July Hatch-a-long

[jnjmanning]

I only had four chicks make it from last weeks hatch. So I'm consoling myself with just a few more.

I know the heat runs very high next to that turner motor!

 

[jnjmanning]

While we are on the topic of humidity.

It is my understanding that keeping the humidity lower (and what constitutes lower varies widely) during the first 18 days allows the moisture to escape from the egg keeping the chick from drowning. At that point, the humidity needs to be higher (again, a matter of discussion what "higher" means in terms of humidity) in order to avoid drying out of the membrane. IS THAT CORRECT?

I read Chooks Chick's hatching guide for styro/still air incubators (dry incubation method). I've also read a ton of other things here at ByC and no one seems to agree on anything. I'm trying something different from my first hatch which, for a variety of reasons, was pretty poor.

I'm trying to keep the humidity around 30-35% for the first 18 days, then I'll bump it up to around 60% (assuming I can control it). I ran a plastic tube (it was intended for aquariums) from the water holder in the bottom of the bator, out through the indentation for the wires and up to the top. I'm using an old syringe to shoot water through the tubing to the bottom of the bator when it needs moisture. It take about 3 of the little syringes full each morning to keep it in the 30-35 range. My goal is to keep the bator closed until day 7 when I plan to candle the eggs and then day 14 for the same reason. Keeping my hands off those eggs is a real challenge for me, so I have to set some rules for myself. By using the tubing, I don't have the top off or the window open, so I'm less tempted to touch them.

Is there any definitive word on humidity? Why does it make any difference what your outside humidity is? I can see how that would affect how much water is needed to keep the humidity up during hatch, but why would it change the recommended levels within the bator?

I have "read" that outside humidity effects the inside, just as the temp does. And then you have to take into account the room the bator is in, the climate you live in. You really have to just experiment and see what works best for you. For me, I add NO WATER first 18 days and my humidity stays a steady 29%. I candle on day 7, 10, 14, 18. I keep track of the air cell by marking the eggs at each candle. Then I lock down at day 18 and wait for a pip or peep to up my humiidty. Then I jump it to 60% with water, once the chicks start hatching it will jump on its own to around 70%. Keeping the lid closed is crucial. It has to be a matter of life or death to a chick before I open.

 

[CGinJCMO]

Quote:
I've seen water worms/snakes. I used to see them in stores all the time, but not lately. A water worm is a hotdog shaped plastic toy fill with liquid and it rolls thru your hands.
http://sj-toys.en.alibaba.com/product/222497145-200636474/Water_Snake_Toys.html

CG

 

[jellybellyx6]

Well we have 16 quail eggs that we set in the bator yesterday and due to hatch around the 26th. I am hoping that all 16 hatch as this is all we have since the neighbor broke into our barn and stole one cage of the the quail and left a hole for a raccoon to get in and eat the other 8 quail we had. Our last hatch we had 12 hatch and we have slowly lost all but 7. Crossing our fingers that we keep the 7 we have left and get them to six weeks so they can start laying and we can start hatching their eggs.

In the mean time we are making indoor cages that will also serve as brooder boxes so we can keep the quail in the house so we can make sure they are safe all year round. This will also up our chances of getting eggs all year round which means that the incubator will be going all winter long. Poor little incubator is going to be begging for a break.

But we should get good at incubating by spring time when we will have chickens laying. Already can't wait for next spring.

 

[Crissie]

Can I ask a dumb question? I am getting a few more eggs for our now empty second 'bator (since we condensed after clearing out the duds) and they're scheduled to arrive on different days. With our first batch that is now in the 'bator, they all arrived on the same day, so it was easy to let them rest for 12 hours at room temperature and then plop them in. What do I do if I have eggs that I want to set together arriving at different times? Is it ok to let the first to arrive just sit at room temperature a bit longer? I would imagine that it's fine, right?

Thanks, everyone.

 

[Heidisgran]

don't let them go over about 7 days from the day they were laid

 

[Heidisgran]

just a dumb question? your sure it was your neighbor, did you report them?

 

[Crissie]

don't let them go over about 7 days from the day they were laid

Thank you!

 

[Jordi15]

My second batch of six is in lockdown. Today is 19 and nothing is happening, by this time last Tuesday I had two pips and one out. Im anxious! Fingers crossed atleast four hatch. 5 of 6 were definitely alive yesterday.

 

[jellybellyx6]

yes we are sure it was our neighbor because our cages are in a barn with a door that can not be opened and shut by an animal and the cages have hook latches that you have to hook and pull the door to and the doors were all closed. It started off with just eggs missing. Well and our gas from our vehicles. We started talking to the other neighbors and we started noticing that these things happen around this time of year when these people move back so we got locking gas caps for the vehicles and we locked our door to the barn. That is when the barn got ripped open on the side closest to quail and the quail were then just taken instead of the just the eggs. The next day the quail in the second cage were clearly eaten because there were feathers ever where and we could see traces of the blood from the second cage. There was no blood or feathers from the first cage of quail that were taken. And yes we reported them to the police but without evidence they can not do anything to the neighbors so we got cameras and put them up in barn so now if they go in we have pictures of them entering a building without permission. The DA is already watering at the mouth to bring these guys in because he has heard a lot about them around here but no one has ever been able to prove it is them.