First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter

[dsqard]

I candled last night right before going into lockdown too. I am down to 13 turkey eggs (9 from birdguy and 4 from Lurkey) and I think six chicken tutors. DH asked me if we were going to sell any of the poults and since I only have 13 eggs left, I told him probably not. Maybe if I have too many for going over the winter, I might sell some in October/November but for now I want to keep all of them. Wisher, don't worry about not seeing a lot of movement. I saw movement in a couple of the eggs but I kept all the ones that looked mostly dark. I don't often see movement either since I don't try to candle too long. I had a turkey egg or two that looked like they might be almost ready to internally pip so I am glad that I went into lockdown last night. I wouldn't be surprised if we come home from work today with one hatched. I also wouldn't be surprised if we come home to nothing hatched yet. Can't wait for them to come on out!!!

 

[Wisher1000]

Wisher, don't worry about not seeing a lot of movement. I don't often see movement either since I don't try to candle too long.

I was excited to see what little I did see. I have yet to take an egg from laid to a chick and hope that this is the batch where I get at least a couple! If you remember, I tied about four other people for the "Worst Hatch" in Mahonri's Easter Hatch and I got this as a prize....


I pinned it to my bulletin board at work so I would remember that I am not always right (so my secretary tells me!)

Speaking of prizes, NotAFarm and Karimw, have either of you gotten your's?

 

[yinepu]

Yaaaa on the emu egg! I'd have to tighten the sleeves on my straight jacket to keep my hands off from helping.

Maybe the teacher and CrazyNeighborLady are both dyslectic . . . you know 21 / 12 . . . same numbers.

Or maybe they're hatching them at 200*. Wouldn't they hatch twice as fast ???

lol.. no need to help.. I found this a few minutes ago.. at 4:30 this morning when my husband got up for work he (the chick) had only knocked off one of the loose pieces of shell

80%????????????

Denny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What do you shoot for????

I raise mine up to 80% or better

I candled last night right before going into lockdown too. I am down to 13 turkey eggs (9 from birdguy and 4 from Lurkey) and I think six chicken tutors. DH asked me if we were going to sell any of the poults and since I only have 13 eggs left, I told him probably not. Maybe if I have too many for going over the winter, I might sell some in October/November but for now I want to keep all of them. Wisher, don't worry about not seeing a lot of movement. I saw movement in a couple of the eggs but I kept all the ones that looked mostly dark. I don't often see movement either since I don't try to candle too long. I had a turkey egg or two that looked like they might be almost ready to internally pip so I am glad that I went into lockdown last night. I wouldn't be surprised if we come home from work today with one hatched. I also wouldn't be surprised if we come home to nothing hatched yet. Can't wait for them to come on out!!!

one turkey tutor has pipped for me.. not sure if any others have yet or not...

 

[Arielle]

Locked mine down last night too, I guess no more candling. I've been remiss on my candling the past few days, too much to do lately, both at work and at home.

Can't wait for something to hatch though, I've had that poor lonely silkie for a few days now. I try to take him or her out daily, and yesterday was the first day that the chick rebelled. It would not sit still in my hands, and actually got out for a few minutes. One of the cats decided to investigate and that cute little silkie chick pecked Squeeky's face. It was hilarious.

LOL I have a cat named Squeeker! He never touches a bird, chick or otherwise. He backs up a little and spits and spats when the adult chickens try to terrorize him. I'm getting anxious about lockdown, too.

lol.. no need to help.. I found this a few minutes ago.. at 4:30 this morning when my husband got up for work he (the chick) had only knocked off one of the loose pieces of shell

My kids have enjoyed seeing the beautiful egg pip and hatch into the coolest bird ever!! ANd so have I.

 

[NotAFarm]

Quote: Didn't get here yesterday........hoping it's here today!!

I'm upping my humidity now. It's up to 65%....I'll be adding another pan of water later if it levels off there. I have the chicken eggs on a tray near the top of the cabinet and I put the turkey eggs in the bottom tray. I turned the temp down a bit, will check it later to see if I need to lower it any more....am I the only one "chicken" to lower the temp below 99.5?

 

[HEChicken]

I turned the temp down a bit, will check it later to see if I need to lower it any more....am I the only one "chicken" to lower the temp below 99.5?

I have heard before that lowering the temp a degree or so at lockdown is a good idea but have never remembered to do it on previous hatches. I plan to this time though. The theory is that by this stage the chick is able to generate some of its own heat.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: This is my understanding too. And I remember, not sure of source now, that because of the higher humidity, 80%+, the temps need to drop more. ANyone one know?

Yinepu, do you follow this? I seem to remember you had a different method?

 

[cmfarm]

I am getting very anxious for these guineas to hatch. My incubator thermostat went out and had to move all my eggs (Guinea and chicken eggs) to the hatcher after I gave it a good cleaning. I need to get a new thermostat so I can have the hatcher empty to put the Guinea eggs in. I hope they hatch all right. I have been having issues with this hatcher and I think I have finally found the problem. At the bottom we have a space heater and have it set on fan so it helps circulate the air and heat more evenly (it is a fridge bator and without the fan it is only hot enough at the very top. But I think it is drying the eggs out as they try to hatch. I used to do smaller batches of eggs and when it was hatch time I would put the eggs in cut down cardboard boxes and they would hatch much better, and I think it was because the fan wasn't blowing directly on them. But I have been hatching around 200 chicken eggs at a time so I have been putting them on the fridge racks and I think the fan blowing on them is doing a lot of damage.

 

[Arielle]

I am getting very anxious for these guineas to hatch. My incubator thermostat went out and had to move all my eggs (Guinea and chicken eggs) to the hatcher after I gave it a good cleaning. I need to get a new thermostat so I can have the hatcher empty to put the Guinea eggs in. I hope they hatch all right. I have been having issues with this hatcher and I think I have finally found the problem. At the bottom we have a space heater and have it set on fan so it helps circulate the air and heat more evenly (it is a fridge bator and without the fan it is only hot enough at the very top. But I think it is drying the eggs out as they try to hatch. I used to do smaller batches of eggs and when it was hatch time I would put the eggs in cut down cardboard boxes and they would hatch much better, and I think it was because the fan wasn't blowing directly on them. But I have been hatching around 200 chicken eggs at a time so I have been putting them on the fridge racks and I think the fan blowing on them is doing a lot of damage.

Always something more to learn and tweak with the homemade incubators. Sounds like you can find a solution now that you defined the problem. I have high air flow at 2 locations and try to reduce direct air flow; I move the eggs around a lot so they have equal opportunity to get a blast of air. ANd just now, eureka! I hit a solution to try in my Henny PEnny.

 

[yinepu]

This is my understanding too. And I remember, not sure of source now, that because of the higher humidity, 80%+, the temps need to drop more. ANyone one know?

Yinepu, do you follow this? I seem to remember you had a different method?

when I raise the humidity I drop the temps by a 1 to 1.5 degrees.. seems to me the reasoning behind it is that at warmer temps the air can hold more moisture.. but it also starts to restrict the amount of oxygen that it can hold.. (which is another reason why the plugs and vents on a bator need to be OPEN at lockdown) so dropping the temps allows more oxygen

to break it all down
humid air = less oxygen
hot air = less oxygen
hatching chicks need more oxygen
hatching chicks need more humidity
hatching chicks in hot humid air = chance of carbon dioxide poisoning

so by dropping the temp a smidge allows for more oxygen for the chicks.. however vents being open allows for better air exchange than them being blocked