June Hatch-A-Long

[SnapdragonQ]

So I’m having a slight panic. The shelf liner I’ve used for the hatching basket isn’t the thing tray I thought people were recommended, doesn’t have holes in it. So I’m afraid if any chicks pip upside down they won’t be able to breathe.

thinking I should put them straight into the hatching tray.

is it normal to fee this freaked out that I’ve done everything wrong the first time hatching?! I’m a mess lol

Yes, completely normal to freak out about every minute little detail.
Breathe.
Breathe again.
Slower this time.

.....Better? More than likely they will not pip on the bottom, and if they do the rest of the egg is surrounded by air in the incubator. And there is no concrete rule that says you can't nudge the egg a tiny bit if need be.

 

[FortCluck]

So I’m having a slight panic. The shelf liner I’ve used for the hatching basket isn’t the thing tray I thought people were recommended, doesn’t have holes in it. So I’m afraid if any chicks pip upside down they won’t be able to breathe.

thinking I should put them straight into the hatching tray.

is it normal to fee this freaked out that I’ve done everything wrong the first time hatching?! I’m a mess lol

Can you post pics because I am lost

 

[Oldhallchicks]

We have our first pip!! One of the light Brahma eggs has pipped!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Your humidity freaks me out my first hatch I did 65% and it went to 70%+ and condensation happened. I had lots of DIS chicks. Never again did I add water...

Did you have a calibrated hygrometer? I wonder if it just wasn't accurate? I used a Farm Innovators and while I did go dryer than most of my incubators I almost always start with 65% before fiddling with it and that humidity has never drowned chicks in my experience. Maybe the humidity was too high during early incubation on that hatch for you? Either way, you've found what works for you so I wouldn't mess with it.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

So I’m having a slight panic. The shelf liner I’ve used for the hatching basket isn’t the thing tray I thought people were recommended, doesn’t have holes in it. So I’m afraid if any chicks pip upside down they won’t be able to breathe.

thinking I should put them straight into the hatching tray.

is it normal to fee this freaked out that I’ve done everything wrong the first time hatching?! I’m a mess lol

Which incubator are you using? Most of them are ok without the no skid shelf liner. The only types I would be concerned about not using anything for traction is the smooth flat plastic bottomed incubators.

 

[FortCluck]

Did you have a calibrated hygrometer? I wonder if it just wasn't accurate? I used a Farm Innovators and while I did go dryer than most of my incubators I almost always start with 65% before fiddling with it and that humidity has never drowned chicks in my experience. Maybe the humidity was too high during early incubation on that hatch for you? Either way, you've found what works for you so I wouldn't mess with it.

Yes my hygrometer is 100% accurate. I have 4 that are calibrated

 

[FortCluck]

Did you have a calibrated hygrometer? I wonder if it just wasn't accurate? I used a Farm Innovators and while I did go dryer than most of my incubators I almost always start with 65% before fiddling with it and that humidity has never drowned chicks in my experience. Maybe the humidity was too high during early incubation on that hatch for you? Either way, you've found what works for you so I wouldn't mess with it.

No my humidity was 40%... styrofoam do not like high humidity above 50% in my location. If you do it higher, you’ll have lots of DIS

 

[FortCluck]

@CluckNDoodle sorry for two replies. I’m cooking bacon for the fam for lentil sloppy joes

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Yes my hygrometer is 100% accurate. I have 4 that are calibrated

No my humidity was 40%... styrofoam do not like high humidity above 50% in my location. If you do it higher, you’ll have lots of DIS

@CluckNDoodle sorry for two replies. I’m cooking bacon for the fam for lentil sloppy joes

That's so weird!

And no worries, I've been so busy that I'm popping in for 5 minutes at a time and have forgotten to click reply multiple times, lol! At least BYC saves most of the comments I forget to submit.

 

[zooinmypocket]

Hello, first time joining hatch-a-long. I am a complete hatchaholic who just got a new toy. I had a janoel-12 and a rite farm 3600, in which I was hatching once or twice a month, but I just got my Dickey's 3x1 set-up on Friday. I have 5 buff silkie eggs off of ebay that go into lockdown on Tuesday. And I set up 46 brown layer eggs and 10 golden laced polish eggs. Safe to say I am loving my new incubator and my addiction is about to get enabled a lot more.

So I hatched out 2 of the buff silkie eggs and gave them to a broody mama last week. One of the eggs is a mystery chick that had a different writing on its egg and was much bigger. It is the white one in the back.

The other set of eggs started pipping last night and 2 hatched this morning. One is a buff orpington and one is a cross.