Incubating at High Altitude

[aliciaplus3]

Ok update with dome pics ..... I hatched out one more batch in Aug all just barnyard mix, ended up with 4 turkens and 12 assorted colors...

these were taken at about 8 weeks

some updated pics of the biels

I love this one

 

[aliciaplus3]

Well I can't seem to leave the bator off... lol I talked a gal out of some turkey eggs the 3rd of October so i had to set them, and then I decided that they needed some chicken peers just in case I had a single hatch or whatever. So she gave me 4 eggs that had been set aside for hatching and 3 eggs out of th er fridge to eat and check for fertility. Of course I set all 7 eggs in the bator. I ended up hand turning because the eggs were too big for the turning trays. I waited a week and set 23 chicken eggs all in my brinsea, I loved that I could remove some of the trays but still use the others

here you can see the final 4 turkry eggs in the middle and the chicken eggs in the trays. I had 2 turkey eggs not start and one early blood ring. I went into lockdown with 4 turkey and 22 chicken eggs

and hatched 3 turkeys and 17 chicks! I lost one turkey and one turken within the first 24 hrs but thst was due to a heating pad issue.

I ran the humidity at 45 % for the incubation period and then moved them to my cheap Chinese bator for lockdown and bumped the humidity above 65% all the chicks hatched within 26hrs and seemed more content than some I had hatched in the past. I should probably mention that I have also been setting my eggs by the moon and I feel that is helping too

 

[gimmie birdies]

I have made homemade incubators and used dry hatching (good for still air) but it was in a small incubator. My alt is 1600 ft. in a dry climate.

 

[aliciaplus3]

Lots of oxygen down there lol

 

[aliciaplus3]

Ok I plan on setting eggs on dec 3rd for a Christmas hatch!
I put the lights on my chickens about a month ago and they are laying well, I guess we will find out how fertility is. Lol I plan to set all the green eggs I can get, I really want more babies from my rir roo as his offspring have great personalitys. I will also be setting quite a few of my dark eggs. I Love those dark eggs! I plan to keep the humidity at 45% and watch air sacks. It's so hard waiting till sunday

 

[aliciaplus3]

Ok time to set for Christmas babies! 24 for a friend and 32 for me this is the first time filling the bator to the top. Lol

very excited about all the dark eggs

 

[aliciaplus3]

I guess I didn't keep this thread updated as we went.... lol
Pulled clears at day 10 out of my friends 24 there were 10 clears out of my 32 we pulled 13 clears and then at lockdown 2 more of mine were pulled that had stopped. My friend had mixed 2 turkey eggs in without realizing it..... they were small, so we went into lockdown with 13 of his and 17 of mine. All of his and 13 of mine hatched!

now I am still waiting on the one turkey egg and a few chicken eggs I put in when I pulled clears that were meant to hatch around the same time as the turkey. I used the brinsea ovation 56 ex for the incubation period and kept humidity at 40%. I used my cheap knockoff bator as a hatcher with success, it holds the higher humidity very well. I also needed the corral for this hatch as I needed to keep the two batches of chicks seperate.

 

[aliciaplus3]

I have one lone turkey egg still in the bator it's due new years eve. The egg looks full but there was still movement last night so we will see, I plan to move it to the hatcher this eve. I am gathering eggs to set on dec 31st that's the next favorable date by the moon, I want to get one more batch in before my babies get here in feb..... I am having a hard time deciding what to hatch..... I definitely want more rir over welsummer as I was impressed with their early egg laying and easy temperaments. I also want more turkens, ee's, delaware, dark cornish, and I am dying to see how my bielefelder's do..... maybe I need another couple of coops? So far today I have collected 30 eggs and set aside 18 of them for hatching. So 4 blue 2 green several Dark brown eggs a big white leghorn egg and some I hope are from the turkens.
I took the five eggs away from the broody and will candle tonight to see where we are with those.
I finally put one of my jumbo egg trays in the bator and so far I really like it, there is enough room for my large eggs without me being afraid they will get squished from being in to tight.

 

[UluLaté]

I realize this is an old thread, but if anyone is still listening out there...

I've noticed it takes longer to hatch at altitude.

And our batch rate is low. I generally need to assist.

We are working on increasing humidity but it's tough to increase oxygen AND maintain humidity.

Any suggestions?

We just opened a last day quitter. All feathers and development good, there was no blood....but the gut or yolk was not absorbed. It seems like that should have happened day 15? Strange.