Little Giant Hatch Along

[OHhappychicks]

Quote:
Tell others what you did through your hatch to get to this point maybe you can help someone else

Congrats on such a great hatch !

StormyMoon, I just followed ChooksChick Cheat-Sheet. Someone posted about it just today. I don't know how to copy another site , but if you look on todays posts, you will see it. I did a dry incubation. Someone on here sent me this site to look at and I copied it so I would have a reference. http://paraguinparadise.netfirms.com/Dry Incubation.htm. Its titled Dry incubation By Bill Worrell. I just followed these two references to the T and my lg didn't fail me. I had an issue with low temps 2-3 days after I put my eggs in. Just tweaked the Thermostat and watched it, and it leveled out at 100 deg. Then once when I checked about a week later it was about 103, but hadn't been there very long. I took one of the plugs out and it cooled right back to 100 pretty quick. Added water on day of lockdown, And humidity was at 60-65. I kept adding water thru a plug hole with a clear tube. It is a medical type tubing with the thingy on top that they would hook to say an iv connector. I had a small syringe, the kind you give medicine to a baby with that just fit in the connector and that is how i would add my water when it would get to 60. I also put my eggs in an paper egg carton, as they were in the electric turner the whole time. So far today I have had 5!!

hatch out. No troubles with any of them so far. My humidity is around 70-72. Once they started to zip, it only took them maybe 30-60 min and they were out. Even had one hatch that I didn't see pip or zip!!! My Grandchildren were here today and how we missed that one, I'll never know!! Some of us have had our noses pressed there just about all day!!! I really didn't know what kind of results to expect. I still have one that has pipped, but he is moving a little slower than the rest, But if I don't get anymore than this I will be very happy!! 5-6 out of 12 my first hatch I don't think is to bad. But I'm not giving up hope! It is onlyday 21. They still have 2-3 days left to hatch and I'm going to give them all the time they need!!

I forgot to add that my DH put a computor fan in the bator. So it wasn't a still air. Also I purchased 3 of the aquarium thermos suggested by ChooksChick. Now just to let you know, All three of them read different. I have one of them that never read over 94 deg. But I also had purchased an accurite thermo/hygrometer combo and had it in with the others. This one and one of the aquarium thermos both read 100 so those are the ones I read. I didn't know about proving the hygro until last week. So I tried the salt method on the accurite, and found it was off by about 8-9%. so I went to Petland and bought a hygrometer used for reptiles, proved it, (That is not the word they use for this but i can't think of the correct term) And it was right on. So for lockdown its been 60-70. And that is what I have done. Just kept glued to the incubating site and tried to learn from others advice and mistakes. This is site is such a wealth of info!! I Love it!!!!!wow this looks like a book! Sorry!

 

[bburn]

Lol....don't be sorry....you make my posts not look quite so bad.

I too read chookschick information on incubating.

We have had rain for two weeks and I set my eggs at the start of the rain! I put a little water in the channels and left it at that. I have not added water once....until today because I had a drop after three dry days. But tonight is lockdown so I am good with that.

My temps stayed good this time....real steady. No fan by the way but a turner. My humidity stayed between 40 and 50 the entire time. But the deal is the humidity was the same outside the incubator. I had the hygrometer in the incubator that is a reptile one. And egg o meter for temp. Plus the LG one that seems to work. Finally I kept noticing the other hygrometer I bought at lowes that I calibrated and did not think was working right was working. So I put the wire in and it matches the egg o meter. The two hygrometers are a couple of degrees different....so I am good with that. Ten pm is 18 days and I am going to at least wait until it gets darkish....at least until after the chickens have gone to bed and candle and go into lockdown.

I tried the paper eggs cartons before and will not do that again...they starting falling apart so I took them out and laid my eggs down. It was all I could think to do at that point. I still feel I had a great hatch and that it was probably beginners luck. But out of 31 threw three out, six did not hatch....so I was pleased.

Another difference in this hatch and last is the bator is in the bathroom and no one is here to use that one....so it is the official nursery. Temp are staying constant in the room itself. I have only adjusted the temps a handful of time from the start....I think that helps if you get it in the right spot to start. (ok, blind luck)

I do take the chicks out when there are two or three getting pretty dry. I snatch them quickly and it does not seem to affect the humidity.

Much, much good luck to everyone.....keep us posted!!

