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

[WVduckchick]

Update: 6 chicks, 10 pips

As Sally says... Pics or it didn't happen!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

The towel under the eggs is not wet, the other side of bator (by heater and fan) is wet. The sides of the cooler also have droplets.

If I wait around 18 hours (tomorrow morning) and don't see an external pip should I make a "window", (due to the hard shells)

NOT A WINDOW!!!!!

just a tiny pip as in that assist article just above his beak that you see in candle, like SMALL teeny hole!
you dont have to see in there!!!

 

[hippiestink]

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!!

I figured out the issue was that the topmost roosts are all full because of the two bantams and the two normal size birds. I think in the next coop I won't do the lowered dividing wall between the nesting boxes and I'm nixing the removable flooring since I rarely use it.

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.

I have a "Made in china" prefab too. XD I'm working on building a new one with some pallets and scavenged wood. You may need to rip out the roost that came with the coop and replace it with ones lower to the ground, I ended up needing to do that.

 

[hippiestink]

Woo we were linked on the FB page! I predict the thread going too fast to keep up XD

And for those interested in using herbs in the nesting boxes I hear it's good for use in the brooder too, because the EOs help boost the babies' immune systems and help them get a better start. I used herbs meant for stimulating laying, controlling pests, and relaxing the birds at night.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Blah got finger-tied. The BOXES are the same height as the lowest roost.

I figured out the issue was that the topmost roosts are all full because of the two bantams and the two normal size birds. I think in the next coop I won't do the lowered dividing wall between the nesting boxes and I'm nixing the removable flooring since I rarely use it.

I have a "Made in china" prefab too. XD I'm working on building a new one with some pallets and scavenged wood. You may need to rip out the roost that came with the coop and replace it with ones lower to the ground, I ended up needing to do that.

you know, the smartest coops seem to be the ones with the nest boxes built on outside and they cant sit on the edge!!! dumb birds!!!!!

 

[lazyacre]

Quote: My elevation is 4,357 ft. I'll take advise about high elevation too.

 

[hippiestink]

you know, the smartest coops seem to be the ones with the nest boxes built on outside and they cant sit on the edge!!! dumb birds!!!!!

The sad part is it's not the open edge in the coop they're roosting on, it's the divider separating the two nesting boxes. Whoever designed the prefab had a screw loose if they thought that a piece of 2x4 was a good idea for a box divider. All four squish themselves onto the tiny divider. Dumb birds indeed!

 

[TheChickenQueen]

I'm not currently hatching anything, but this looks like an amazing thread to hang around on and learn something new

I have only incubated twice, the first time was during the Christmas hatch-a-long last year 42 eggs went in, all of them went into lockdown, 39 chicks came out, and 36 lived... Until the dog got a hold of them

Then this last hatch was at the end of May this year it was 16 eggs, 8 clears, 8 seemed to be developing, then only four hatched; sadly one came out blind and sadly died after being added to the rest of the flock.


Just my advice for anyone using a farms innovator still air incubator for dry hatching, when you don't have it completely full to it's maximum capacity; please have something (jar of water, rocks, etc) to keep the temperature stable. My first hatch was literally perfect for me, the temperature was stable due to the mass amount of eggs/liquid keeping it where it should be. The second hatch was a nightmare the temperature kept going out of control because nothing was keeping it stable, I am so surprised that I managed to hatch anything at all to be honest.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Woo we were linked on the FB page! I predict the thread going too fast to keep up XD

And for those interested in using herbs in the nesting boxes I hear it's good for use in the brooder too, because the EOs help boost the babies' immune systems and help them get a better start. I used herbs meant for stimulating laying, controlling pests, and relaxing the birds at night.

OMG all hands on DECK

cause I gotta go !!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I'm not currently hatching anything, but this looks like an amazing thread to hang around on and learn something new

I have only incubated twice, the first time was during the Christmas hatch-a-long last year 42 eggs went in, all of them went into lockdown, 39 chicks came out, and 36 lived... Until the dog got a hold of them

Then this last hatch was at the end of May this year it was 16 eggs, 8 clears, 8 seemed to be developing, then only four hatched; sadly one came out blind and sadly died after being added to the rest of the flock.


Just my advice for anyone using a farms innovator still air incubator for dry hatching, when you don't have it completely full to it's maximum capacity; please have something (jar of water, rocks, etc) to keep the temperature stable. My first hatch was literally perfect for me, the temperature was stable due to the mass amount of eggs/liquid keeping it where it should be. The second hatch was a nightmare the temperature kept going out of control because nothing was keeping it stable, I am so surprised that I managed to hatch anything at all to be honest.

Very good advice! We are glad to have you!
I am sorry about the dog getting the babies what a bummer