July 13, 2011 Hatch Day! STARTED!!!!

[classicsredone]

Those little guys are too stinkin' cute! I just got mine set for lock down and I'm watching to see if the humidity is right. I'm nervous, too.

 

[asearcby79]

Ok I just put mine on lockdown last night & just now I noticed the 1st pip! Exciting!

 

[ryleesmom]

(First time poster here) The kids and I set 40 eggs in the incubator on 6/21, so I believe that makes today "hatch day". We are so excited. Although we have been raising chicks and chickens for 8 years, this is our first try at incubating. We have several chicks "peeping" inside their shell, and 1 egg that has the shell chipped away a bit, but it appears the white membrane is still intact. We had quite a scare last night when our 4 year old decided to mess with the temp...in about 5-10 minutes temp went from 100-116....I KNOW!! I thought for sure he had killed them all. I immediately whipped off the top of the incubator to let the heat escape (I know...another "no-no", but if I had let the temp come down on its own it would have cooked them!). I was convinced that all of them were killed, but I think it was such a short thing that perhaps we didn't lose them all. We are calling "here Chickie, chickie" and sitting on the floor just staring through the windows of the incubator. While I realize we have not yet hatched any, I can see where this could be addictive! What a great learning opportunity for the kids and I!!

 

[matlock585]

Quote:

from Tennessee. I just had my first batch with the kids in june, since then we've incubated a second round, and our third round is in there right now. I gotta tell ya.... highly addictive. I really need to sell some of my pullets to make more room!

 

[ryleesmom]

Awesome Matlock585! I have a feeling that may be us as well (piggy backing hatches)....although, I have to be careful to not go too late in the season or they will be living with us in the house for a while! We get COLD up here early.

I'm curious what your success rate is. I don't really know what to expect, although I've been told that even professionals only get a 70% success rate. Anything you did the first time around that you learned from and changed for the 2nd and 3rd batches? Also, I'm really only interested in pullets, and perhaps a roo. Has your first batch grown enough to determine sex? What will you do with your roosters? I'm thinking I can put them on craigslist, but really....what type of a market is there for roosters unless they are meat birds or being used for something illegal?

Also...do you incubate your own eggs or buy eggs from others?

Thanks for the reply

 

[LadyBirdsPalace]

Welcome ryleesmom! Can't wait to hear how you make out after your little temperature spike. This is my and my kids' first go at incubating, we only got our first chickens last fall and I have to admit it may be a little out of control. haha. I've promised myself this is my only batch this year but that perhaps Santa will leave an incubator for us this Christmas and we can go nuts come early spring!

How's everyone making out? Any other babies this afternoon?

I have the 3 ducklings: the little BO duck is a total jerk,

, the definition of bully, and my two little Welsh's are just little angels that take it and I hope start to stick up for themselves soon. All three appear to be great though.

Present time: Still 2 duck eggs that have been pipped all day BUT in the last two hours I have had 3 chicken eggs pip. (All ones I scooped off my neighbour too, none that I bought,

)

 

[matlock585]

Quote:
So as far as my success rate... my first hatch was 4 out of 5. I think I would have hatched all 5, but I had the humidity too high for the first two weeks, so one chick drowned in the shell. Those eggs were local that were donated to me to test out my incubator ( I built mine ). The second set was some I bought off the BYC auctions. One dozen asst. cochin bantams... I received 14 eggs but 1 was leaking. I had 8 that made it to lockdown, and all 8 hatched just fine on their own. The second time I did absolutely no water in the incubator till lockdown, then I held humidity at mid to lower 60's. Much better hatch. This time I am hatching golden lakenvelders from Gabbard farms off ebay. They sent me at least one rotten egg and several that don't look like they'll do anything. My seven day candle is friday evening, so I hope for improved results by then, but I don't expect them.
As for the first four I hatched, I'm close to letting them go with everybody else. It's hard to call the sex on them yet, but if I had to say a guess, I think it's two roos and two hens. The eight cochin banties are still fuzzybutts. They just hatched out thursday and into friday morning.
Best of luck on ya'll's hatch!

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
Me too!! I thought no way! I know who's fault it is. Ladybirds!! When I heard how fast hers hatched, I told her that I would be watching all day tomorrow. She had one hatch early, and I thought I wouldn't see any action until tomorrow at the soonest~~the soonest, tomorrow, but this one pipped early..Welsh Harlequin, and now has a tiny piece of shell on the floor. Wow, wonder if it will hatch by tomorrow?

 

[asearcby79]

I hate I have to be gone all day tomorrow! It will probably hatch while I'm gone! It is wiggling now & I can hear chirping!

 

[LadyBirdsPalace]

Cynthia12
Me too!! I thought no way! I know who's fault it is. Ladybirds!!

AWESOME!

-Still 3 ducklings out, 1 I predict in the next hour the other one is not doing too much yet.

-From 3 to 6 chicken eggs have pipped since I wrote last!

Oh I hope they're ALL OK!