Hands on hatching and help

[TurksPoultry]

I have a story that is OT but I know you will all feel the way  I do ! lol
We were at a  poultry swap/sale Sunday morning; it was COLD and rainy and there had been much discussion on the sale's FB page about how to keep baby chicks warm without power etc, so people knew it was going to be a challenge.
I was looking for laying hens, but the daughter and I were determined to take our time and look at everything as the last sale was very rushed for us.  At the second to last vendor I come upon yet another Tupperware container of freezing, huddled day old chicks but one of these is so freshly hatched IT HASN'T DRIED OFF YET.  It was smaller than all the others and trying to duck under them for warmth, but of course there was no warmth to be had.  Turns  out it was one of three Chocolate Orpingtons in the box, but the vendor indicated she probably wasn't going to sell the little one as she 'wasn't doing very well'.
I shot the woman my best dirty death stare, told her that chick had no business being at the sale, and told her to sell me all three.  I immediately stuck the cold one inside my daughter's shirt and she stayed there until we got home.  We scrounged through the truck and found an old hand warmer pack for the other two.
I'm mad at the woman who had a barely hatched chick for sale outside in the rain.  I'm mad at myself for giving her my money that was earmarked for mature hens. I'm mad that every bird there was stressed to the limit.  I don't think I'll attend poultry swaps any more.
Oh, and anyone north of the 49th parallel I should have  Chocolate Orpington chicks for sale next spring .

missed this when we posted at the same time earlier...

lotsa swaps are pretty sad, you would be a lot better off to hook up with a breeder in your area and deal with them exclusively. This is why many of including myself have learned to hatch though. I won't buy anything except eggs at a swap, and those must come from NPIP swapers too. They go to handling the birds any kinda way. Worst for me was about a year ago. I was DyING to get into Cayuga ducks, found a breeder at a swap, he came highly reccommended, was even certified, every duckling he had up there had a bare back

 

[ShanandGem]

missed this when we posted at the same time earlier...

lotsa swaps are pretty sad, you would be a lot better off to hook up with a breeder in your area and deal with them exclusively. This is why many of including myself have learned to hatch though. I won't buy anything except eggs at a swap, and those must come from NPIP swapers too. They go to handling the birds any kinda way. Worst for me was about a year ago. I was DyING to get into Cayuga ducks, found a breeder at a swap, he came highly reccommended, was even certified, every duckling he had up there had a bare back

Thanks, that's good advice, and I learned my lesson the hard way. I don't mind driving a fair distance to pick up chicks or eggs. I think I'll do that from now on.

 

[mikeldb]

yes yes Insanity runs rampant among us hatchers

I couldn't imagine cracking the lid of mine like that but it's whatever works for you!! And hey the first five days are when the temps stability is paramount so your over the hump!
I'm glad you have a New baby! Looks a lil preme though you might consider putting him in a small cup in the bator so he isn't run over, and check his umbilical it might need a bit a treatment to keep from having any sort of problems.

it's a bantam and his cord is good he got out on his own I just cleaned up a little

 

[2crazyflockers]

So, I've quoted you a couple different places, but I'm just going to throw all me 2 cents plus right here.  75% for hatching is not a killer. I start at 75% and it often shoots 85%+. I don't worry unless I see condednsation- which is virtually neer because I am a meddler so it doesn't stay excessively high for very long.  My concern would be withe the fact that you stated your humdidty was 50% prior to hatching. For many of us using table top incubators that are NOT in high altitudes 50% is too high and is going to prevent the egg from loosing the moisture it needs to loose which prevents the air cells from growing and carries a higher probability of chicks drowning at hatch time in the excess fluid. Unless you were checking your air cells and are comfortable that 50% was allowing for enough moisture loss, I would start there.  There's more here if you are interested: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity  I use this method in my Little Giant 9200 and have awesome hatch rates on the average with it.

Yes, browinsh/yellow membrane is a sign of drying out. For future use if you lightly coat an exposed or drying membrane with bacitracin, neosporin (w/o pain relief) or vaseline it will help to keep it nice and moist without having to wet it eery couple hours.

