Hatching on Wire

[Dirty Dozen]

Last time I hatched in the bator (only 2 chicks) one fell under the wire. I would like to put something on wire like shelf liner. Will that soak up alot of the humidity? I am hatching bantams & they always seem to hatch 2 days early. Candled over weekend & 25 out of 28 seemed viable. Humidity if 45; was told to up it to 70 2 days before hatch. That sound good? My 1st real hatch with a bunch of eggs! Have only used broodies in the past...they make it so easy. You can handle & candle to your heart's delight & they STILL hatch! Wish me luck...

 

[Cherlyn]

I always use shelf liner, so I have nothing to compare it to. But I can say that I have no trouble keeping my humidity levels at wherever they need to be.

70% sounds good!

~Cherlyn

 

[hinkjc]

Vera, are you using a standard incubator or a home made one? I have never had chicks get under the wire in my incubators and I hatch a lot. Even my quail hatch just fine on the wire. That is odd as the wire goes out to the edges of the bator and I can't figure how they would get under it. I have heard folks using shelf liner in their bators with success. Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Mine all hatch on wire and I've never had a problem. Shelf liner is used by alot of people and they say it works out great.

 

[Dirty Dozen]

It's a Hovabator. The wire is hardware cloth & very light. Since there was only 1 chick & 1 egg, maybe there wasn't enough weight to keep it flat cause he was under wire, in corner, luckily not in the water! Thanx!

 

[hinkjc]

Well, those little buggers can get themselves into anything, huh. lol I'm so glad he didn't get in the water well too. Good job thinking ahead for next time.

 

[jenjscott]

I use the rubbery shelf liner, but find I have to fill three basins instead of just two.. I don't think its so much absorbing the moisture as it is blocking the flow of air across the water, in effect, decreasing the surface area.

 

[paridisefarm2009]

Hello : I used 2 rocks in the corners heavy enough to keep it flat so it would keep them even and from the eggs from rolling all over

and I got all those little babies in that picture 13 of them It was my first time hatching

 

[Akane]

I set containers on the edges or lay a water bottle full of water along the side to hold the mesh flat in my bators. The wire does bend up otherwise. The sealed containers of water also help keep the temp stable by adding more mass.