July Hatch-a-long

[Crissie]

Another series of rookie questions as I prepare for lockdown on Saturday... I was planning to use cardboard cartons with the bottoms cut out, but now I'm realizing that it seems people have eggs on the wire on their sides for hatching? If I'm using the cardboard cartons, I'm assuming that I put it to one side of the bator and put the eggs air cells up? The object of the cartons would be to keep the eggs in their proper positions for hatching, right?

Turner comes out on Saturday. How do I know when I get an INTERNAL pip and that it's time to jack that humidity up? Freaking out a bit. I didn't mark any air cells and the silkies look like the air cells are TINY. Today is Day 14 - if I don't see movement, is that egg still viable?

I am totally in over my head...

Does everyone feel that way? Our oldest son keeps telling me that according to how difficult I've made this incubation, chickens should pretty much be extinct.

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Another series of rookie questions as I prepare for lockdown on Saturday...  I was planning to use cardboard cartons with the bottoms cut out, but now I'm realizing that it seems people have eggs on the wire on their sides for hatching?  If I'm using the cardboard cartons, I'm assuming that I put it to one side of the bator and put the eggs air cells up?  The object of the cartons would be to keep the eggs in their proper positions for hatching, right?  


Turner comes out on Saturday.  How do I know when I get an INTERNAL pip and that it's time to jack that humidity up?  Freaking out a bit.  I didn't mark any air cells and the silkies look like the air cells are TINY.  Today is Day 14 - if I don't see movement, is that egg still viable?

I am totally in over my head...     Does everyone feel that way?  Our oldest son keeps telling me that according to how difficult I've made this incubation, chickens should pretty much be extinct.

Your son is very funny, lol. Take a few deep breaths and relax. Many years ago (like 30) we didn't even use turners. The chicks hatched right on the wire mesh floor of the incubator. Either way you do it will probably be just fine.

 

[sharol]

I don't know about everybody, but I'm in the same boat. I hatched 2 chicks out of 12 eggs (variety of reasons for poor hatch) last month, and now I have 6 under a broody and 6 in the incubator.

I keep thinking just what your son said. IT CAN'T BE THIS HARD. chickens have been hatching for thousands of years without my help.

Another series of rookie questions as I prepare for lockdown on Saturday... I was planning to use cardboard cartons with the bottoms cut out, but now I'm realizing that it seems people have eggs on the wire on their sides for hatching? If I'm using the cardboard cartons, I'm assuming that I put it to one side of the bator and put the eggs air cells up? The object of the cartons would be to keep the eggs in their proper positions for hatching, right?

Turner comes out on Saturday. How do I know when I get an INTERNAL pip and that it's time to jack that humidity up? Freaking out a bit. I didn't mark any air cells and the silkies look like the air cells are TINY. Today is Day 14 - if I don't see movement, is that egg still viable?

I am totally in over my head...

Does everyone feel that way? Our oldest son keeps telling me that according to how difficult I've made this incubation, chickens should pretty much be extinct.

 

[Gen9]

Turner comes out on Saturday.  How do I know when I get an INTERNAL pip and that it's time to jack that humidity up?  Freaking out a bit.  I didn't mark any air cells and the silkies look like the air cells are TINY.  Today is Day 14 - if I don't see movement, is that egg still viable?

I am totally in over my head...     Does everyone feel that way?  Our oldest son keeps telling me that according to how difficult I've made this incubation, chickens should pretty much be extinct.

Same here, wondering the same thing. & feeling the same way lol
My egg carton is I rigged up in hardware cloth & wire so I'm going to transfer them to another egg carton with the bottom part cut out. I also have rubber shelving mats on top of the hardware cloth so hopefully the mess will mostly get on that & will be easy to clean.

 

[Jmurph]

Alrighty then...all is well. Woke up this morning to my teenage son (he has weightlifting at 6 AM for football), saying , "mom........MOM! you have a chicken!". Up to six with 2 other pips....Total of 17 that made it to lockdown, so waiting on the other 9. Wednesday is hatch day, so I think it all looks pretty good.

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!

I didn't say what I did for a living....LOL! I spent the last 26 years as an RDMS! Specialty is high risk OB, but I did Cardiac and Vascular as well as Abdomen. I have spent the last two years preparing for my Master's (Physician Assistant). You will come to find that as a sonographer, you will be able to see the subtleties at candling before other new hatchers.

