First Time Hatching Anyone With Me??

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Well last night as we were removing the eggs from the turner we saw that some were already piping. I guess we have been running a little warm. Any way this morning we have two chicks, one of each, and there are others rocking and rolling working their way out. My mind will not be on work today. Can't wait to get home to see how many more we'll have.
 
I am also a first timer! I set 24 eggs from my hens on Friday 2/25. I'm using a brinsea eco 20 with turner. I am not sure how many of the eggs are fertile I have 2 roosters, but the alpha will NOT let the younger one mate. I tried to pick eggs from the hens I was pretty sure the rooster had mated with. There are some dark brown ( from my wellies and marans) and some brown ( from the New hamsphires) and green/blue /pink from my EE's. I'm itching to candle them, but I think it is too soon....
 
Work is definately hard today. I had 9 fluzzy butts when I left for work. 5/6 of the EE's had hatched and only 4/10 mixed had hatched and I saw 1 pip. Didn't have time to look at the other eggs.

So....how does a person remove the hatched chicks out of the incubator without throwing the temp/humidity out of wack? And how long do I wait to see if the others will hatch or if they are quiters? Would it be OK to do a float test? tonight if I don't see any cracks or pips on them?

I'm definately going to have to get me a separate hatching system, cause I need to get some duck eggs in the incubator no later than Saturday!
 
Well we are home and as expected a few more have hatched out. We're upto 10 chicks. We just moved some to the brooder. This is great!
80948_chick_hatch_2_006.jpg

Here is some of our new family.
 
So I have a question for everyone..... What kind of set up are yall using for the brooder?? I have been debating on how to set one up. I am not to excited about about using a plastic rubbermaid tote. I have been searching craigslist for an old fish tank, but haven't found anything yet.

Second question: I am still a bit confused about what day is lockdown? What seems to be messing me up is some people are saying that you dont count the first day the you put the eggs in the incubator. What % of humidity is everyone going with for lockdown?

Oh and congrats on the new fuzzy butts you guys. I am soooo wanting mine to hatch NOW!!
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for a young chick brooder Im using an old army drafting box, about 3ft x 4' and about a foot deep. I think. It has a hinged lid on top, and DH cut out a big window in this which we attached hardware cloth to, then put it up onto a rolling metal stand. I dont think these boxes are that common, but it works great for us, I can leave it in the garage with cats and dogs going in and out, and its too heavy for them to even lift the lid or knock it over.

I raised my lockdown humidity to 65-70% with an LG forced air. Seems to be working ok...I have to leave now for DS baseball practice and I have a pip and one trying to get out!!!
 
Kathryn....I have used both the largest rubbermaid totes and heavyduty cardboard boxes. I put about 1/2 inch of construction sand in the bottom as opposed to paper towels, puppy pads or even shavings. Heck, I think some nice dry dirt would be good too, but this time of year, that would be hard to find. I don't think I'd use potting soil. I have a wooden framed piece of hardware cloth that I put over the tote and the brooder lamp on top of the wire. As the chicks get bigger and bigger, i just keep enlarging the brooder.

I read the same thing about the first day doesn't count. There's no humity control on the small Mini, just says to fill the reservoir up to a certain line and leave it for at least 3 days. So I put my eggs in lockdown on day 18. In the larger Octogon it says to bump the humity to 65, but I was so concerned about too high of a humity that I only bumped it to 56, then when I wasn't getting anything, I bumped it to 60 last night. This morning 4 of the 10 eggs had hatched and 1 had pipped. I am hoping that the humity wasn't too low. I candled the eggs before lockdown and all had solid development. I don't know how long to leave the questionable eggs in the incubator after I take the chicks out.
 
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Too cute! Congrats
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So here is my brooder set up. It is lined with sand.
77616_duckie_is_here_055.jpg

It is a jumbo cooler from Costco. i change the wattage of the bulb as the ducklings grow.
The tin can allows me to open the drain cap for ventilation keeping the sand in.
77616_duckie_is_here_053.jpg

The duckie loves this set up. The sand gets warm and she lays on it...aloha.
 
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