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

[SilkieSensation]

I would like your run down on how to stagger hatch in one incubator as I have 3 differnt hatch days in one of mine I think.

Keep humidity as low as possible for as long as possible. Keep turning eggs not in lockdown until you hear peeping or see an external pip. Stop turning & raise humidity. Use a spray bottle of hot water to lightly mist the inside of the lid of the bator to instantly jump humidity by 10-20%. DO NOT add water to the wells in the bottom of the bator!!!! Add a bowl or sponges to raise humidity so they can be removed as soon as hatch completes. Allow all babies to hatch & gain their feet. Remove babies & water bowl or sponges as soon as all babies are upright & moving. Even if they are not completely dry remove them. They will finish drying under the heat lamp. Just make sure there are no drafts. Allow excess humidity to escape & drop back to incubation range. Continue turning remaining eggs until they reach lockdown point. Repeat process for next batch of babies.

 

[SilkieSensation]

For those of you on "Quail Watch" here is a pic of 2 of the 4-5 day old babies next to a newly hatched Old English Game Bantam chick. The little banty is STILL bigger. I'll see if I can get a pic of it next to the 2 bigger quail in a while. They are barely bigger than the chick.

 

[SarahJaneB]

Exactly two weeks till chicks for me!!! I'm on day 7! Oh I hope everything goes ok and the chicks hatch ..

 

[SilkieSensation]

A 4-5 day old quail is bigger than a Serama though. Gabby, I got 1 to hatch!!! Little white baby. And it has feathered legs!!!!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Today is day 10 here. I decided to re-candle all the eggs I had marked as clear on day 7. I didn't see any development at all on the marked eggs, but I'll leave them in until day 14. I think they're probably infertile. This seems like a high infertility rate on this farmer's eggs, but I've never had this problem before with my own eggs. Perhaps he has too many hens and too few roos? At least I won't have to split the eggs between 2 hatchers.

I should note that the majority of the clear eggs were in the center 2 rows, so that could be a factor. But they were also organized by breed, or at least I think they were. The farmer didn't mark them. I lined them up by color.

So basically the incubator either has cool/hot spots due to my egg stacking, or this particular breed has fertility problems? I guess when I pull the eggs, I can crack them open and all questions will be answered

 

[SilkieSensation]

Today is day 10 here. I decided to re-candle all the eggs I had marked as clear on day 7. I didn't see any development at all on the marked eggs, but I'll leave them in until day 14. I think they're probably infertile. This seems like a high infertility rate on this farmer's eggs, but I've never had this problem before with my own eggs. Perhaps he has too many hens and too few roos? At least I won't have to split the eggs between 2 hatchers.

I should note that the majority of the clear eggs were in the center 2 rows, so that could be a factor. But they were also organized by breed, or at least I think they were. The farmer didn't mark them. I lined them up by color.

So basically the incubator either has cool/hot spots due to my egg stacking, or this particular breed has fertility problems? I guess when I pull the eggs, I can crack them open and all questions will be answered

The stacking may have been a factor as temps at the beginning of incubation may not have been high enough to get them going properly. As you mentioned, it could also be a fertility issue, or it could be a weather issue. Not sure what temps are like where you are but if eggs get too hot or too cold before being set it will cause problems with hatchability.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Ok, the Serama has fluffed up now. I guess a newly hatched Serama IS pretty close in size to a 4-5 day old coturnix quail after all.

 

[LuvMyRoo]

Oh my so cute silkie!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

The stacking may have been a factor as temps at the beginning of incubation may not have been high enough to get them going properly. As you mentioned, it could also be a fertility issue, or it could be a weather issue. Not sure what temps are like where you are but if eggs get too hot or too cold before being set it will cause problems with hatchability.

You bring up a really good point with the weather. It was really cold where we are the week he collected the eggs, single digits. I was thinking about how warm I kept them on the way home, but who knows how long they were sitting in his nesting boxes. If I don't collect eggs 2-3 times a day, they are frequently frozen in January. Or, maybe it was the stacking in the incubator.

Taking notes, learning lessons.

 

[fisherlady]

Ok, the Serama has fluffed up now. I guess a newly hatched Serama IS pretty close in size to a 4-5 day old coturnix quail after all.

They are adorable...
2 wks to go and already antsy!