HALLOWEEN HATCH!!! Anyone

[walkswithdog]

Well, candled the Sizzles - all are going, five I think... (forgetful), nine of the Blues from Halo, I didn't candle the GCMs - pointless and dangerous, and I didn't candle the seramas. The cracked blue from Halo is GOING! Go baby go.

Sigh one of the Delaware/Partridge Rock chicks got away from her sizzle mother and got cold. She's warming now in the tiny banty brooder. Should be fine in the long run, bit of a limp though, bet a big ol del stepped on her. Ah the trials and tribulations of broody's babies. Reason A for raising everything precious myself...

 

[kathyinmo]

I had a question for everyone here. When you add water in your bator for when the humid starts dropping "especially near or on lock down" you all take your tops off and add water correct? Well i have made a little invention that has enabled me to add water to the inside of my bator WITHOUT EVER having to open my bator once during the entire incubation...(except for when i need to take out a baby chick of corse )

Yes, I made one. I use a piece of long tubing that I bought in the pet section (used for aquariums). I rigged it up so I just put water through it, like a hose. I use a cheap little plastic ketchup bottle to do it with. The nozzle fits in it perfectly.

So how is everything goin guy's?? I've had no power outages and no temp changes what so ever. Humidity at 50 to 51 temp staying firm at 99 to 100.

Everybody sure does the humidity thing differently, don't they? I use 35% as my base for the first 18 days, then up to 65% for the hatch. My temps SEEM to be going well. I hope to get a new thermometer (thanks to Specklehen's convincing posts!) in the mail today or tomorrow.

 

[evonne]

oohh.. ohh... go mama go....
i think one of my EE's is about to lay her first egg... she keeps going into the nest and sitting for a few then leaving for a bit.. and coming back... lol....
i wont be hatching this egg, but someone else will be.. hopefully... i can't wait to see what color the egg is....

on another note... i haven't checked humidity, i keep the water things full... i'm in vegas.. we don't have humidity.. lol.. or that green stuff y'all let your chicks run around in... what is that stuff???
since these are my eggs and there will be more i guess i'm not being overly picky about the bator... it will either work or it wont.. and if it doesn't i'll watch closer next time.. lol..
i will however put a few sponges in when it gets to lockdown time.. is that when i want it higher?? on day 18 or 19??

 

[walkswithdog]

Some of my bators have been made so I can add water like that. The big Redwood Goliath is not, I just open the door, fill the pan and close it. Since I stagger hatch and hand turn - lock down doesn't actually exist.

I don't like the top opening ones because you can feel all the heat and all the humidity running up to God when you open it.

It's why I went to front opening bators, easier to be quick.

So far the Goliath is about 98% hatch on all eggs viable at day 18. I had to help a backwards chick in a pullet egg last time or it'd still be 100% but he wasn't the bators fault.

I may do it with Darthbator but I'm reworking it anyway. Until now I've just added a water pan and sponge - voila.

Again - hand turn and usually staggered, I use Darthbator for cracked eggs, eggs in poor condition from shipping and the like, basically any eggs you'd usually give up on end up there. Still do pretty well that way.

There are lots of ways to make a good bator - and humidity is solved lots of ways, you stumbled on a favorite.

As to what the GREEN STUFF is that doesn't grow in Vegas - it's called GRASS, or out here, could be Kudzu (omg). I like finally living where GOD waters the forest and the grass.

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

Quote:
i dropped 1 on the floor day 18 switching bators for lockdown

What a cluts!!!

I do dry hatches... Humidity is right around a steady 45 not to bad..Every once and a while I will turn on the humidifier..But 1 -18 I never add water...Works for me!! But I am in Florida

 

[k2chickens]

to the top with this thread i say! lulz

so, how did everyone's first candleing go?? Mine...not so well. Of the 23 eggs set and 2 staggered....12 were fertile and or showing signs of growth. My personal eggs were 5 clear and 2 developing. Of the other 18 shipped eggs i got..9 were clear. So im looking at about a 49% fertility inside my bator of what i set.

 

[evonne]

i have 6 little dancers in my light.. lol...
and boy are they dancing... all over the place.. lol.. well as all over the places as they can... i never expected to see so much movement at this stage... we're n what?? day... um... 7 or 8 for me.. i think...

 

[Freckle Face Farm]

I don't candle my Marans eggs I cant see anything anyway

I can tell pretty much on day 18 by the weight of the egg.. I have 3 Olive eggers in with my BCM maybe I could but I will wait till day 18..As long as they smell good I am ok I have never had a problem with my eggs but have had some that I got in the mail that leaked or smelled PU!!!

 

[teddiliza]

So far on day 5, nothing. Wah. Must have been the wazine and ivermectin 2 months ago.

 

[evonne]

Quote:

sorry to hear that.... i don't know about blaming the med stuff though... i would hate to have that scare you off of using them again if you need them if it's not the reason....