June 2015 Hatch A Long HAL

[blkjak]

3 ducklings out. 8 duck eggs pipped and 1 maran egg pipped

 

[Elginchickens]

First six that hatched out last night...there actually were 7 but I had to cull the one that had intestines out of stomach ...

Here's the other 3 that just hatched 2 hours ago..got them separate cuz there still drying abd the others were stomping all over them abd these are trying to sleep...if I wouldn't have had to cull that one this morning I would have had a 10/11 hatch rate but 9/11 is still good....All with my trusty little giant 9300 with auto Turner and two separate accurite thermometer/hygrometer

 

[lcraig]

It's great seeing pictures of your chicks! I've got a question for some of you seasoned hatchers:

I have mixed breeds hatching on June 14 & 15. There are two bantam eggs in the June 14th batch. All eggs are in the same incubator with an automatic turner that takes up the entire floor or the incubator. When should I start lockdown? Also, I've read that you shouldn't open the incubator during lockdown, but that you should take chicks out within 8 hours after they hatch. If I have eggs hatching over 2-3 days, I can I make this work? Thanks!

 

[LuWis]

Okay, happy mommy with 7 chicks, 3 from my flock and 4 shipped! All of them came out black like the broody.

 

[EggPlanter]

I am not sure if I can still join, but I set my eggs 16 days ago. My experience in hatching is very little and I have 2 very viable EE.

 

[matlock585]

I have 4 out, 1 zipping, and 2 good pips. All from my chicken's eggs, nothing at all from the shipped turkey eggs I bought yet.

 

[MesMama]

Is it normal to feel like you're on a roller coaster the first time hatching? I am up and down and all over again the place-force the hens off their nests so I know they're eating/drinking or not, candle them in a few days or not, am I doing the right thing? And yada yada LOL! And then a couple of my other hens rearends look weird, like not the outside of the feathers but like the ends of their butt feathers are clean but underneath looks dark? Just weird. So I'm worried about that now too. It is really like having babies again LOL

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Is it normal to feel like you're on a roller coaster the first time hatching? I am up and down and all over again the place-force the hens off their nests so I know they're eating/drinking or not, candle them in a few days or not, am I doing the right thing? And yada yada LOL! And then a couple of my other hens rearends look weird, like not the outside of the feathers but like the ends of their butt feathers are clean but underneath looks dark? Just weird. So I'm worried about that now too. It is really like having babies again LOL

The roller coaster effect is normal. The first time one of my hens went broody I fussed over her so much she lost the broodiness and I had to put the eggs in the incubator. Best thing you can do is ensure the hen is safe and healthy, and let her alone.
My biggest worry is predators. I've lost one hen already. With another sitting on the only remaining egg I worry something might happen. So, I have been putting extra security measures in place. Which hasn't been sitting well with the goats. (She decided to nest in the goat pen and won't budge, no matter what. I've tried moving her and she wouldn't have it.)

 

[Elginchickens]

It's great seeing pictures of your chicks!  I've got a question for some of you seasoned hatchers:

I have mixed breeds hatching on June 14 & 15.  There are two bantam eggs in the June 14th batch.  All eggs are in the same incubator with an automatic turner that takes up the entire floor or the incubator.  When should I start lockdown?  Also, I've read that you shouldn't open the incubator during lockdown, but that you should take chicks out within 8 hours after they hatch.  If I have eggs hatching over 2-3 days, I can I make this work?  Thanks!

I only leave my chicks in incubator for about an hour and a half after they hatch to let them dry a little then I quickly open it and take him out...this is fine too do quickly..when a chick hatches it causes the humidity to go really high so you opening it quickly doesn't effect it really.....put the eggs into lock down when the first set is ready ... the second set will be ok with higher humidity levels a bit earlier as long as you run it with a low humidity for first18 days ..the only problem is you still need to turn those other ones that aren't in lock down yet just for one day...so actually if you just put them in lockdown at same time abd stopped turning them on same day then they should be fine..that's what I did my first ever hatch to cuz I wasn't too smart and started two batches a few days apart. And everything worked out great

 

[Elginchickens]

Or you could always build a homemade Hatcher..I have one that's a Styrofoam ice chest with a light bulb wired to a light dimmer and a bowl of water to increase humidity ...