Incubation of Eggs

[DebAnneDigi]

15 eggs in incubator, so far 4-5 have hatched. Should I wait for more? They started to hatch a few hours ago. I have a large plastic tub. The heat plate is on a slant, chick feed with a little rooster booster and waterer with electrolytes. When should I start removing the hatched chicks? Do I need overhead heat lamp? In a few days, I’m converting my dog’s crate. I’ll be covering sides with cardboard and top to make draft free. Does this sound like a good plan?

 

[Kiki]

Congrats!
The plastic bin it way too small now. They don't have enough room to get away from the heat.
Can you cut one side of the bin off and get another bin to attach to it and then start moving the chick out of the bator?

 

[muddy75]

I remove chicks once every 24 hours. The heat plate should be enough. Allow at least 48 hours after last chick hatches before candling/giving up on remaining eggs. Hopefully that helps!

 

[DebAnneDigi]

I remove chicks once every 24 hours. The heat plate should be enough. Allow at least 48 hours after last chick hatches before candling/giving up on remaining eggs. Hopefully that helps!

Do I keep plate on heater or brooder mode?

 

[DebAnneDigi]

Congrats!
The plastic bin it way too small now. They don't have enough room to get away from the heat.
Can you cut one side of the bin off and get another bin to attach to it and then start moving the chick out of the bator?

Thanks for heads up on bin. Just used my dremel! For heat plate heater or brooder mode?

 

[DebAnneDigi]

Congrats!
The plastic bin it way too small now. They don't have enough room to get away from the heat.
Can you cut one side of the bin off and get another bin to attach to it and then start moving the chick out of the bator?

Yes, I used my dremel and duct tape, had extra bins in basement. Took the 4 chicks out of bator, put under heat plate. Keep it on heater setting or brooder setting? They’re chirping lots.

 

[Ridgerunner]

15 eggs in incubator, so far 4-5 have hatched. Should I wait for more? They started to hatch a few hours ago.

When they hatch the chicks absorb the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for 72 hours or more. That way they can wait for the later ones to hatch before the broody hen has to take them off of the nest for food and water. If I see an emergency in the incubator where I need to take action I will open the incubator and deal with the emergency but in the vast majority of my hatches I wait until the hatch is over before I take any out. I don't want the humidity in the incubator to escape while the others are hatching.

I have a large plastic tub. The heat plate is on a slant, chick feed with a little rooster booster and waterer with electrolytes. Do I need overhead heat lamp?

It looks like your brooder is in your air conditioned house so the temperature is pretty constant. Do not use a heat lamp, that heat plate should work well. Inside your house a heat lamp is likely to overheat your chicks as it is harder to keep one area of the brooder cooler. If you are brooding outdoors and can set up a brooder where the heat lamp heats one area but other parts of the brooder can cool off a heat lamp can be very useful.

In a few days, I’m converting my dog’s crate. I’ll be covering sides with cardboard and top to make draft free. Does this sound like a good plan?

I assume it is one of those wire crates, not one pretty much enclosed in plastic. Will it be indoors or outdoors where the wind can hit it. Indoors you probably won't have enough of a breeze where you have to block the sides but it will not hurt. Outside you do not want a breeze hitting the chicks. I'd block it about 12" high, 18" at the most. I'd leave the top open so they have good ventilation.

 

[muddy75]

Do I keep plate on heater or brooder mode?

I’ve never had one with different modes…..can you put a thermometer under it to check temp in each mode. Most start 80-90* and lower 5* per week

 

[muddy75]

I’ve never had one with different modes…..can you put a thermometer under it to check temp in each mode. Most start 80-90* and lower 5* per week

I prefer 90-95 but @Kiki starts around 80 in Texas

 

[DebAnneDigi]

When they hatch the chicks absorb the yolk. They can live off of that yolk for 72 hours or more. That way they can wait for the later ones to hatch before the broody hen has to take them off of the nest for food and water. If I see an emergency in the incubator where I need to take action I will open the incubator and deal with the emergency but in the vast majority of my hatches I wait until the hatch is over before I take any out. I don't want the humidity in the incubator to escape while the others are hatching.


It looks like your brooder is in your air conditioned house so the temperature is pretty constant. Do not use a heat lamp, that heat plate should work well. Inside your house a heat lamp is likely to overheat your chicks as it is harder to keep one area of the brooder cooler. If you are brooding outdoors and can set up a brooder where the heat lamp heats one area but other parts of the brooder can cool off a heat lamp can be very useful.


I assume it is one of those wire crates, not one pretty much enclosed in plastic. Will it be indoors or outdoors where the wind can hit it. Indoors you probably won't have enough of a breeze where you have to block the sides but it will not hurt. Outside you do not want a breeze hitting the chicks. I'd block it about 12" high, 18" at the most. I'd leave the top open so they have good ventilation.

No air conditioner, they are in my basement, bin is on scatter rug. I set the heat plate on brooder setting, it’s tilted
Last time I had them in my clawfoot tub. Hot mess in my bathroom. I put the first 4 in there, 3 more just hatched. I’ll leave them in there for a few days now. The 4 chicks in bin have water with electrolytes, and poultry cell. Chick feed(non medication) w/rooster booster