Malpositioned pippers do take longer on the average because they are skipping the internal pip step. Some hatch perfectly fine w/o assisting, others will need assisting to hatch.  I personally, even with normal pippers gie them 18-24 hours before interfering and usually that ends up being 24 hours + because they aren't ready when I start the assist.

Here's a hatching guide from the hands on perspective, gives you a different view than the normal hands off perspective:  http://hatching411.weebly.com/



Again.....no one has a flipping clue who you are talking to or what you are talking about. Most of us got the clue and stopped responding to your ad naseum posts of looking for help and not listening to anyone.  Please, for your sake, you'd be better to start your own thread and then anyone willing to handle the frustration of communicating with you can do so and you won't be frustrating the rest of us and making people that are normally pleasant and helpful become rude and run the risk off gettig mod slapped because frankly we can't take anymore.



xs 2
Looks good to me, your updated pis does look like it was going the wrong way though so I would keep a close eye on it.

I couldn't agree with you more. I feel the same way about people who take "studies" over experience too. (And let's face it, these studies are done in sterile environments, with the top notch incubators, with a hands off philosophy, probably the best eggs, and not taking into consideration the hatchers environments or habits. So not realistic to impose on a back yard chicken keeper incubating in a $50 styrofoam incubator.) There is nothing like doing it to have a clue what you are talking about.  I have even seen here on BYC someone going info that makes everyone go ???? and then saying, "Well, I have never incubated myself but...."  NO!!  NO buts.... stop. 

Congrats on the hatcher. Sorry about all the trouble of the rest.

I haven't gotten a clue....lol  It'd be a question to the geese raisers.  I've never seriously looked into them. I saw them and loved them, but don't have the environment to keep ducks and geese, so I just drool at pics....lol

I agree!!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

yes yes Insanity runs rampant among us hatchers

I couldn't imagine cracking the lid of mine like that but it's whatever works for you!! And hey the first five days are when the temps stability is paramount so your over the hump!
I'm glad you have a New baby! Looks a lil preme though you might consider putting him in a small cup in the bator so he isn't run over, and check his umbilical it might need a bit a treatment to keep from having any sort of problems.

This incubator has to be the worst. I don't have alot of experience but it seems to have no insulation. It gets hot then at night it gets to cool. I'm having to watch it like a hawk to keep the temps regular. The turner didn't seem to be working so now turning by hand. The second one I bough is more manual but works much better and the temps/humidity are great. Thinking after this hatch I'm going to sell these 2 and buy a new one. I saw one I really want called 1588 hova bator. I'm sure it's much better then what I have.holds more chicks as well.

 

[Blooie]

I made a nighttime "tent" for my styrofoam incubator. Don't know why I didn't think to do that with the other hatches - the ones that didn't do well at all - but I got to the point where I figured if I had the temps stable during the day, then formed a "tent" over the incubator with a towel and a clothes hanger (Towel put through the hanger like a pair of trousers, then fanned out at the bottom over the incubator) it kept the temps more stable at night too. If you do this, DON'T cover the ventilation holes, just sort of drape it loosely. You're not trying to hold wamed air in as much as you trying to keep cooler air out. Wish I'd taken photos of what I did, doggone it. I used the Brinsea for incubating and the foam incubator as a hatcher. That gave me the best hatch I've had.....oh, that and @RubyNala97 's excellent Silkie eggs!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

This incubator has to be the worst. I don't have alot of experience but it seems to have no insulation. It gets hot then at night it gets to cool. I'm having to watch it like a hawk to keep the temps regular. The turner didn't seem to be working so now turning by hand. The second one I bough is more manual but works much better and the temps/humidity are great. Thinking after this hatch I'm going to sell these 2 and buy a new one. I saw one I really want called 1588 hova bator. I'm sure it's much better then what I have.holds more chicks as well.

The Hovabators are good bators for styro and the 1588 has a nice picture window. I want the 1583. Same thing but w/o the digital components.

