Hatching Eggs / Paypal CHAT Thread

[Sahwithchicks]

Agreed, but I think alot of these chicks would hatch out just fine under momma hen. What I have found is if a chick has a longer (but still normal) zipping time than a styrofoam forced air incubator frequently shrink wraps them- no matter the humidity level. If I hatch that same chick in a cabinet incubator with laminar airflow- even at lower humidity levels the extended zipper will hatch just fine.

Sometimes it's just the artificial environment we put them in that creates the problem.

I have kind of come up with a theory that the humidity under a broody is a lot higher than that of artificial incubation. However, when she heard peeping and such, she looks under her to check on them, and probably adjusts the egg position so they don't drown like they do in artificial incubation. I have a broody cochin right now, she's not setting anything, but I think I will put a couple eggs under her and a hydrometer/temp combo... The kind with the external wire for outside readings and see what is really going on under there. Anyone ever tried anything like that?

 

[Bettacreek]

I do the processing...I kill ( behead the bird with a very sharp clever, one decisive stroke beheads the bird cleanly, then I have two ways of cleaning the bird. One I can skin it feathers and all...if you pm me I will go into the rest.

To me this is very fast in ten seconds or less the head is still. 2 minutes just seemed like a lonnng time to stop feeling..jmo.only method I have found that I can live with.

I agree. Bleeding out to kill them takes way too long for my taste.

 

[Bettacreek]

Some more crazy news with my bator... the timing motor for the turner is dead. It's actually kind of funny really. At this rate, by the end of spring, my bator will have all new parts! You really have to give it credit though... when I bought it three years ago, it was from someone who had it for a few years, and they said the person THEY bought it from had had it for ten years. Nothing had ever been replaced until now... So, it has been running strong for about 16 years on the original equipment!

 

[Sahwithchicks]

Some more crazy news with my bator... the timing motor for the turner is dead. It's actually kind of funny really. At this rate, by the end of spring, my bator will have all new parts! You really have to give it credit though... when I bought it three years ago, it was from someone who had it for a few years, and they said the person THEY bought it from had had it for ten years. Nothing had ever been replaced until now... So, it has been running strong for about 16 years on the original equipment!

Wow, that stinks! It is pretty good that it is that old, and is just now needing new parts... Just not great for you right now!

 

[superjjf]

Yay my Croad Langshans hatched! 6 Blacks and 2 Blues

 

[Sahwithchicks]

Yay my Croad Langshans hatched! 6 Blacks and 2 Blues

Awesome! How was the egg color that they hatched from?
That is a breed I am considering investing serious money into, but I haven't found any hatching eggs, and it seems like any US stock isn't laying the "plum" colored eggs they are really supposed to.

 

[flocksalot]

This one being stuck was my fault because I opened the incubator not realizing it was zipping it made it all the way around but was glued to the shell because of humidity only being 45% during most of the hatch. 

I figured out several hatches ago that I don't help chicks out because they were always poorly, but I thought I would help this one since it was my fault.  LOL

Give the little bugger some time. I've had that happen and generally they do fine. The only time they don't is if they were stuck way too long and injured their legs trying to get out. Poults seem to always require just a bit more rest than chicks when they get stressed.

 

[flocksalot]

Agreed, but I think alot of these chicks would hatch out just fine under momma hen. What I have found is if a chick has a longer (but still normal) zipping time than a styrofoam forced air incubator frequently shrink wraps them- no matter the humidity level. If I hatch that same chick in a cabinet incubator with laminar airflow- even at lower humidity levels the extended zipper will hatch just fine.

Sometimes it's just the artificial environment we put them in that creates the problem.

I have an OLD hen that goes broody every summer. If she continues this summer she will be 11 in July. If it is really hot and dry when it's hatch time she drinks a lot of water and then poops on or next to her eggs. Her hatches are awesome! Esmeralda is also a terrific momma/broody so I hope she does it again this year. Last year she accepted two ducklings I didn't sell that were 5 days old. She raised them right along with her chicks. She's a good old girl, but boy does she stink when she lays in her own runny poop.

 

[Bettacreek]

Wow, that stinks! It is pretty good that it is that old, and is just now needing new parts... Just not great for you right now!

Well, all in all, it served me for three years, so that's better than you'd expect, even in a brand new bator. They say to replace wafers, what, every year?

 

[puglady]

Please clear for side swap with Ayeupchuck 9471603699300000018585 Beautiful blue eggs taking the fast train!
This should be #2 egg swaps cleared