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

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Lowered the temperature 1 degree. I ran it at 98 instead of 99... likely a calibration issue. I also stopped making mistakes like opening to remove a few chicks to stop them from kicking around hatching eggs. Turns out they do fine rolling around but they do not do so fine when they are shrink wrapped. I also kept the humidity very low before lockdown, let it run dry the first 3 days, put in a little water , let it run dry and wait 3 days before filling it. Then when they hatch I add a soaking wet sponge as well as filling all water chambers. That may or may not work for you. I hear other people doing completely different things with their hovabator and having more success than I do.

I’ve had one bad hatch in mine, setting was 100 F and actual temps in egg slots were 98.8-100.9 F so an average close to the ideal 99.5 F. The two that hatched did so at the beginning of Day 20, plus eggtopsy on day 21 showed dead a chicks in beak over wing malposition, which can be a sign of heat stress. So, I think my temps were too high, even though some slots (nest air intake, I think) have temps quite low. I’m wondering if having the incubator full would even out those hot /cold spots..

 

[EliseTheFarmKid]

No pips from the ducks yet.
On the bright side, I went from no pips on the quail eggs to one quail baby running around the incubator!

Bad picture but I couldn’t get a good angle.
So I have all my chickens hatched, and quail and muscovies on their way.
Naturally, to fill the void (and the empty incubator) I put some of the Muscovy eggs on the counter in the bator. Theres just no stopping me lol.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

No pips from the ducks yet.
On the bright side, I went from no pips on the quail eggs to one quail baby running around the incubator!
View attachment 1829771
Bad picture but I couldn’t get a good angle.
So I have all my chickens hatched, and quail and muscovies on their way.
Naturally, to fill the void (and the empty incubator) I put some of the Muscovy eggs on the counter in the bator. Theres just no stopping me lol.

 

[Compost King]

I’ve had one bad hatch in mine, setting was 100 F and actual temps in egg slots were 98.8-100.9 F so an average close to the ideal 99.5 F. The two that hatched did so at the beginning of Day 20, plus eggtopsy on day 21 showed dead a chicks in beak over wing malposition, which can be a sign of heat stress. So, I think my temps were too high, even though some slots (nest air intake, I think) have temps quite low. I’m wondering if having the incubator full would even out those hot /cold spots..

I learned that too warm is worse than too cold. I after I went a degree below optimum temps I started having better hatches. I am still learning, and as soon as I get one thing right I develop a new bad habit.

 

[john_wrightson2003]

So, I have had 3 hatch so far, all yesterday. One LO and a pair of CCLBs, so, kinda disappointed, but im just hoping that these other eggs are taking their time.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

So, I have had 3 hatch so far, all yesterday. One LO and a pair of CCLBs, so, kinda disappointed, but im just hoping that these other eggs are taking their time.

Is this in an incubator? How many of each were set? I hope that they are just slow pokes also! I waited until the end of day 21 to try to help with my last hatch, when the two that lives hatched at the beginning of day 20. All were beyond my help by then... I say this just because I wonder if I could have saved a few if I’d intervened sooner, like 24 hr after the healthy ones hatched instead of 48 hr...

 

[two j farm]

I'm beginning to wonder if drugs might be cheaper lol.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I'm beginning to wonder if drugs might be cheaper lol.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I've been meaning to take candling pics, I just have not gotten around to it yet

At day 18 you should see a mostly dark egg, with some shape to the dark mass, and there will usually still be a little clear fluid that has not filled in with the growing keet yet, at the area below the air cell (at the big end of the egg).

Ok, so I got a picture of a Day 14 guinea egg that I’ve been incubating. These were my “safety eggs” that I grabbed when a black rat snake raided the guineas nest. Prior to incubating these eggs, I really didn’t even know if the eggs were fertile; I have a hard time telling in cracked open guinea eggs and our flock’s sex ratio is 1 cock:7 hens, when guineas usually pair bond! I’m down to six eggs from the original 12, with four clears and two quitters. When I candled this little guy, it was moving all over the place! I posted this pic on the guinea forum too as I could not find a candling picture of day 14 guinea eggs anywhere! I did find this quote on the guinea forum (see above) that makes me feel better about the progress of these eggs, since day 18 is close... Anyway, I’m keeping the temp a bit lower for now since I’m still troubleshooting my bator!

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Did you all know that there is another June July hatch along going???

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/june-to-july-hatch-a-long.1318338/