- Sep 15, 2013
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This spring I found a Brisnea mini on Craigslist for a good deal and bought it. I have hatched chicks under my bantams before but this is my first time using an incubator. I live in the city and can't have a rooster so I bought hatching eggs at a swap meet. The Brisnea only holds seven so I put the rest under my broody Sussex (I think my bantams are rubbing off on her!). One turned out be infertile, and one egg got crushed (probably because multiple hens were trying to jam themselves in with mama). I candled before lockdown and all the eggs in the incubator appeared to be alive. They should be due tonight. But the eggs under then hen all already hatched yesterday or last night. Is it normal for chicks brooded under a hen to hatch earlier? They are from the same batch, although I may have put them under her a couple hours before I put the ones in the incubator... but the ones in the incubator haven't even pipped yet, and the ones under then hen are hatched have been hatched and dry for 6-16 hours.
Also somewhere between 7-14 days I forgot to refill the water well in the incubator for a couple (?) days. Will this negatively affect the chicks or their hatching? The well if full now, as per the instructions.
Also somewhere between 7-14 days I forgot to refill the water well in the incubator for a couple (?) days. Will this negatively affect the chicks or their hatching? The well if full now, as per the instructions.
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