July Hatch-a-long

[jnjmanning]

Sorry. Fortunately my place is fenced in and I have good neighbors. I don't think me being 6'2 , 330, and having a rooster named Ruger has anything to do with it lol...

 

[CGinJCMO]

I put 8 out of 10 (from previous 16) eggs into lockdown today. First 18 days, perfect 99-100 degrees in a turner. Since they were d'uccle eggs, I was able to put them on their side a bit so it wouldn't totally be a surprise to the chick inside when it went down to the floor. Knowing that the turner motor was adding heat, plus the eggs were going to be farther from the heating element, I knew the temperature was supposed to drop. When I checked on it 4 hours later however, the temp/ was 91. I'm having trouble bringing it back up; so far, I've got it up to 97 but still too low. I know to do tiny adjustments to the knob but I don't remember turning it down too far from using it as a hatcher last time. I turned on the fan again to see if that will help but I'll need to turn it back off again when they pip or they might dry out (humidity before turning on the fan at 77%).

Is the lower heat killing the chicks? or at best just delaying their hatch time?

CG

 

[nicole63021]

I'm in a humid area, summer outside is easily 65% +. Even with a/c, humidity in our house is 40-45%, so didn't add any water or humidity suppliment until day 19, then it went south after the first couple of eggs hatched (for me). When I try again I will only boost humidy to 60-65% at lockdown to take the extra moisture from the eggs into account better.

 

[ceocka]

Wow alot going on!!!

Well I have 3 out and two pips! I am so happy and sad.
Sad part is over the weekend while letting them free range Channing. Aka marylin Manson ( that is what hubby calls him) my black polish with white top is missing. So I am hoping that one of his babies hatching out is a roo. He was so kind and gentle. My two mommas that hatched out chicks are raising two of his babies.
It is so cute watching the babies with their mommas. What happens when the babies get bigger than the mommas? The mommas are a Cochin and an old English game bantam I know those polish babies are growing fast and are going to catch up to ester the oegb soon. Guess I will just have to watch and wait.

On a funny note. I sent my 9yr old son to bed and he comes back to me. Mom. You know there are babies hatched out. Me... Yes son I know. Him... Well can you get them out and take them to the brooder. They are being really loud. Me... No cuz there are more babies hatching out. Him... Great mom. I won't sleep now. Me... ( laughing) nite son. Him... Nite mom

Hope everyone got a good laugh like I did. His room is right above living room where chick are chirping. Lol

 

[Jmurph]

I put 8 out of 10 (from previous 16) eggs into lockdown today. First 18 days, perfect 99-100 degrees in a turner. Since they were d'uccle eggs, I was able to put them on their side a bit so it wouldn't totally be a surprise to the chick inside when it went down to the floor. Knowing that the turner motor was adding heat, plus the eggs were going to be farther from the heating element, I knew the temperature was supposed to drop. When I checked on it 4 hours later however, the temp/ was 91. I'm having trouble bringing it back up; so far, I've got it up to 97 but still too low. I know to do tiny adjustments to the knob but I don't remember turning it down too far from using it as a hatcher last time. I turned on the fan again to see if that will help but I'll need to turn it back off again when they pip or they might dry out (humidity before turning on the fan at 77%).

Is the lower heat killing the chicks? or at best just delaying their hatch time?

CG

I am hoping someone with more experience can answer this question. I am just drawing on human experience for 26 years in high risk obstetrics. My initial thoughts are that the chicks are already formed and that being said, they should be able to compensate for a short time with fluctuations in temp. I am also thinking about a mother hen...it is not like you are freezing them. However, the d'uccles are very small, maybe small fluctuations in temp may hurt. I know I am not helpful...but I want to know too!

