Jan./Feb. 2014 hatch a long

[rayray983]

 

[DeannaA]

My eggs are all being held hostage by the postal service. One batch is local but the roads are closed.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Batch #3 of my staggered hatch has started to hatch. The first 2 are out 2 days late. 4 or 5 more are pipped. looks like this hatch will be the best. I got 1/25 on batch 1, 3/24 on batch 2, & batch 3 was set on moving day just to finish filling the bator & keep eggs from rolling. There were 12 (give or take 1, I just tossed them in & forgot to count) in batch 3. Power was off at least 4 times for up to 12 hrs each time & temps got down to mid 50's at least once. Batch 1 was 6 days late. Batch 2 was 4 days late. This batch is running 2-3 days late. As you can see, vhicks can survive even against all odds. Please don't give up on your chicks just because of temp swings. I had some hatch last winter after a temp spike of 116°F.

 

[dolfi]

My eggs are all being held hostage by the postal service.  One batch is local but the roads are closed.

;( that must be killing you.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I went to put the chicks to bed- they are 5 weeks old an have a secured heat light (gasp) anyway the black frizzle who is with them is only 3 months old and she had them under her wings. so cute.

 

[rayray983]

Okay here's my only issue and guess it will be a guessing game till the end but all my white light brow and cream eggs I can see what's happening those stuburn blue and green EEs not so much drives me crazy :-(

 

[gimmie birdies]

yeah I cannot see in my green eggs either we will just have to have faith.

 

[dlayne]

this is what I do

day 1-18: add no water, allow the egg's evaporation to create humidity. ideally around 25-35% although as high as 45% is acceptable
day 19-21: (I actually wait for the internal pip, it should be on day 19) 55-65% humidity

I have noticed that depending on how full I fill the incubator, my humidity can run at different levels. For example in 1 incubator, I have 30 eggs when it will hold 40 total. That incubator sits at 29-32% with zero water added, I consider this the perfect range.

I have another incubator that holds 40 eggs, but it only has 8 eggs in it. That incubator is running much lower humidity, I have a small piece of sponge that I wet once per day to keep the humidity around 30%. Without the small sponge, that incubator will run at 10-16% which I feel is too low even for dry hatching....

hope this helps

That helps a lot! thank You! I think It was the day 1-7 having water in there that set me back. Plus the incubator is FULL! I will just have to keep hatching till I get it just right!

wonder if that excuse will work for my DH? hahaha...

 

[gimmie birdies]

mine made the mistake of saying I can hatch as many as I want with my wonderful INCUBATORS!

 

[AmericanMom]

I have the best DH... Since I hurt my back two years ago and had to close my business I have really enjoyed our little farm and raising what I can, He has helped me build and add whatever I want ( and what our one acre can support) when I told him I wanted to incubate and raise chickens and turkeys for the table he went all in. He is in the process of building me a new nesting box system in preparation for the new hens that should start laying next month...

Love love love my guy of 26 years