at first...I’m smart and a Medic...I’ve always been good about remembering vital signs, medical history...etc...BUT...when hatching, you will find yourself adjusting the a/c room temp, watching your humidity/temp..you want to REMEMBER what you did to cause the rates to change. So keep track. This is how I do mine.

Start Date Aug 22 940am ....due hatch sept 11th

9:40am 99.6 38% RA 85 (this is your a/c temp)
11:15am 100.6 42% RA 82 and I put a little arrow down next to this number this tells me I bumped the a/c down to 82 from 85 and I watch my next reading...etc etc...

You with me so far in understanding? ANY QUESTIONS??? I hope this has helped you understand it a little more. DO NOT HELP A CHICK OUT OF ITS SHELL, LET IT TRY ON ITS OWN...MIGHT TAKE A FULL DAY OR LONGER...if you have to contact me again. The chicks once hatched can stay in the bator for 2 days and survive...they are still eating off their own yolk they absorbed into their body.
​

Thanks for forwarding this, it'a what i was looking for.
Melinda

 

[Illia]

Never done a dry hatch, though I've heard of quite a few people doing it or at least thinking of doing it.

Beautiful eggs, by the way!

 

[texaschickmom]

Thanks for the dry hatch info. I'm going to try this if I can ever get my barred rocks to lay again.

Question: I noticed that someone on an earlier post marked on eggs with a "sharpie". I assume that's OK, right?