Incubators Anonymous

[akashia26]

How did you set the fan? DOes it blow toward the ceiling/ wall OR onto the eggs? It should not blow on the eggs, just rearrange it later. For now shut off the fan if it blows on the eggs.

I find if an egg takes a long time from pip to hatch, it is more likely to have drying out problems.

With a few of ours that did that we dripped water onto the shell and put like a drop or two on the pip area that seemed to work for us.

 

[Arielle]

and another broody update, my awol dorking girl (who wasn't really missing but thought she had been sneaky by hiding a few feet from the tractor shed) has her brood hatched out too. hubby said he saw her taking them for a walk when he got home.

so now comes the hard part. relocating her and her brood to a pen. i did the free range broody thing once. that was a royal pita when it came time to catch the chicks.

Took three of us to catch a hen and 13 chicks! Put them in a big wooden box coop, with a lift up roof. Chicks cannot fly so cannot leave the coop. Broodie likes to stand on top and look in. ANd can hop back in. Figured free ranging broodie and chicks would be a pita, too.

Quote: Glad this worked for you. Use caution with water though, many people have success with putting a moist cloth under the egg, but not touching.

 

[gabrielle1976]

LOL I want pictures of grown adults chaseing down chicks to catch them =P

 

[Arielle]

LOL I want pictures of grown adults chaseing down chicks to catch them =P

HAahaa-- if your are talking about us catching the 13 chicks, it was tricky. With 2 spry boys and a bush for the chicks to hide under, well they gave us a run for our money. Very quick little buggers! Like lighning! catch all the chicks , then I picked up the huffy hen. SHe was UPSET!

 

[DMRippy]

Well that hatch I thought was a bust because of humidity..... they started hatching today IN the incubator... I had it down they were due THURSDAY.... today was just lockdown WTH? I noticed the humidity had jumped a few points for no reason.

5 babies out, 2 wheatens and 3 marans fell about 3 feet to the floor of the bator, 1 more wheaten was shrink wrapped pretty bad, I wrapped him in a wet paper towel to get him out, but he is a mess. 1 more wheaten was pipped and 1 marans was working hard to get out

just happy to have ANY hatch. No time to get the hatcher cleaned out or clean my hatching egg trays so they are just in their baskets, laying there

 

[Nsampsel]

I have about 20 eggs right now from my mixed layer flock that need a home. Plus I am needing a bit of cash for some past due bills. PM me if interested in eggs.

 

[Arielle]

Well that hatch I thought was a bust because of humidity..... they started hatching today IN the incubator... I had it down they were due THURSDAY.... today was just lockdown WTH? I noticed the humidity had jumped a few points for no reason.

5 babies out, 2 wheatens and 3 marans fell about 3 feet to the floor of the bator, 1 more wheaten was shrink wrapped pretty bad, I wrapped him in a wet paper towel to get him out, but he is a mess. 1 more wheaten was pipped and 1 marans was working hard to get out

just happy to have ANY hatch. No time to get the hatcher cleaned out or clean my hatching egg trays so they are just in their baskets, laying there

Great News!!! Hope the babies that fell are ok!

 

[Arielle]

I have about 20 eggs right now from my mixed layer flock that need a home. Plus I am needing a bit of cash for some past due bills. PM me if interested in eggs.

Did you post in the auction section? Or crazy 24hr auction?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: They seemed fine.

 

[ki4got]

well, an update on the broody mommas...

the 'duelling broodies' are still being great mommas, and 'da baby daddy' keeps circling the pen talking to his girls constantly.

the dorking momma (formerly awol) is now in a pen. the babies didn't move very quickly, so i slowly herded her/them to a channel between the pens, where i had put a dog crate. they all went in calmly and from there went straight into the pen. momma actually looked relieved that she wasn't totally on her own i think.

and the black cochin girl with the 2 d'uccles is still in 'sit on the egg' mode, but in the brooder inside, so i've been able to make sure the chicks have had a chance to drink and eat. one is a lot smaller and not quite 'right', but the other is going good, so cross fingers.

no more eggs due until the 30th, and they are not mine but for a customer. from BHep's flocks and going good so far.

candled the guineas and pheasants, i have 9 of each cooking. they're 10 days along now.