Incubators Anonymous

[Arielle]

Quote: How does your rate for turkeys compare to chicken eggs?

 

[thasista]

How does your rate for turkeys compare to chicken eggs?

I have gotten the best hatches with guinea eggs, but I have had a couple of batches of shipped chicken eggs that I have had real high hatch rates. Usually it runs 40-50%. I have had a couple of super hatches with duck eggs and then a 0% with duck eggs. I have been able to get turkeys to hatch but the last batch I couldn't keep alive. I don't think they had enough heat in their brooder. We had a couple of cold nights and they are in the garage. we leave a door open with wire to keep out critters. Now they have plenty of heat and they seem to be doing really well. plus I added sugar and vitamins to their water.

I have had much better hatches with my Leahy incubator than I ever did with the styrofoam ones. Its probably just me because I don't have time to check the temp a million times a day and I only turn them twice a day. I don't obsess about the process. I set my incubator temp when I got it, watched it for 24 hours and I have never touched it again. I have even twice forgot to turn it back on after turning/candling. Off for 8 hours temp down to 87. Didn't lose a single turkey egg surprisingly. I try to be more vigilant about turning it back on for obvious reasons.

Im rambling. did I answer your question?

 

[Arielle]

Yes.

 

[thasista]

Go chickies go!

correction 7 pips!

and 3 guineas pipped so far!

 

[gabrielle1976]

video I say video I love watching chicks hatch

 

[ki4got]

well on aother positive note, my first ever shipped turkey eggs (6 of them), with 2 being cracked, and 2 hopelessly scrambled, 1 quit early and 1 has made it to internal pip. due friday but everyone else is going early so i expect it might too...

considering i've had 3 EE, 2 self blue cochin, 1 black cochin, 2 mille/partridge cochins, and 2 quail hatched today. and are due tomorrow... still 5 more pips and a few more internal pips from my quick inspection. i think i've got 1 or 2 wellies internally pipped but the other 2 i think are gone (but not taking them out until saturday).

 

[jandrusrn]

No kidding, one chicken may be a good pet but it has to lay for a week for a family to have a decent breakfast!

Ugh... aint it the truth. That's why I'm going to the City Council Meeting on Sustainability next week to discuss these ridiculous rules. Setback of 25' per family residence for one hen? No way.

 

[jandrusrn]

me too. blue and self blue...

i've got a nice little splash (something) lined up to go with some of this one's black sibs, to make me some blues, but this is my first self blue. (aka lavender) the roo is split self blue, as are 2 of the hens, and i've got 1 self blue girl too. think she's the momma actually, as the egg was labeled sb and the others i mark /sb. either way, it's sticking around. if a roo he'll get one of the black split girls, if a hen she'll go with the poppa. (well, unless i hatch out more that is - 3 more eggs yet to hatch from that pen)

Will have to read up on "self blue" vs "blue" vs lavender??? Very very confused but the best part is that it gives me stuff to learn. Yikes I love this thing. Thanks Karen for always giving me great information.

 

[jandrusrn]

Hey there IA folks... I have a group of eggs scheduled for lockdown tomorrow. They are all chicken eggs... HOWEVER, the air cells don't appear to be big enough.... maybe by a day or so. Most of them are full of chick, and everyone is moving.... appearing ready to go relatively soon. Here's my question: Do I wait an extra 12 hours or maybe even an extra day to see if the air cells increase and then lockdown or do I decide which ones need more time and divide the hatch?

Thanks for the suggestions guys... always a pleasure.

 

[ki4got]

Hey there IA folks... I have a group of eggs scheduled for lockdown tomorrow. They are all chicken eggs... HOWEVER, the air cells don't appear to be big enough.... maybe by a day or so. Most of them are full of chick, and everyone is moving.... appearing ready to go relatively soon. Here's my question: Do I wait an extra 12 hours or maybe even an extra day to see if the air cells increase and then lockdown or do I decide which ones need more time and divide the hatch?
Thanks for the suggestions guys... always a pleasure.

you can wait until internal pip before moving to lockdown, but if you wait too long and they pip early then they may dry out too much.