Lockdown Ideas

[Gingersnp]

I’m looking for some ideas during lockdown. Specifically hatch time. Can anyone give me some ways you’ve used to keep the already hatched babies from playing soccer with the unhatched eggs?

 

[americanchicks]

Everything i tried always gets knocked down. For newborns they are very strong. I just ended up getting a used still air incubator i put the freshly hatched in. If they hatch while am a sleep however its still a soccer game. Good luck.

 

[Gingersnp]

Thank you! Have you tried nesting material to soften the “roll around”? Like pine straw or hay? Wonder if that would mess with the humidity?

 

[Cherterr]

I'm putting in a layer of Cheesecloth. Don't know where I read that... but it sounded like a plan to help with cleaning after!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've never worried about it but some people do. Some people cut out sections of egg cartons to where you have a pretty minimal frame and put eggs pointy side down in those. You aren't turning but you don't want the carton to block them hatching. Also, the chicks produce a fair amount of heat at that stage, you don't want to trap that heat so they cook themselves. A solid egg carton is not a good idea. But one chopped up appears to work.

Personally I would not put bedding or things like that in there. The chicks need fresh air to breathe. Bedding may block ventilation. It may also interfere with the humidity in there. I don't see where cheesecloth would help that much. You still have to clean and sterilize it before you use it again. Maybe I'm missing something?

 

[Cherterr]

Cheesecloth should catch the bigger chunks.

 

[Gingersnp]

My husband and I made an incubator today out of a styrofoam cooler. What y’all think about the bottom? It has grooves that I originally thought to use for water chambers but now I’m thinking I could place the eggs in them during lockdown to lessen the roll around after some of the chicken hatch.

 

[Kizmet]

I never thought they’d harm the eggs still hatching, in fact I was told the hatched chicks will encourage the others to hatch. And you risk shrink wrapping if you open the incubator to take out the hatched ones. I just leave them to it, they certainly would get knocked around in a nest.

 

[Cherterr]

I agree with Kizmet... Leave the eggs free to move or you might risk losing some. The incubator looks Awesome!