Hatcher's DO I NEED ONE???? and What exactly are they????? HELP!!!!!!

[LaneKim]

Hi everyone well you guessed it I'm a newbie and we are hatching eggs for the first time! I don't know what to do i've read there is something called a HATCHER???? What exactly is it and do I need it and WHERE oh WHERE ever do you get one???!!!

 

[Mattake2]

Definitely! It's called an incubator or "bator". Little Giant makes one & so does Hova-Bator. The Little Giants are cheaper & they all do the same thing.

 

[LaneKim]

I have an Incubator and we put our chicks in today! But i was wondering about the hatcher do i take them out of the incubator and put them in the hatcher on day 21???

 

[drafthorse39]

Basically another incubator you put the eggs in on their last 3 days to hatch. Oh and no they can just hatch in your incubator, at least that's what I do. I only hatch 1 or 2 times a year though.

 

[Katy]

If your eggs are all due at the same time you don't have to have a hatcher...if you're doing a staggered hatch tho it works better with a seperate hatcher.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

A hatcher is another bator. When you have staggard hatches (eggs set on different dates) you need to have another bator to "hatch" in. If you don't the bacteria from the ones hatching can kill the other batches. If you have just one set of eggs in due at the same time you can just leave them where they are.

You move the eggs to the "hatcher" on day 18 when you stop turning them and up the humidity. Then SIT ON YOUR HANDS and don't open it again until the hatch is done, unless there is an emergency.

Good luck!

 

[equus2]

If your budget allows, and if you think you just might

be the sort of person to get addicted to incubating eggs, then I would recommend a second incubator without a turner (ie, a hatcher.) My eggs go into the Bator #1 (with turner) until Day 18. Bator #2 (no turner) is all set up and waiting, so transferring the eggs is a breeze.

Some people do hatch in the turner, but clean-up is difficult. And, SOMEHOW

I can't imagine HOW

, new eggs just sort of appear in the bator/turner but hey, no problem, they get moved to the hatcher on Day #18.

I have decided to sell ALL of my bators (I have 2 homemade ones for "emergencies", as DH wants to get a Sportsman! I'll be posting pics here later.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Is all your eggs being set at the same time in your incubator?

Basically a hatcher is any type of incubator that is set up for proper hatching temp & humidity conditions. People like to have them to keep their original incubator clean during the hatch part or if they are doing staggered egg hatches or multiple hatches.

A hatcher is convenient, b/c it can set up a few days getting acclimated for hatch temp & humidity, so when day 18 rolls around all you have to do is transfer the eggs to the hatcher for the hatch part, but is not neccessary.

If you are just incubating one set of eggs that go into the incubator at one time it is not necessary to have one. You can do your incubating and hatching in one incubator.

What kind of incubator do you have? Depending on what kind you have depends on what temps to keep your incubator at.

You set the eggs and incubate them from day 1-18. On day 18 you stop turning eggs and raise humidity for the hatch.

Hope this helps!!!!

 

[LaneKim]

Quote:
I do not have a staggered hatch they are all supposed to hatch on the 24th of this month!!! Thank you , i might get a hatcher anyway but if they can hatch in the incubator then it would prob. & make more sense to just wait until i DO have a staggered hatch and get it then that would be smarter price wise at least but do you think i should get one anyway???

Oh and won't moving them 3 days before scheduled hatch decrease their chances??? I mean when you move them you transfer more bacteria and germs plus the temp. and humidity change!! I will do more research!!!! I'll be up late again tonight!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

It is standard practice to "lock down the bator" at day 18. You stop turning the eggs and bump the humidity up between 60-65%. This is what the chicks need so they can hatch. Then sit back and wait.