hatch date getting closer and I need help! ANOTHER QUESTION

[Rocky Top Chick]

Hi all,

I have a home made incubator and am trying to hatch 6 eggs. I need answers to a couple of questions:

1. Before you go on lockdown, do you place anything over the hardware cloth. I have this vision of chick legs falling through the hardward cloth or am I crazy?
2. Can anyone show me a picture of a 10 or 11 day old picture that is not good. I really see something in each egg, although I know they can't all be good.
3. I have the eggs in a carton, will the chicks fall out onto the hardware cloth if I leave them there? Will they hurt themselves?
4. Can the eggs touch if I take them and lay them on the hardware cloth. Mine has a slight dip in the center so I think they will probably roll toward each other.

Sorry for all the questions, but I am getting nervous the closer I get. I have the ability to bring life into the world and the eggs are depending on me. Can you tell I never had children?

Thanks to all

5. When will the eggs start stinking if they are bad, so far every one of them smell good.

 

[rebel yell]

Quote:
I dont put anything over mine, & they wont fall through as long you are using the 1\\4 inch hardware cloth, & yes they all can be good, I take my eggs out of the carton in lock down, when they start to hatching they are going to be moving the eggs around a lot just walking around in there, I like to think it keeps the ones that haven't hatched yet more life to want to bust out.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Thanks rebel yell, I am in NC also. Foothills.

 

[sgtmom52]

I put rubberized shelf liner on the hardware cloth to cushion it and give the chicks something to grip as they stand and walk. You can easily clean and sanitize it for reuse or just toss after the hatch.

 

[rebel yell]

Good luck on your hatch !!!!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not to argue. Purely to reinforce.

1. Before you go on lockdown, do you place anything over the hardware cloth. I have this vision of chick legs falling through the hardward cloth or am I crazy?

I don't have a homemade but have a commercial. It is good to have some plastic or such under the hardwire cloth if you can without interfering with humidity to make clean-up easier, but they need something like the hardwire cloth so they can get a good grip and not injure their legs. I don't think a full sized chick's feet would go through 1/2 inch hardwire cloth (not sure about bantams) but definitely not 1/4".

2. Can anyone show me a picture of a 10 or 11 day old picture that is not good. I really see something in each egg, although I know they can't all be good.

Cannot help, but don't doubt yourself too much, especially with only 6 eggs. 60 eggs, yeah, but not 6.

3. I have the eggs in a carton, will the chicks fall out onto the hardware cloth if I leave them there? Will they hurt themselves?

They will not hurt themselves. I lay mine flat and not in cartons, but people do it both ways.

4. Can the eggs touch if I take them and lay them on the hardware cloth. Mine has a slight dip in the center so I think they will probably roll toward each other.

I don't see that as a problem. I lay mine on the wire and they manage fine, whether they touch or not. The flatter the better, but a little dip should not cause a problem.

 

[midget_farms]

Quote:
Great idea! I may try that.

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Quote:
Wonderful idea !!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Rocky Top Chick]

Ridgerunner, Thanks for all the great information. If I never use this incubator again that is okay. It is simply a piece of sheet insulation that I made into a box. Nothing fancy and actually happy that anything is happening at all to the eggs. My DH thought I had lost my mind, but now that we see something, he wants to take charge and build a new one. He is the perfectionist in the family, not me