Hatch-Along - Setting eggs this weekend (Jan5/6) WHOS WITH ME!

[chicken pickin]

If it's over 40% I would quickly take all eggs out & dump the water. I never add water to the wells. I only put a bowl of water in or wet sponges (some people use maxi pads). That way everything can be easily removed if humidity spikes. A little trick I have learned for during lockdown: if humidity drops too low it can be instantly raised by 10-20% by misting the inside of the lid of the bator with hot water from a spray bottle. Only spray once or twice at a time & wait 10-15 minutes before spraying again until desired humidity is reached.

Thanks I just dumped the water out but humidity is still up ill keep watching it. I usually add a little water to the well to keep humidity between 32-42. Last hatch I ran humidity between 42-46 and it worked well for me I got 15 chicks from 16 eggs all unassisted. This time i wanted to run humidity slightly lower because the air sells on the shipped eggs look different and I was nervous to have too much humidity.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Thanks I just dumped the water out but humidity is still up ill keep watching it. I usually add a little water to the well to keep humidity between 32-42. Last hatch I ran humidity between 42-46 and it worked well for me I got 15 chicks from 16 eggs all unassisted. This time i wanted to run humidity slightly lower because the air sells on the shipped eggs look different and I was nervous to have too much humidity.

Wait a couple hours & open the bator for a minute or 2 to let the remaining water vapor out if it's still running too high. Since there's no water left & it's just evaporating the last of the moisture from the inside of the bator it should work. You may have to do it a couple times over the next 12 hours or so, but it will drop back down.

 

[TheCosmos]

Ohhhh, you must share those pics Cosmos! I will live vicariously through you all on candling! Congrats on all the life growing so far!

Here they are.. Somehow I missed the picture egg #5 but my camera battery was dying so I got rushed. Also, I was experimenting with the aperture so bear with me. I didn't take a photo of #1 because I really couldn't SEE anything because the egg was so dark. On all of them, if you stare real hard, you can see a dot in the middle.. and then if you squint your eyes a little bit you will see the veins. LOL. Hopefully before all this is over I will have my camera settings to pick this stuff up better.

#2



#3 - this is the one I think isn't developing - but I'm not losing hope yet.


#4 - The dark egg spot/dot in the middle, next to that is the developing embryo, then a vein going up from there.


#6 - I found I can see this one better if I back up away from the computer. lol


#7 - fresh egg, two views. This is the side...


#7 - looking from the top. I can see 4 veins coming from the developing embryo.


I need to get photoshop on my new computer, then maybe I could alter them to be more dramatic.

So general status as of right now..

4/5 - shipped eggs developing.
2/2 - fresh eggs developing.

 

[chicken pickin]

Nice Pictures Cosmos! I see what you mean if you stare reall hard and squint a little its there. kind of like those pictures that look like nothing and if you stare youll see a pic. lol. Im playing I really see the little dots. Your eggs are doing good and thanks for sharing the pics.

 

[aka Rachel]

I know the feeling! Ours hit 102 on the first day but luckily it was for about 30 minutes max. We are kinda worried for the weekend cause we are supposed to get a warm up so we are hoping everything stays stable!

what kind of bator do you have?

I have a homeade bator, made from a very large chest. Temps are nice and stable, just a little high! I kind of rushed putting eggs in

I hope you have good luck getting your tempts right. That has got to be stressfull and frustrating. Sending good luck your way.

Thanks CP, i'll take it! I am going to be stressed untill I candle this weekend.

Sorry this was posted by me, me and peggy-sue don't always sign out and end up posting using the others account

i guess one account would be better

Haha, that's ok. You could always add a disclaimer down on the bottom "this post might be made by dlbea1202 possing as Peggy-sue!"

Mine has been going up at night too. It's been hitting 101 at the top of the eggs. During the day it usually stays at 99 at the bottom and 100 at the top. Hopefully it doesnt rise again for you tonight

Oh thats not bad!! Is yours a still air? I turned it down just a teeeeeeny bit yesterday and the temp was a little high so I think another teeeeeeeny turn today should do it!

 

[TheCosmos]

Nice Pictures Cosmos! I see what you mean if you stare reall hard and squint a little its there. kind of like those pictures that look like nothing and if you stare youll see a pic. lol. Im playing I really see the little dots. Your eggs are doing good and thanks for sharing the pics.

haha EXACTLY!!

Just turn your head real quick and look out of the back of your head. It's there!

 

[aka Rachel]

i put mine in on the 4th they are from my hens just some mixs

Nothing at all wrong with mixes! I think they are some of the most dependable and friendliest of the chicken breeds! I happen to have a bunch of 'mutts' of my own and wouldn't trade them for anything!

I agree! In fact I meant to take some pics off all my different girls (and boys) which are mixes. I love hatching because I never know what the chick will look like! And used to be I had all black chicks hatch, now some of them are yellow

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I agree! In fact I meant to take some pics off all my different girls (and boys) which are mixes. I love hatching because I never know what the chick will look like! And used to be I had all black chicks hatch, now some of them are yellow

Hatching mutts is so fun. You have no idea what the chicks are going to look like, and then they change even more when they get their adult feathers. The eggs they lay can be surprising too! My first hatch was a practice hatch using eggs from a local farmer's mixed flock. It was the most hilarious looking mix of birds. I wound up with a barred half Polish rooster, with a full headdress of funny striped feathers. I also wound up with this lady:


I'm not sure what she is, but what a personality. I think she looks like Gonzo.

 

[Outrun Acres]

Hatching mutts is so fun. You have no idea what the chicks are going to look like, and then they change even more when they get their adult feathers. The eggs they lay can be surprising too! My first hatch was a practice hatch using eggs from a local farmer's mixed flock. It was the most hilarious looking mix of birds. I wound up with a barred half Polish rooster, with a full headdress of funny striped feathers. I also wound up with this lady:


I'm not sure what she is, but what a personality. I think she looks like Gonzo.

Haha! She is hilarious! My eggs are mixes too. One of our roosters is a Polish, we may have some interesting looking chicks on our hands too. Thanks for posting the picture, I love it !

 

[FeyRaine]

LvMyRoo -- the egg candle pics are great! Thx (I will hold out til Sat, I will not candle early, I will *stay strong* I will resist I will...)

aka Rachel -- wow that is a goofy looking gal, bet she makes you laugh every time you see her : 0

---
Well I'm trying to keep my cooler-bator temps. a little warmer than NYDH w/much less bouncy, and so far that was working (mainly by keeping the cats out of this room so they aren't laying on it spiking it causing me to run in and open the lid to let out the over-hot air) , and aside from annoyed house cats that was going well.

But last night it went down to 98 for no reason I can figure out. I know that isn't terrible, but I'm annoyed it is so overly sensitive, also the humidity has dropped back to 20% so now I need to dampen the sponge again which means open it, which means temp drop. -- I've got to find a way to make this contraption more stable and less temp. bouncy...my DH built it w/ the exact same parts as some of the online coolerbator w/ high hatch rates (even the same brand of cooler , & same type PC fan etc) so I'm really not sure why those are stable and ours is not. Our house has central heat/air heatpump which I hate btw so I blame that.

I really want these eggs to do well, and I'm trying to get some special eggs for later this spring so I really need to get the bugs worked out on these free eggs this hatch! I'm feeling a little stressed; switching from coffee to herbal tea now.

Everyone have a great day, and may your bators be at 99.5 w/ perfect humidity, and your layer flocks all give eggs!