January 2016 Hatch-Come Join Me

[cupofJoelene]

So I am a geek and love to play with data and spreadsheets, and have been tracking my hatch with daily weigh ins. I only weigh each tray of 48 eggs, so its a 2 minute process. I'm on Day 14, so some observations.

• The two trays started out 3g different in weight. They are now 14g different. I suspect this is due to egg shell porosity as the difference has gradually risen over the hatch. Now considering the difference is 14g out of 3.3Kg, its a tiny amount, but it suggests a reason why some eggs do great and others don't in a single hatch.
• I am wondering if part of that difference in trays could be because of infertile eggs. My thinking is that infertile are not going to lose as much weight as fertile eggs...since they don't develop...but that's just a guess.
• On Day 1 (after the first 24 hours), the eggs had lost 26.9% more weight than desired. I started the hatch with an RH of 35%, clearly too low. By Day 4, my weight loss became less than desired and continued like that to today. I am gradually increasing the daily weight loss so as not to "shock" the eggs. If weight loss continues as I have observed, I should be nearly spot on by Day 21.
• Using the same RH for several days in a row, I noticed different weight loss values. I know that one day, the humidity pump simply stopped pumping water to the bator. There is an alarm I could set to tell me the humidity is off, but I had turned it off. I don't think the room temperature or room RH has had any effect...its been as low as 55F and as high as 74F...but all temperature swings have been gradual. I've boiled stuff in the room, which would obviously increase the RH of the intake air, but that should only make the pump work less hard.

So all in all, my weight loss graph versus "ideal weight loss" has been pretty darn close, far better than any setting I did last year. I'm currently running at 42%; I've been as high as 52%.

Remember, you are trying to lose ~14% of your egg weight over the entire 21 day period. Not 14% per day, more like 0.67% per day, so it is really hard to monitor such things on a per egg basis. I'm losing between 30-50g per day, so it can be measured, but weighing 3Kg at a time means I cannot get less than +/- 1g accuracy. I have had a day where they lost 0.73%, and 0.47%, kinda all over the place. I will not be surprised if such variations affect my hatch rate, but it has certainly taught me a lot about how to use the bator for my next hatch.

I started collecting eggs for my next setting on 1/29. We are having such cold weather that I am finding eggs in the nest boxes that have been cracked due to freezing...so I am out now every hour collecting. I am tempted to put obstacles in some of the nest boxes to force all eggs to be laid in just a few...hopefully keeping a layer on the nests with eggs. Now if I can just figure out how to stop the couple of layers who lay on the ground, to use nest boxes...

Thanks for the pics folks, they are awesome, so cute. Is anyone else setting more? If so, do we keep this thread going or will you join a February hatch thread??

I have 24 more set on day 3 now. Haven't looked for a new Feb hatch thread so I've been sticking around here

 

[Mc620]

Wow, what a nice mix. All my hatches last year were with Red Sexlink hens, so there was an explosion of color and markings. I have to say, I love that, getting unique birds. I hope yours were from a barn-yard mix too...;-]

No these are pure icelandics they have variety of colors never know what going to get

 

[FloofyChick]

Ok, while I was at work all five of my mutts from my first hatch date have hatched. The latest one to hatch is weak from bleeding. My husband was the one on hatch watch(his first time) and was a little enthusiastic in thinking he needed to help. He thought the last one was shrink wrapped. Do i only photographed the four in the brooder having left the weak baby in the incubator. Edit: it won't let me add the photo from my phone. I'll use the computer tomorrow.

 

[RachaelR32]

She's got one out. This one from a pale brown egg. The old farmer I got the eggs off just came round and said he thinks the edge of the nest is too high and if this little one gets out he won't get back in and she'll leave the rest. He thinks she'd be better on the floor. But that sounds very disruptive.

 

[NTBugtraq]

She's got one out. This one from a pale brown egg. The old farmer I got the eggs off just came round and said he thinks the edge of the nest is too high and if this little one gets out he won't get back in and she'll leave the rest. He thinks she'd be better on the floor. But that sounds very disruptive.

Maybe wait till she gets up to eat and move the tray and put the eggs back in the same location they are now?

 

[MediGirl1987]

Last night we watched our first chick hatch and a couple hour later the second one. These two eggs pipped yesterday on day 20. It isn't quite day 21 yet but this morning I see no new pips. Makes me worried. But I will not open the bator to check! At least not until day 22 hits. Then I will tap and candle. At least these two will keep eachother company.

 

[draye]

Last night we watched our first chick hatch and a couple hour later the second one. These two eggs pipped yesterday on day 20. It isn't quite day 21 yet but this morning I see no new pips. Makes me worried. But I will not open the bator to check! At least not until day 22 hits. Then I will tap and candle. At least these two will keep eachother company.

Yea! I just love reality shows.

 

[FloofyChick]

Here we go. I think I got the picture thing figured out

 

[NTBugtraq]

Here we go. I think I got the picture thing figured out

Too cute!! If I were a betting man, I'd say top and bottom chicks on the left are both cockerels.

 

[RachaelR32]

Here we go. I think I got the picture thing figured out

Cute! My dd asked if we're going to get a yellow chick. I think she thinks thats the proper colour for a chick. My broody has 2 now - both black.