 

[RubyNala97]

I have a few pics! Some of the Seramas And the first one seen under my broody (under her tail) There is another one out, I saw its legs under her and 2 empty shells, but haven't seen the other chick yet.

So cute! One of them already has little feathers coming in on the wings! I didn't know you had a broody hen!

I have a story that is OT but I know you will all feel the way I do ! lol We were at a poultry swap/sale Sunday morning; it was COLD and rainy and there had been much discussion on the sale's FB page about how to keep baby chicks warm without power etc, so people knew it was going to be a challenge. I was looking for laying hens, but the daughter and I were determined to take our time and look at everything as the last sale was very rushed for us. At the second to last vendor I come upon yet another Tupperware container of freezing, huddled day old chicks but one of these is so freshly hatched IT HASN'T DRIED OFF YET. It was smaller than all the others and trying to duck under them for warmth, but of course there was no warmth to be had. Turns out it was one of three Chocolate Orpingtons in the box, but the vendor indicated she probably wasn't going to sell the little one as she 'wasn't doing very well'. I shot the woman my best dirty death stare, told her that chick had no business being at the sale, and told her to sell me all three. I immediately stuck the cold one inside my daughter's shirt and she stayed there until we got home. We scrounged through the truck and found an old hand warmer pack for the other two. I'm mad at the woman who had a barely hatched chick for sale outside in the rain. I'm mad at myself for giving her my money that was earmarked for mature hens. I'm mad that every bird there was stressed to the limit. I don't think I'll attend poultry swaps any more. Oh, and anyone north of the 49th parallel I should have Chocolate Orpington chicks for sale next spring .

I have not been to a poultry swap yet, for this very reason. I've heard so many horror stories. I'm glad you took them. How's the little one doing now?

I need to take new pics. I'll add some asap. W the A/C on all day an night it's hard cuz if I'm holding em I'm tryn to shield em from the cold air.

I can't wait to see new pics! Yeah, we turned the AC's on this week too. I didn't put one in the living room because the duck's brooder is right under the only window it fits in (no central AC here). I didn't want her to get a draft. My duckling was off heat by week 2. She just didn't need it. It's amazing how fast they grow! She's a big girl now...

This incubator has to be the worst. I don't have alot of experience but it seems to have no insulation. It gets hot then at night it gets to cool. I'm having to watch it like a hawk to keep the temps regular. The turner didn't seem to be working so now turning by hand. The second one I bough is more manual but works much better and the temps/humidity are great. Thinking after this hatch I'm going to sell these 2 and buy a new one. I saw one I really want called 1588 hova bator. I'm sure it's much better then what I have.holds more chicks as well.

If you want something small and are able to hand turn, you should look into the Brinsea mini Eco. It's the best incubator ever! It's $100 but worth every single penny. 3 year full warranty and holds temp & humidity perfect, regardless of my house is 63 degrees or 80. I've ran it all year. I recently bought the hova bator 1583 and I've only had it up and running a week but so far it's been great.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I made a nighttime "tent" for my styrofoam incubator.  Don't know why I didn't think to do that with the other hatches - the ones that didn't do well at all - but I got to the point where I figured if I had the temps stable during the day, then formed a "tent" over the incubator with a towel and a clothes hanger (Towel put through the hanger like a pair of trousers, then fanned out at the bottom over the incubator) it kept the temps more stable at night too.  If you do this, DON'T cover the ventilation holes, just sort of drape it loosely. You're not trying to hold wamed air in as much as you trying to keep cooler air out.  Wish I'd taken photos of what I did, doggone it.  I used the Brinsea for incubating and the foam incubator as a hatcher.  That gave me the best hatch I've had.....oh, that and @RubyNala97
's excellent Silkie eggs!  

Thanks I've been wrapping a dish towel around the.bottom of the incubator and it seems to help hold heat in. I leave the top uncovered since that's where the vent is.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

The Hovabators are good bators for styro and the 1588 has a nice picture window. I want the 1583. Same thing but w/o the digital components.

I'm glad to.hear they are a little better. I really liked the viewing window and that also drew me in lol is their a big price difference in the 2? It might be worth it if all u lose is the digital aspect..