How long will the Hen stay Sitting??

[chickenfanatic]

there are alot of thread about running a bator better than i can explain it but i will say this if there was a hatch going stay on the hatch cycle of incubation take the turner out and lay the eggs on their side and read the threads about hatching in a bator for the best info. good luck

 

[MamaDragon]

I'm going thru all the posts regarding Incubating 101 as I type.....

I've got them in the turners for the night, and I will be candling them before I go to bed. (another thing i've never done before.. live and learn)

I'm not sure if you can tell if they're still alive that way, but I can at least throw out any "duds" that were in the clutch from the nest.

I've got fresh eggs in with the nest eggs....(another newbie mistake I find out...) but I've got another set of egg turners that can be disassembled selectively, so I can take half of the racks out, and have half of the incubator for the nest eggs on their sides, and half in the turners. Hope that works.

Thanks for the encouragement,

Kathy

 

[MamaDragon]

UPDATE on MamaHen and two babies:

She moved them out of the nesting box this morning, and into a corner of the chicken coop. I've put their waterer and starter fed about 6 inches from where Mama has decided to camp. Babies appear to be eating and drinking without any difficulties, so that's a good thing.

I've got my handy-man coming in the morning to help me build a set of partitions and a gate so that I can segregate them from the rest of the flock IF it starts looking like they need protecting.

Thanks friends for your encouragement and sharing of your knowledge.

Kathy

 

[MamaDragon]

I'll Be Dipped!!!

Got home this evening from running errands, and my youngest son comes running back out the door yelling - "We've got a Baby, It's Hatched, It's Hatched!"

She had been hatched out long enough that most of the fuzz had dried. I would have loved to have left her well enough alone in there, but she was about to get mangled by the auto egg-turner. So naturally, out she came, and into an impromptu brooder - cardboard box with a just purchased 2 day-old banty chick, and into a borrowed brooder cage and under the lamp.

I truthfully didn't expect ANY to hatch after Mama abandoned the eggs, but Mother Nature has a way of fooling ya.

There are two or three more eggs that when I candled them I couldn't see thru. So best guess is they too are close to pipping, or the shells are just too dark and thick to candle.

Just goes to show.... Never try to out-guess Mother Nature.

Kathy

 

[swtangel321]

WOOOO-HOOOOO You should take the egg turner out and lay the eggs on there side !!!! People dont give chicks as much credit as the should get, are you going to give her the chicks back in a day or 2 ??

 

[MamaDragon]

I just opened a thread elsewhere asking HOW to do that.....

I've made every newbie mistake possible, and still ended up with one hatching. Not out of the woods yet by any means.... don't have a brooder, etc. Needless to say, I've been scrambling this evening.

Any advice on how to put baby (plus a couple just hatched from a friend) with Mama and the two she has would be Greatly Accepted.

[i didn't start asking incubator questions until AFTER I had not only taken the abandoned eggs from Mama, but went ahead and loaded up the rest of the auto-turner with fresh-layed eggs as well....ignorance is my only excuse]

so question- do I carry on as I am, and pray for the best; discard the fresh laid eggs and keep the rest of the abandoned without the turner; or keep the fresh-laid eggs, toss the rest of the abandoned eggs, and use the turner until day 18 for the rest???

 

[swtangel321]

what I would do is take them all out of the turner (lay them on there side), make sure you know which ones are the older egg, and turn the new eggs by hand 3-4 times a day, the older ones dont turn, keep them on the other side of the bator !!! When the old ones hatch ( if the do

) put the newer eggs back into the turner !!!! That way the older ones have a better chance at hatching and the new eggs will be just fine being turned by hand !!!! I dont have a egg turner so i turn by hand and get great hatch rates. What is your humitidy at ???

If you leave the old eggs in the turner the chicks might not be able to pip the right end and hatch !!!! What day are the old eggs on now ???

 

[MamaDragon]

Haven't got the foggiest idea where the older ones stand as for age from laying.... had 7 hens contributing eggs over the life of the hatch, and didn't catch all the new additions.....

Humidity Without adding ANY water is between 65 and 75 percent. That's the normal RH for south arkansas right now. Have one vent open, the second closed.

Will definately remover the turner tonight, and wait until Saturday to candle any remaining Old Eggs to see if they are progressing, or 'duds'.

I can't make any more mistakes than I already have, so may as well.

Kathy

 

[swtangel321]

Just dont turn the abonded eggs, hate to say it but 65-70 is WAY to high, i keep mine at 30-35, 40 MAX, then up it to 60-65 day 18 i would open the other vent and see if that help ? You do or do not have water in there ??
if it stays that high the eggs wont lose enough weight and water and the chicks might die inside the egg at some point before hatch !!

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
1st. time of attempting to hatch eggs under the hen . I took a black magic marker and put date of egg. and I been adding another egg or 2 each day . IS THIS OK ?