 

[CGinJCMO]

Quote:
Yeesh! I just checked on it again and now it's up to 104. Guess I over adjusted it trying to get back to 100. I turned back down it a tiny bit I'm beginning to understand why some of you folks have separate incubators and hatchers. I might have been better off moving the eggs into a small styrofoam cooler with the brooder lightbulb warming them (I plan to put them in there after they hatch). I didn't think it was going to fluctuate this wildly. Guess I'll need to check on it more often than every couple of hours. Problem is, I'm usually a once-asleep-stay-asleep type of person (I don't hear or feel when DH gets up every couple of hours to use the bathroom) and it's past my bedtime. And hubby insisted on having the AC adjusted lower for night time so who knows how that is going to affect the incubator. Incubator is in windowless basement room with one AC vent sitting on a step/foot stool partially under a desk but the room is plenty cold to me with the AC running. (DH and I are opposites when it comes to temperatures - I'm fine but he's hot, I'm cold but he's fine.) I could try moving it to his office (next to my craft room in the basement) - his computer equipment generates more warmth.

Thanks, Jmurph. I hope to get 3 pullets from these eggs. The D'uccles are my 9 yr old son's chickens and he's had a few die (coon and then I think stress form coon cause another hen to die because nothing else seemed wrong and none of the other chickens are dying) so I'm trying to build his flock back up. One roo and 2 pullets won't be able to keep themselves very warm this winter without extra body heat.

CG
It's been an hour again so off to check the 'bator.

 

[PugBug]

I am NEVER doing a hatch around a holiday again! I FORGOT(I know there is a medication for that) that yesterday was lockdown. Today, I went to put the sponges in....I have a bunch of peeping going on and ONE pip....That was about 6 hours ago. Now my humidity is good, but I just looked through the windows and I get nothing. I can see no rocking, hear no peeping....Maybe everyone is sleeping?

I usually (past 3 hatches) candle on day 18...which would have been yesterday, to get an idea. I candle on day 5, 10, 15 and 18.I missed day 18. I started with 31 eggs. I have 17 now. (2 had blood spots and the rest either were not developing by day 15 or were clear). So NOW I have 17 eggs in lockdown(a day late), one of which was pipping...and I wait. Wednesday is day 21...I just think I've had more progress by now in my previous hatches...and I did have progress BEFORE I put the sponges in.(humidity was at 30% on both hydrometers).

I am hoping that mama hen's have issues and don't have the dates correct all the time and all is going to be well. GEEZ.....NOW I am going to have to look through the darn window of the incubator every few hours!!!!!!!!! ]

As my father used to say, "Don't get old"....I swear most days I have to stop and think about what day it is. This is crazy! For some reason the goofy four day weekend threw me for a loop.

Now to have a glass of wine and chillax! (as my daughter would say).

Hey it could be worse- one time I forgot lockdown all together- this is when we were building the chicken coops- anyway I came in one night & heard peeping, I looked in to see 3 chicks hatched & 2 more pipped! Now that was bad- or good depending on how you look at it. I sure didn't miss the anxiety of the lockdown LOL

 

[PugBug]

I am hoping someone with more experience can answer this question. I am just drawing on human experience for 26 years in high risk obstetrics. My initial thoughts are that the chicks are already formed and that being said, they should be able to compensate for a short time with fluctuations in temp. I am also thinking about a mother hen...it is not like you are freezing them. However, the d'uccles are very small, maybe small fluctuations in temp may hurt. I know I am not helpful...but I want to know too!

they should be ok if you can get your temp back up & keep it steady, there might be a delay in hatch, but that's it

 

[dolfi]

hi all im back. cant read all but i am happy to see all the hatching and sorry for the loses.


i do have a question.

i have my bator with 26 eggs and unfortionally i have to move from my house. how can i possibly be able to move them without loosing my babies

 

[sono-chic]

I am hoping someone with more experience can answer this question. I am just drawing on human experience for 26 years in high risk obstetrics. My initial thoughts are that the chicks are already formed and that being said, they should be able to compensate for a short time with fluctuations in temp. I am also thinking about a mother hen...it is not like you are freezing them.  However, the d'uccles are very small, maybe small fluctuations in temp may hurt. I know I am not helpful...but I want to know too!

I'm so glad to see someone else from the Ob/GYN field comparing this process. I am a sonographer and work/hatched with a midwife. I messed up the timing on my very first hatch because I tried to calculate by possible ovulation times. Didnt realize this worked a little different!