 

[sono-chic]

Alrighty then...all is well. Woke up this morning to my teenage son (he has weightlifting at 6 AM for football), saying , "mom........MOM! you have a chicken!". Up to six with 2 other pips....Total of 17 that made it to lockdown, so waiting on the other 9. Wednesday is hatch day, so I think it all looks pretty good.


I didn't say what I did for a living....LOL! I spent the last 26 years as an RDMS! Specialty is high risk OB, but I did Cardiac and Vascular as well as Abdomen. I have spent the last two years preparing for my Master's (Physician Assistant). You will come to find that as a sonographer, you will be able to see the subtleties at candling before other new hatchers.

I've been in the field about 12 years. Rdms in general and Ob/GYN. Just got my rvt and currently am training in echo. Funny I never thought about the similarities with candling.

 

[CGinJCMO]

I've got a external pip

, but it's resting. I heard a cheep,cheep and found an egg with a little hole. A few hours ago.

Later, it's still in the shell with the same hole but the membrane was a little dry (even though humidity is 75% or higher) so I dampened it. Hope she (and hope it's a she) makes it out soon and some sisters join her soon. Hopefully there won't be an "only" chick in the brooder. I'm already planning one another hatch (LF Easter Eggers) as soon as the incubator is ready again. But three weeks is a long time to wait for friends. I guess I could bring in a one-month old cross-beaked EE chick. (May have to start helping the cockerel grow big enough to get to butchering age/weight soon anyway since everything I've read about cross beaks says that they have a hard time getting enough to eat.)

Anyway, back to this topic...One started, hopefully more to come. I guess the cooler bator temp yesterday didn't harm to much.

CG

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

I've got a external pip

, but it's resting. I heard a cheep,cheep and found an egg with a little hole. A few hours ago.

Later, it's still in the shell with the same hole but the membrane was a little dry (even though humidity is 75% or higher) so I dampened it. Hope she (and hope it's a she) makes it out soon and some sisters join her soon. Hopefully there won't be an "only" chick in the brooder. I'm already planning one another hatch (LF Easter Eggers) as soon as the incubator is ready again. But three weeks is a long time to wait for friends. I guess I could bring in a one-month old cross-beaked EE chick. (May have to start helping the cockerel grow big enough to get to butchering age/weight soon anyway since everything I've read about cross beaks says that they have a hard time getting enough to eat.)

Anyway, back to this topic...One started, hopefully more to come. I guess the cooler bator temp yesterday didn't harm to much.

CG

This is exciting...like timing contractions!

 

[CGinJCMO]

Arrg!

Went downstairs to check the 'bator/eggs before bed and found 'bator got knocked over, eggs rolled to one side, top is ajar and water all leaked onto the floor. I should have stayed in the room because I knew there were playful kittens hiding in there. (I know - should'a, would'a, could'a the kittens have been in there before and they didn't bother it before so I didn't think) Eggs are cold, thermometer says 78. Found a second pipped egg, peeled shell and membrane back but no response from chick. First one also isn't cheeping.

I got bator all set back up (except water - I'm more concerned with temp right now) to try and warm them back up. Maybe second incubation and hatch attempt will have to be EE and D'uccle. I was kinda hoping the d'uccles would be well established before bigger chicks would come along and possibly bully littler chicks.

CG

 

[BY Chicken Lady]

Arrg!

Went downstairs to check the 'bator/eggs before bed and found 'bator got knocked over, eggs rolled to one side, top is ajar and water all leaked onto the floor. I should have stayed in the room because I knew there were playful kittens hiding in there. (I know - should'a, would'a, could'a the kittens have been in there before and they didn't bother it before so I didn't think) Eggs are cold, thermometer says 78. Found a second pipped egg, peeled shell and membrane back but no response from chick. First one also isn't cheeping.

I got bator all set back up (except water - I'm more concerned with temp right now) to try and warm them back up. Maybe second incubation and hatch attempt will have to be EE and D'uccle. I was kinda hoping the d'uccles would be well established before bigger chicks would come along and possibly bully littler chicks.

CG

Oh No! I worry about that too. I have three curious cats. I think I might put my incubator on the floor. At least then it wont topple over. Maybe I better find a room to lock it in too. I hope you get the temps up and the chicks are okay.