Hands on hatching and help

[jenniferlamar70]

Just locked down my eggs, 2/3 are still alive!
I'm having a beastly time getting humidity up. I have four bowls of hot water in there and it reads 40%....

It is a DIY bator, so maybe I need to block some holes up? I think I gave it too much ventilation.

Must have to much ventilation cause I can't imagine that much water wouldn't work.. is it warm enough?

 

[BantyChooks]

Must have to much ventilation cause I can't imagine that much water wouldn't work.. is it warm enough?

As in temp of bator, or water temp? Water was nearly steaming, and bator is at 98-99. (Was at 100 for most of the time)

 

[BantyChooks]

Ugh, I don't like the unknown...... I'd use my LG, but I'm trying to switch to this one fully so I can give the LG back to its rightful owner..... I love the LG. Holds temp steady as a rock and I know exactly how much water I need to put in.
-Banti

 

[2crazyflockers]

I hand turn mine 5x a day. I don't own any auto turners but If I did buy one- I like the IncuTurn. The eggs lay on their sides and roll side to side rather than the upright tilt of most turners.
If I have loose or rolling detached air cells, I use paper egg cartons cut out to sit the eggs upright. Saddled air cells get turned on their sides just like the good air cells.

Can't wait to see the new pics after the weather clears!

When I had a power outage, I heated uncooked rice in a pan (on my wood stove) and put the warm rice in baggies and put them in my Hova still air. It worked well short-term for a few hours until the power came back on. Hope you're able to figure something out! My Hovabator gives me issues too, although mine likes to drive the temp up.

Ok its only at night when the house cools off then its steady all day long? Do you think the rice will last all night?

 

[2crazyflockers]

If you turn it up at night do you have to turn it down during the day?

You are not going by a built in thermometer are you? If so it probably not correct.

Most of those incubators have enough heat to keep up with a some-what cooled room.

You can add a little heat if you want----use one of those candle lights like a lot of people put in their windows during Christmas. Knotch the edge of the incubator for the cord or remove the cord and stick through a vent hole and then hook it back to the light or cut the cord and stick it through a hole and put it back together with wire nuts. You can plug it in only at night if that's the only time you will need more heat. Or if you got one of the older heating pad that stays on you can place I on your table and use a cooling rack or similar to set the incubator on---so it does not sit directly on the heat pad---turn the heat pad on low at night.

yes if I turn it up at night I have to turn it back down during the day after it gets to temp. I'm not using the built in thermometer I have 3 different ones that I'm using 1 glass and 2 different digital that have humidity gauges as well. I'll have To try the heating pad thing tonight then! Thank you!

 

[RubyNala97]

How do you all feel about auto turners vs hand turning? Ive also read about a tilt method in bad air cell situations. This last round i used the auto turner from day 2 up to day 17. (I quit bc the silkie had already internally pipped by day 17). And yes, fat end was up

Personally, I love my results with hand turning. I turn 5 x day with the "x" and "o" on each side. I actually own a auto turner and my hatch rates are close to 100% (with my own eggs) when I hand turn. If I have to start working outside the home,I would like to get the turner with the eggs on their sides.

@RubyNala97
Tips on bringing up humidity? It's been ok during these past weeks but the last few days I've really struggled keeping it up. I know it's going to be difficult during lockdown...

This was such a problem for me. Even with the paper towel, I was only around 60% and it would dry up fast. I bought this material on Amazon called "zorb". It's supposed to hold the most moisture out of any fabric. Then I place a cup filled with pieces of sponge inside next to the eggs and keep that topped with water. Switching from paper towel to the zorb gave me an extra 10% humidity. Top everything off end of day 19.

This batch of eggs is driving me crazy! We are now starting on Day 24. Out of 8 eggs, two piped Day 21: one hatched, one died after piping. Last night another big pip: died after hatching. I just candled the last 5 eggs - ONE has internally piped, and the other 4 are moving, but no pips! I am at a loss!

Are these shipped eggs?

why do you guys like the mini so much? And what brand is it and where can I get it?

It's the brinsea mini Eco. $99 on Amazon. Best small incubator!

Another crappy day here. Rain rain rain. So the chicks will have to wait until tomorrow to go out to the pen. I sooooo want to get pics. They are growing so gorgeous. I fear that 5/6 of the paints (all the whites ended up with at least a small touch of paint) are males and I think Blooie is a male too. I am fairly confidant that 4 are females and two I'm still going back and forth on. 

Now it is my understanding that you can't or shouldn't breed paint to paint because that's where you get the pink pigmentation in the skin color, (if I understand Ruby correctly.) So if that is the case, without a separate pen for my one girl that is paint, away from a paint male. It would be in my best interest not to keep a male paint. That leaves me with my gray that I believe is a roo and possibly the one that is showing some partridge.  Oh silkies need to be easier to sex!

Trust me, they will fool you. Very hard to sex and I've been watching them grow and still am wrong half the time. Love the pics! Thanks for posting them! The only one that is giving me the really boy vibe is #4. All the others look girlish. But it's to soon to tell! I promise!

 

[PD-Riverman]

yes if I turn it up at night I have to turn it back down during the day after it gets to temp. I'm not using the built in thermometer I have 3 different ones that I'm using 1 glass and 2 different digital that have humidity gauges as well. I'll have To try the heating pad thing tonight then! Thank you!

OK, with the heating pad--I would turn it on just before needed---meaning before you would need to readjust the thermostat. The little added heat should keep it up where the internal thermostat still controls the heat, BUT keep a eye on it till you feel its working properly keeping the heat steady. I am sure you know the new heating pads cut off in a hour or two

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Personally, I love my results with hand turning. I turn 5 x day with the "x" and "o" on each side. I actually own a auto turner and my hatch rates are close to 100% (with my own eggs) when I hand turn. If I have to start working outside the home,I would like to get the turner with the eggs on their sides.
This was such a problem for me. Even with the paper towel, I was only around 60% and it would dry up fast. I bought this material on Amazon called "zorb". It's supposed to hold the most moisture out of any fabric. Then I place a cup filled with pieces of sponge inside next to the eggs and keep that topped with water. Switching from paper towel to the zorb gave me an extra 10% humidity. Top everything off end of day 19.

Are these shipped eggs?
It's the brinsea mini Eco. $99 on Amazon. Best small incubator!
Trust me, they will fool you. Very hard to sex and I've been watching them grow and still am wrong half the time. Love the pics! Thanks for posting them! The only one that is giving me the really boy vibe is #4. All the others look girlish. But it's to soon to tell! I promise!

I wouldn't mind being wrong in this instance, trust me....lol But they are all so gorgeous! Especially the grays and blacks. The blacks are actually really black and much pretty in person than on my cam. My cam makes black look off.

 

[audy5000g]

My rosecomb was attacked and scalped by another hen. She is hardly moving and won't drink or eat. Sigh. Tears....

I blue coated her and separated her and she seems comfy but won't move either. So sad.

 

[PD-Riverman]

My rosecomb was attacked and scalped by another hen. She is hardly moving and won't drink or eat. Sigh. Tears....

I blue coated her and separated her and she seems comfy but won't move either. So sad.

I have had several with their skull shinning like that----that survived with no side effects. Good Luck