JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[two j farm]

You're probably fine leaving them under her for right now but I would definitely crank up an incubator to finish the hatch in. Even if your broody is willing to sit in the nest a bit longer you don't really want her staying in the nest longer than a few days so she gets up to start tending to the already hatched chicks.

I was thinking about that.

After I have a hen to hatch I always move them to a cage with the babies so they can eat and drink without the other chickens around them. My last broody still had one egg after I moved her and it hatched 2 days late, I think she would still be sitting on that egg if it wouldn't have hatch lol.

I marked the 2 I put under her today so I will just have to wait now and see how it goes I guess.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Took a quick look last night at my guinea eggs in the incubator. Definitely two quitters so only six eggs left. The babies look big! Like day 16 chicken eggs. Thing is, we should only be on day 14 today, and guinea eggs should go to day 26-28! I’ll take a picture tonight and see if I can find a guinea egg candling timeline... This is the incubator that gave me the problems with my last chick egg hatch, with chicks hatching early on day 20 and most DIS. I had turned it down after that hatch but since these guineas are looking accelerated, I turned it down farther...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Took a quick look last night at my guinea eggs in the incubator. Definitely two quitters so only six eggs left. The babies look big! Like day 16 chicken eggs. Thing is, we should only be on day 14 today, and guinea eggs should go to day 26-28! I’ll take a picture tonight and see if I can find a guinea egg candling timeline... This is the incubator that gave me the problems with my last chick egg hatch, with chicks hatching early on day 20 and most DIS. I had turned it down after that hatch but since these guineas are looking accelerated, I turned it down farther...

If I were you I would get one of those small cheap meat thermometers at Walmart and follow the instructions to calibrate it (when I got mine it didn't even need adjustments). I find that even though most of my backup thermometers are digital I'm now using this meat thermometer to check each one before every use. It has been much more reliable.
That way you know you're setting your incubator to a good temp.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

If I were you I would get one of those small cheap meat thermometers at Walmart and follow the instructions to calibrate it (when I got mine it didn't even need adjustments). I find that even though most of my backup thermometers are digital I'm now using this meat thermometer to check each one before every use. It has been much more reliable.
That way you know you're setting your incubator to a good temp.

I have a good thermometer that I calibrated before starting the original hatch. http://www.sensorpush.com/
I rotate it around different slots and have been mapping hot spots in the incubator. See pics for map and what the data output looks like. My poor hatch should have had an average of 99.7 F temps, but had early hatch and signs of heat stress. That’s why I’ve been confused about what went wrong with the hatch and have been concentrating on hot spots. I’ve placed the guinea eggs in slots that should be more consistent between each other, plus I’m rotating them once a day. I’m guessing that I have two issues: 1) hotter and cooler slots due to the ventilation intake, and 2) I’m used to a still air incubator, where you want temps at the top of the egg to be higher than the current fan incubator ...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have a good thermometer that I calibrated before starting the original hatch. http://www.sensorpush.com/
I rotate it around different slots and have been mapping hot spots in the incubator. See pics for map and what the data output looks like. My poor hatch should have had an average of 99.7 F temps, but had early hatch and signs of heat stress. That’s why I’ve been confused about what went wrong with the hatch and have been concentrating on hot spots. I’ve placed the guinea eggs in slots that should be more consistent between each other, plus I’m rotating them once a day. I’m guessing that I have two issues: 1) hotter and cooler slots due to the ventilation intake, and 2) I’m used to a still air incubator, where you want temps at the top of the egg to be higher than the current fan incubator ...

Oh that's right! I remember your incubator map now! I haven't kicked mine back on yet but I plan on using the decorative glass rocks in the base of my Little Giant still air incubator to see if that helps to stabilize the temps once they're warm. If I have a good outcome I may try it in my IncuView as well even though it's forced air I have hot and cold corners.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Oh that's right! I remember your incubator map now! I haven't kicked mine back on yet but I plan on using the decorative glass rocks in the base of my Little Giant still air incubator to see if that helps to stabilize the temps once they're warm. If I have a good outcome I may try it in my IncuView as well even though it's forced air I have hot and cold corners.

Yes, the rocks (or glass discs?) could work! When the guinea hatch is done, I want to try something, stones or whatever, in the water reservoirs and also try to find something that can sit in the egg racks as heat sinks, something water filled that is a lot like an egg, to mimic having a full incubator...

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Yes, the rocks (or glass discs?) could work! When the guinea hatch is done, I want to try something, stones or whatever, in the water reservoirs and also try to find something that can sit in the egg racks as heat sinks, something water filled that is a lot like an egg, to mimic having a full incubator...

I use granite eggs in my nest boxes that I was considering getting more to use as fillers in the turner as well. I'm going to get some for the reservoir to start because I'm using the Little Giant as my lockdown Incubator on a couple staggered hatches. I need to set it up over the next couple days so it's ready. I've been procrastinating. Lol
Let me know what you find with whatever you decide to try!

 

[two j farm]

I have a good thermometer that I calibrated before starting the original hatch. http://www.sensorpush.com/
I rotate it around different slots and have been mapping hot spots in the incubator. See pics for map and what the data output looks like. My poor hatch should have had an average of 99.7 F temps, but had early hatch and signs of heat stress. That’s why I’ve been confused about what went wrong with the hatch and have been concentrating on hot spots. I’ve placed the guinea eggs in slots that should be more consistent between each other, plus I’m rotating them once a day. I’m guessing that I have two issues: 1) hotter and cooler slots due to the ventilation intake, and 2) I’m used to a still air incubator, where you want temps at the top of the egg to be higher than the current fan incubator ...

Are you using a egg turner?

I had problems with using the turner because the turner I had in my incubator was putting off a little heat, and causing the temp to go up. Not sure if that could be part of your problem, but just thought I would let you know.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Are you using a egg turner?

I had problems with using the turner because the turner I had in my incubator was putting off a little heat, and causing the temp to go up. Not sure if that could be part of your problem, but just thought I would let you know.

I found this to be the case with my vertical turner as well. I avoid using the slots surrounding the little motor.

 

[Compost King]

54 eggs, 12 need to be turned by hand the first 10 days then I weed out the infertile ones and the ones that died prematurely. 21 eggs are from a flock with fertility issues so there is a good chance I will down to 42 total eggs after 10 days. Set June 29th at midnight, hatch day July 19-20.. hatching are Dorking x (Dorking x Red Ranger), (Dorking x Red Ranger) x Dorking, Ayam Cemani x Red Ranger, and Ayam Cemani (the 12 on the side that will fill in for the infertile ones).