Incubators Anonymous

[jbher]

Maybe setting eggs to hatch on my day off isn't the best idea. I'm off today and tomorrow and so far all I've done today is run and stare in the bator every few minutes waiting for a pip.

It's only day 20. I NEED to get other stuff done but since Hubby is at work and not here to get after me some I'm not getting much accomplished.

Tomorrow will be better. He's promised to help me build a couple temporary mini coops for my ducks and older babies to GET THEM OUT OF MY KITCHEN. I love them but the smell oh the smell. I did not realize how smelly ducklings could be. I will admit I'll miss their greeting chirp/quacks when I get up in the mornings. but the smell I can live without. lol Ok running to check the bator again...

LOL that will so be me!!! I will have mountains of laundry and unfed kids haha!!!

 

[sonderah]

How can they pip in your hand, aren't they in lock down?

I just had my first batch start hatching! We are on floor starting at the machine. The second machine with the temp troubles hadn't had anything move yet, but it was only about 24 hours ago that I put them in lockdown.

If u mean me, it didn't pip in my hand. It peeped!! Lol

 

[Wasson6Pack]

That makes more sense.

I'm glad we homeschool, we can just Katy in front of the incubator all day!

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

FINALLY! I get to come post on this thread! I set 13 Light & Coronation Sussex, 1 Serama, and 1 Sebbie egg yesterday at 2:30 PM. The chickens are due April 13th!

Blessings -

~ Aspen

 

[gimmie birdies]

We had a power out, I had to bring my outside brooder chicks in and put the incubator eggs in my bra, luckly there were only 5

 

[elliechooks]

it seems that if some of the eggs are on the small side (45 to 50g) and you pack carefully you can get many more than 24 in the octagon 20!

 

[Turkeytruff]

haha love it, but how do you stop them popping out when it's going from side to side. Do you wedge them with extra bits of foam or something?
Turkeytruff

 

[Wasson6Pack]

Ok, so my first one hatched around 10am. Does that mean that I wait 3 days until I can open the incubator?

 

[lazy gardener]

Some folks say to wait until they are all hatched and dry. Others reach in occasionally and grab the dry ones, and the empty shells occasionally, perhaps adding a wet paper towel to keep the humidity up. Last spring, I had my incubator opened a number of times during "lock down" due to temp issues, and still had a wonderful hatch.

 

[DMRippy]

Ok, so my first one hatched around 10am. Does that mean that I wait 3 days until I can open the incubator?

Usually they will all hatch in 24hrs or so. The 3 days of lockdown is PRIOR to hatch. once they are done hatching you can open it.