HELP! Hatching NOW! 24 hrs early.

[P&A]

Wow! I'm eks...ecsi...excited! sorry ppl...got my first eggs hatching tonight (Aussie time i.e. RIGHT NOW) and I didnt expect them to hatch until tomorrow arvo/evening. I haven't even prepared the brooder for them. Got a home made incubator and only set 10 eggs hoping for the best. I thought 2 was maybe not fertilised and candling them last week prooved right but I got atleast 4 chickens coming out. Questions are: what is "normal" hatching time? (they are Isa Browns)
I have heard different oppinions about helping them out and I agree that mother nature knows best mostof the time but WHEN should I consider giving a helping hand?
Should I lower the temp in the incubator when the first one is out? (it's between 37-38 Celsius inside with app 68% RH)
When do I get them out into a brooder?
Thx...sorry got to run...got eggs to watch!!! (LOL! Eggsited like a kid on xmas)

 

[mstricer]

I just hatched less then 48 hrs ago. they start with the first out at 7:30pm to the last by 3:am It took at total of about 6 hrs from the first pip to the last hatch I had 5 eggs in bator and got 4 chicks the 5th was inferitile. I read you can leave them in bator for 24 hrs or till they are dry. I also didnt have the brooder ready, personally I didnt think anyone was going to hatch. but alls well i have 3 blk Jersesy/orpington mix and 1 spitz/faverolle mix, i was just practicing and it worked. Well go luck with your hatch yeah for you.

 

[HBuehler]

Relax...deep breath now

it's not that uncommon for the little ones to get anxious and have a few come out early.

 

[P&A]

WOW!
After a loooooong night with many worries... got 7 little fluffys jazzing around, all happy as Larry!
I set 10 eggs, 2 of them I was not sure if they where fertile and when I candled them, my suspision was right. Last night, 24 hrs too early it all started but it took far too long in my opinion. 7.45pm I discovered a smal hole and 10 minutes later I found another one and then another....
At 5am this morning, 3 little ones came out and by noon I had 7. I still had one more to go but it seem to struggle a bit so I decided to give a helping hand again as I did earlier this morning. By 1 it was kicking around, breaking the shell and rocking the hole tray just about. We went to the doctor and came back 2 hrs later and found a poor little mate dead still in his shell. I'm kicking myself for not helping just a little bit more as he/she was HUGE inside the shell and I reckon all he would have needed was another little flake pulled off.
Guess I have to be happy though. Home made incubator, first set, trying and experimenting with heat and humidity and still I had 8/8 and still got 7 happy and healthy little ones. Pretty good for a first timer.
A note about using lightbulb as heater. I found many designs (after I had made my incubator) online where people use only one bulb...I use 2x40W both vissible through the front glass. If one blows, I still got another one working till I can replace the first one.

 

[mulia24]

respond to the note: nope, i'm using two bulb in my home made, just turn on 1 bulb 5 watt is hot enough in my bator and i don't know why people use even till 60 and more watt, maybe the voltage different. i use 5 watt in 220 volt and it can reach even 45 deg celcius.

congrats for the hatching, but i think many want to see the pics.

i'm thinking, do australia prohibiting egg sending to indonesia? if not i guess i can buy some from australia.

 

[P&A]

My incubator is made from a 120 litre fridge. I use 2x40 watt bulbs because it gets the heat back up in a very short time. I'm sure 2x25 watts would do the job but slightly slower.
I have built the 2 bulbs in to the freezer compartment and there is a rangehood fan mounted in there as well, sucking the air up from the incubation room into the heater room and pushing the air through 2 PVC-pipes (left and right side) down to the bottom of the incubator.
There is a hole cut through the door, app 150mm wide and 500mm high. 2 pieces of 5mm glass is used with app 40.. in between, all sealed with silicon.
I got a battery operated hygrometer inside and a digital thermometer with thermostat control on the outside (sensor placed on the eggs)
2 takeaway containers (app 170x120mm) is used from day 1-17 to keep 58-60%RH and another container added on day 18 to get up to 68-70%.
I used a string attached to the rack with the eggs, going through th eroof of the fridge, to manually turn th eggs this time but I'm in the process of designing an automatic turner for the next lot of eggs.
I must have done something right as I'm now nursing 7 little fluffy friends.
Cheers
Perry

 

[doublebow]

Congratulations! You did great! It is so exciting to get new babies!

 

[mulia24]

by the way, again, could i see them, they must be so cute.