KDOGG331’s Hatch Thread!!!

[FortCluck]

Oh wow that sounds terrible!!

No water at all or just not till the end?

I'm not doing any water unless it drops below 30%. I use a sterile 60 ml syringe and only add 25 ml once it's below to about 28%.

I'll add maybe 35 ml when it's 18 days. Depends how they're looking. I know signs of what happened the last time so I'm prepared.

I took A LOT of notes on my 1st hatch that have helped me during this 2nd one. I refer back a lot and I'm writing out what I think is important for my 2nd.

I'm taking pictures of my chicks and pictures of their parents and putting them in a book so we can always refer back and see what coloring we will get!

 

[FortCluck]

You live in a pretty humid area just like I do so you might not even need to add that much water.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm not doing any water unless it drops below 30%. I use a sterile 60 ml syringe and only add 25 ml once it's below to about 28%.

I'll add maybe 35 ml when it's 18 days. Depends how they're looking. I know signs of what happened the last time so I'm prepared.

I took A LOT of notes on my 1st hatch that have helped me during this 2nd one. I refer back a lot and I'm writing out what I think is important for my 2nd.

I'm taking pictures of my chicks and pictures of their parents and putting them in a book so we can always refer back and see what coloring we will get!

Thanks! This is really helpful. I need to get a syringe so I can be more exact with my water adding hah

And that is an excellent idea!!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

You live in a pretty humid area just like I do so you might not even need to add that much water.

Yeah Ive only added a teeny little bit so far and it seems to be holding steady without adding anymore. I added it yesterday.

 

[FortCluck]

What day are you on, 2?

 

[ShrekDawg]

What day are you on, 2?

I think so. It will be 2 at 4.

 

[FortCluck]

I'm candling all my eggs today to toss the no good ones. I think one of the local farms eggs are junk (infertile). I hope I'm wrong!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm candling all my eggs today to toss the no good ones. I think one of the local farms eggs are junk (infertile). I hope I'm wrong!

Aw no! Hope you are wrong.

I think I might candle tomorrow but trying to wait till day 7 LOL

 

[microchick]

KDOGG I suspect maybe it did. Plus I wasn't feeling well during that time period and left the hens to their own devices. My bad. Never trust a broody hen to stay on her own eggs. One hen was on 5 eggs, got off the nest to eat, another hen sneaked in, laid an egg, hen #1 returns, finds her nest commandeered but OH LOOK! there's a nest box right next door and it has an egg in it. I'll just sit there for awhile.

Hen #2 gets off hen #1 nest and goes back outside leaving 5 developing eggs unattended. Now that time of the year here the ambient temp is about 90 degrees outside with the humidity in the 70-80%. Not a big difference from what the hen is applying except the humidity is higher than I would do in my incubator.

The problems arose, I believe when the hens traded nests overnight, or got off the nests for whatever reason that only they know in their little pea brains.

Did the changed in humidity/temperature affect the hatch rate?

I believe so. I always seem to have poorer hatch rates under broody hens during our very hot and humid Missouri summers. Most chicks that die doing it in the second half of their development.

Good reason not to hatch during the months of late June, July and early August here.

Glad I found your thread too! Whow! Is all I can say!

 

[ShrekDawg]

KDOGG I suspect maybe it did. Plus I wasn't feeling well during that time period and left the hens to their own devices. My bad. Never trust a broody hen to stay on her own eggs. One hen was on 5 eggs, got off the nest to eat, another hen sneaked in, laid an egg, hen #1 returns, finds her nest commandeered but OH LOOK! there's a nest box right next door and it has an egg in it. I'll just sit there for awhile.

Hen #2 gets off hen #1 nest and goes back outside leaving 5 developing eggs unattended. Now that time of the year here the ambient temp is about 90 degrees outside with the humidity in the 70-80%. Not a big difference from what the hen is applying except the humidity is higher than I would do in my incubator.

The problems arose, I believe when the hens traded nests overnight, or got off the nests for whatever reason that only they know in their little pea brains.

Did the changed in humidity/temperature affect the hatch rate?

I believe so. I always seem to have poorer hatch rates under broody hens during our very hot and humid Missouri summers. Most chicks that die doing it in the second half of their development.

Good reason not to hatch during the months of late June, July and early August here.

Glad I found your thread too! Whow! Is all I can say!

Huh, I never would have guessed poor hatch rates could occur under a broody! But it makes sense with those conditions. Very interesting. Thanks for the info and entertaining story.

It doesn’t usually get too too hot here but probably not a good idea to hatch summer here either ha

And it is very exciting!!