Hello all,
I'm new to Backyard Chickens. I've been fairly successful at hatching some chicks off & on for about 3 years now in a simple styrofoam still air Hova Bator. However, now I've moved up in size of operation & purchased a GQF 2500 Sportsman cabinet forced air. I live near Dallas, TX. My temp has been set at 100˚F & humidity is averaging 60%. I've been taking my eggs out to hatch in the Hova Bator so that I can leave my humidity alone in the cabinet. I've hatched ~15 eggs using this method with only about 1 or 2 dead in shell at end. However, they have been our own personal stock & have been smaller bantam eggs (some cochin, silkie, & sultan). We recently purchased some online tolbunt polish hatching eggs & tried. When I received them, the air sacs did look a bit messed up / detached some, but I continued anyway as I knew this was a possibility. I had 10 eggs that I put in that candled well & seemed fully formed with good sized air sacs. One pipped, then did nothing for 24 hours. I decided to help. He lived a couple of hours, but died. So, I determined I was not helping any more. Next day (actual day 21), one made it all the way to unzip egg & was pushing, but suddenly just stopped & died. 1 hatched naturally, but seems somewhat crippled / limps, but still eats & is finally getting stronger after 24 hours. 1 other pipped & started to unzip, but membrane looked dry, so I helped again. I was careful to make the movement of the chick turn prior to taking out as to mimic the finishing of the unzipping & it had no blood & was our healthiest, largest chick. 4 never pipped & upon post mort - did not pip through inner membrane. So, out of the original 10, we ended up with 3 live chicks, but one is limping. I know I probably opened the Hova Bator hatcher too much because I was starting to get panicky. Noted. My question is regarding the cabinet temperature & humidity. Should I adjust those any, or was my results probably because of the shipped eggs & the detached air sacs?
I'm new to Backyard Chickens. I've been fairly successful at hatching some chicks off & on for about 3 years now in a simple styrofoam still air Hova Bator. However, now I've moved up in size of operation & purchased a GQF 2500 Sportsman cabinet forced air. I live near Dallas, TX. My temp has been set at 100˚F & humidity is averaging 60%. I've been taking my eggs out to hatch in the Hova Bator so that I can leave my humidity alone in the cabinet. I've hatched ~15 eggs using this method with only about 1 or 2 dead in shell at end. However, they have been our own personal stock & have been smaller bantam eggs (some cochin, silkie, & sultan). We recently purchased some online tolbunt polish hatching eggs & tried. When I received them, the air sacs did look a bit messed up / detached some, but I continued anyway as I knew this was a possibility. I had 10 eggs that I put in that candled well & seemed fully formed with good sized air sacs. One pipped, then did nothing for 24 hours. I decided to help. He lived a couple of hours, but died. So, I determined I was not helping any more. Next day (actual day 21), one made it all the way to unzip egg & was pushing, but suddenly just stopped & died. 1 hatched naturally, but seems somewhat crippled / limps, but still eats & is finally getting stronger after 24 hours. 1 other pipped & started to unzip, but membrane looked dry, so I helped again. I was careful to make the movement of the chick turn prior to taking out as to mimic the finishing of the unzipping & it had no blood & was our healthiest, largest chick. 4 never pipped & upon post mort - did not pip through inner membrane. So, out of the original 10, we ended up with 3 live chicks, but one is limping. I know I probably opened the Hova Bator hatcher too much because I was starting to get panicky. Noted. My question is regarding the cabinet temperature & humidity. Should I adjust those any, or was my results probably because of the shipped eggs & the detached air sacs?
. Love the website! Very informative!