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
They sure are resilient, I got some rest thanks finally.

It is amazing how life goes on in the midst of tragedy I was thinking that my self. Its been so crazy I went and got a digital thermometer and hygrometer that comes with a wireless wand type thing so I can be by the pc out of the room and still watch the temperatures, I really didn't like the digital ones for while cause all mine seemed to go haywire in the middle of incubation but so far its been doing the job.

I know when to go in and adjust as needed I have even taken it outside with me as I do my rounds with the animals.

Its good for up to 500 ft away I think thats what the package said. It is an acu.rite it cost a little more but so far worth it.

That sounds pretty interesting. Where did you get that gadget? Might want to try that next time. Glad you have gotten some rest.

I got it at walmart

my favorite place in the world.

let me get a picture and I will post it on here. Its an off white stick deal, I also have the humidity gage in there the thermometer doesn't keep the humidity though but I dry incubate so I never really focus on humidity till the end. I thought it had a hygrometer on it but it doesn't as you can see I also have another thermometer and hygrometer with wire probe in there I like having a few there is also a aquarium glass thermometer in there as well.

 

[OHhappychicks]

I think I'm going to take the chicks out tonite. There are five of them and they are dried and running all over the place. We just got home and another one is pipping!!! Yaaaayyyy!!

bburn- sorry you had trouble with the paper carton. But yours did very well laying down so it apparently doesn't matter.

So far my carton is doing good. I was worried it might soak up a lot of the humidity but so far it hasn't. My humidity is holding at 72%. I added a little water today when they started to zip just to be on the safe side. Before I set my eggs, I marked my dial with a sharpie marker when my temps were holding at 100. That way I know exactly where that temp is and if I need to tweak I can see where to move it, a hair one way or the other. It works so much better for me. I really don't know why lg can't put some kind of markings on the dial at least. A paper sticker with the markings on it would help!! I wish I had a better room to put mine in. Its in the utility room and that is the room we enter the house. Temps in that room range 67-72 but it didn't seem to make much difference in the bator. I kept a towel hung on the shelves it sits on, to keep drafts away, and kept the glass covered with dishtowels. I always felt heat could escape through those for some reason.

Stormymoon- I really like that gadget! And at walmart too!! I will check on that for next time! I really would like to put some more in the bator after these are done, but a friend and I ordered 25 from mm to arrive on the 23rd. He gets 13 and I get the rest, and then I found 7 eggs in the greenhouse today!! Looks like I have a couple of hens that want to go broody as the eggs were from different hens! I'm just gonna leave them and see what happens. 5 of them are banty eggs and I don't think they will be fertile as my roo is a large ee and I don't think he can reach them!!

I saw him with one the other day and it just didn't work!! But we will see!! I guess i could sell them. HHMMMM! Maybe I will rethink that!

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
I carry that little silver box every where I go , it fits right in my pocket when i see a spike coming I head to the incubator and adjust it and then leave it be to settle.

It shows the actual room temp, as well as the temp inside the bator..........

My temps flux a lot here where I live today it got pretty warm I had to put the window ac on to cool it back down.

Right now its saying its 78 degrees in my room and 99 inside the bator.

The glass thermometer is at 99.5 degrees and the other digital with wire prob is saying 100 degrees.

 

[bburn]

At 2204 it was 18 days exactly....I am in LOCKDOWN!!!

 

[bburn]

...and ya'll know I was not done typing....hit the wrong key!

Eggs all looked good when I candled them. Laid them down and am getting ready to go check the humidity and temp and see what it is up to. Meant to get it done earlier but had too much to do.

Hoping for a great hatch. Promise to be more careful when I open to get the chicks out. I won't be as nervous about leaving them in this time!! Do not open if there is a pip....I read that. Going to try to be good!

Took out both plugs per the instructions for the incubator.

Will see where that gets me....

Lots and lots of good luck to all!

 

[OHhappychicks]

Quote:
Here's to your great hatch!!!

and another for good measure!

 

[bburn]

So....still air....eggs laying down now....what temp and humidity should I have?

 

[StormyMoon]

Quote:
I know this is late but 99.5 - 101 degrees , humidity between 65 - 70 even 75 is ok and a lot of people will disagree it really depends on where your from and how humid your home is so between 65 - 70 % is a nice medium goal.