INCUBATING w/FRIENDS! w/Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs No problem!

[Sally Sunshine]

Roosts are the same height at the lowest roost. It's the Wyandotte, the Sex Links, and the barnyard. The other four (two bantams and two average size) roost on the very top roosts, about a full 10 inches higher than the nesting box.

nest boxes always have to be lower than roosting bars or they will always sit on/in or at them. simple changes will fix your issue and if you have younger birds that your having issues with that dont quite under stand what nest boxes are for you may have put something in front for a few days until they find another area to roost. it should not take long for them to find the roost pole.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I will add trouble with most of us is that we think we need tons of nest boxes and in the end we realize we can have 20 hens and they use two or three nest boxes and all that space is wasted in our coops!! in fact that was one of the things we did the past two weekends, after all these years we ripped out all our nest boxes and cut them into thirds and 1/4 !! and so much more room in every coop!!! we shouldnt have procrastinated! wow the room to move in them and more roosting room and cleaning room and area for feed!!

love the coops now!!! we learn as we go!! but nesting boxes are so pretty, but you really dont need many!! they love to share and be greedy hens!!

 

[kwhites634]

nest boxes always have to be lower than roosting bars or they will always sit on/in or at them. simple changes will fix your issue and if you have younger birds that your having issues with that dont quite under stand what nest boxes are for you may have put something in front for a few days until they find another area to roost. it should not take long for them to find the roost pole.

Mine won't even use the roost. I bought one of those pre-fab "made-in-China" coops 'cause I needed something in a hurry...was losing birds to predation in the original chicken house. It has a roost pole, but it's up so high that there's no room for a lb bird under the top, and no good way to lower it.

So, I put up with it, for now; I'll eventually replace the coop with one I build myself.

 

[firedragon1982]

short changes 10 minutes less are ok

thats fine up humidity in the bator to about 55 if you can I know you dont have that nifty additional thingyamajigger but your eggs are small, 60 is fairly warm for those littles is that the coolest place you have for storage?


lay them

oh no ER section

x2

day 5 is soon to tell on a duck though not????

go chickies!!!

x2

oh no!!!!!!! what luck!!!! but what day are you on???? why are you candling already!!!

are you candling as they are sitting I HOPE!!!

lol add a few red marbles to their food as well, if that doesnt work try adding a mirror to give the chick a break

Yesterday was day 4 when I usually start turning the eggs. Yes, i candle while they are sitting just to see what's going on. Oh, and I gave my husband an earful about the humidity, because for day 14 for batch 1, they haven't changed in aircells much at all from day 7, less than 1/4 inch below the line I had made for day 7, except one who's saddle cell is becoming more prominent.

 

[cliffoco]

it will depend on how your incubation went, welcome to the group!

had you calibrated thermometers? how did aircells look at lockdown?

@cliffoco

Was using 3 thermometers, all of them read slightly different. They were moving on Day 18. These eggs are small but the air cells are a good size based on what I have been reading. I checked the air cell today (shine a light on top of the egg without actually touching the egg) and it seemed to have even got bigger over the last couple days. I have humidity at around 70-75%, I am hoping tonight (which is the start of day 21) they internal pip, but its only day 20 so I think I am still to early. First time hatching and i can say it won't be the last!

 

[sonshine15]

Ok ya'll please don't shoot me. I tried to tape up the broken wing. It's broken in TWO places!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even thought about and am still thinking about glueing it in place with and every few days trying to clip the down. Now the question I don't want to shot over........does anyone put down their babies that have issues like this or do they try to fix all of them. I have put several down from issues over the hatches I've had but never one that's up and healthy with a wing issue

 

[Sally Sunshine]

@venymae How are temps holding up and what are they in both bators? what are you running humid?

 

[chicken hawk 33]

My temps,finally stayed steady last night.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Ok ya'll please don't shoot me. I tried to tape up the broken wing. It's broken in TWO places!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even thought about and am still thinking about glueing it in place with and every few days trying to clip the down. Now the question I don't want to shot over........does anyone put down their babies that have issues like this or do they try to fix all of them. I have put several down from issues over the hatches I've had but never one that's up and healthy with a wing issue

I would brace it and tape it and let it go for a week, you see what you have, go with your gutt and DO IT NOW, and do it so it LASTS, take your time do it right the first time, it has to last, try a wooden skewer to keep it there after you have it

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Was using 3 thermometers, all of them read slightly different. They were moving on Day 18. These eggs are small but the air cells are a good size based on what I have been reading. I checked the air cell today (shine a light on top of the egg without actually touching the egg) and it seemed to have even got bigger over the last couple days. I have humidity at around 70-75%, I am hoping tonight (which is the start of day 21) they internal pip, but its only day 20 so I think I am still to early. First time hatching and i can say it won't be the last!

did you mark air cells with pencil or marker that you can snap a pic from the top of bator? dont open the bator, just let them be.

keep that humidity up esp if you know your shells are thick.....

obviously you are candling alot, if you see an internal dont open it again, note the time and let us know and keep track of that time, it can take up to 24 hours till external pip

if you dont get external we can let you know how to help with thick shells.

read this article a while, but please dont assist at this stage just read whats going on in that egg, and just be prepared should they need help.....
sounds like you have done a good job thus far, its their time to do their part!

Guide to ASSISTED Hatching


edit to add;;;; future reference you can calibrate thermometer see the hatching 101 article on how to