"Louisiana "La-yers" Peeps"

Pics
Date sort Score sort
campingshaws said:
Happy new year everyone! We rang in the new year with a teenager and a 20-something who are staying with us a few days. We also are dog sitting for the neighbor, her little terrier mix that attacked a chicken last time he came to visit. It's made things complicated. I want to teach him to ignore the chickens like my dogs, but this gray weather puts my energy way way down.

We had black-eyed peas and cabbage with sausage for supper. No cornbread, because everyone ate at 4:15.

How's everyone's redolutions going? I didn't make any specific, just the general "better health, more happiness."
Click to expand...


Great resolutions. Mine is to spend less time online. Hmmmm... Need. To. Work. Harder....:caf
 
Chica Chick said:
Great resolutions. Mine is to spend less time online. Hmmmm... Need. To. Work. Harder....:caf
Click to expand...


How's the sussex hunt going, Chica? I've seen you around in various other threads. I'm really interested in breeding up good lines, but I just don't think I'll have the time or resources this year. Maybe I'll try to find hens/pullets, to bring in new blood, and call it good. Maybe I'll just focus on bringing up a garden and letting the chickens stay the same for a year.
 
I've been reading just about everything I can about dry hatch 20-30% humidity vs normal hatch 50-60% humidity. Folks always say they have better luck with one or the other but don't say whether they candle to check the air cell or if they weigh the eggs to check for water loss.

I had my cabinet incubator dialed in at 99.5 for a couple weeks. I also ordered a second thermo/hygro that is the same as the one that came with the bator. After the second gauge arrived I checked the bator on top of the hatching tray and on top of the egg tray and the temp differences were quite drastic. About 11/2 degree difference between top of egg tray and bottom hatching tray. I'm so glad I did this. If I had gone by the suggested temp at where the gauge is mounted on the door I may have had a terribly late hatch, deformed chicks, or no hatch at all. After doing some digging on the forum I've found that folks were having late hatches and these incubators have hot and cool spots as all cabinet incubators do. So I 've been cranking up the heat and getting much more uniform temps.
 
700


This is a shot of the brooder with some of the chicks crashed out. Bakers dozen in this picture.

Terri, I'm wondering how the color of the 2 reddish chicks in this picture compared to the RIR chicks you just hatched. I think they are a bit on the light side. I'm hoping they are not mixed. I will just have to wait and see of course, but curious about the color. I know the pictures I've seen of the good heritage bred RIR seen much more red. They all are super cute though.

One in this picture is probably going to need to be culled. I made the mistake of misidentifying the air cell end. Because the egg was SO symmetrical and the egg was dark, I had to just guess. Then I should have checked again in a few days, but forgot until like day 15. So the chick was malpositioned and kind of has a hump back and so far isn't standing up or opening its eyes.

Lessons, lessons, lessons. I have learned a good deal this time. I have done zero eggtopsies this time. I've done then before, but just couldn't this time.

I am happy with how it went over all though.
 
Cody A said:
I've been reading just about everything I can about dry hatch 20-30% humidity vs normal hatch 50-60% humidity. Folks always say they have better luck with one or the other but don't say whether they candle to check the air cell or if they weigh the eggs to check for water loss.

I had my cabinet incubator dialed in at 99.5 for a couple weeks. I also ordered a second thermo/hygro that is the same as the one that came with the bator. After the second gauge arrived I checked the bator on top of the hatching tray and on top of the egg tray and the temp differences were quite drastic. About 11/2 degree difference between top of egg tray and bottom hatching tray. I'm so glad I did this. If I had gone by the suggested temp at where the gauge is mounted on the door I may have had a terribly late hatch, deformed chicks, or no hatch at all. After doing some digging on the forum I've found that folks were having late hatches and these incubators have hot and cool spots as all cabinet incubators do. So I 've been cranking up the heat and getting much more uniform temps.
Click to expand...


I'm so glad! I've had a 1.5 degree difference between the top of the turner and the top of the egg. I've been running stable for a while, now. I haven't touched it in days! :celebrate:

I went out to give the chickens some leftovers earlier. It's a yucky day! I gave then chicken noodle soup. :p

400
 
Cody A said:
I've been reading just about everything I can about dry hatch 20-30% humidity vs normal hatch 50-60% humidity. Folks always say they have better luck with one or the other but don't say whether they candle to check the air cell or if they weigh the eggs to check for water loss.

I had my cabinet incubator dialed in at 99.5 for a couple weeks. I also ordered a second thermo/hygro that is the same as the one that came with the bator. After the second gauge arrived I checked the bator on top of the hatching tray and on top of the egg tray and the temp differences were quite drastic. About 11/2 degree difference between top of egg tray and bottom hatching tray. I'm so glad I did this. If I had gone by the suggested temp at where the gauge is mounted on the door I may have had a terribly late hatch, deformed chicks, or no hatch at all. After doing some digging on the forum I've found that folks were having late hatches and these incubators have hot and cool spots as all cabinet incubators do. So I 've been cranking up the heat and getting much more uniform temps.
Click to expand...

That is the exact thing that happened to me the first time I tried to hatch a few eggs. I ignorantly assumed that the thermometer that came with the incubator would be accurate. Nope. When laid on top of the eggs it read 99.5 degrees F. But that was at the TOP of the eggs. Down a little further in the center of the eggs it was even cooler, because its a still air incubator. So I got a couple of thermometers that have hygrometer and temperature indicators (or whatever you call them) and used them laid down at the egg yolk level between the eggs. That makes the incubator run warmer than the usual 99.5, but the average air temperature is correct. It will be nice to get a fan kit though and see if that helps.

I ran this hatch at 30-35% humidity until the last few days. Then I jacked it up. All the chicks that have been hatching were not glued in or stuck at all. Popping out clean with no membrane or anything sticking to their down. I got it up to about 50% about 24 hrs before the first pip. I know that it is recommended that it be a bit higher than that, so I will have to work on it. Maybe 2 pieces of the sponge instead of 1. The humidity would spike up when chicks were popping out and then it would slowly slide back down to 50%.
 
LemonMeringue said:
That is the exact thing that happened to me the first time I tried to hatch a few eggs.  I ignorantly assumed that the thermometer that came with the incubator would be accurate.  Nope.  When laid on top of the eggs it read 99.5 degrees F.  But that was at the TOP of the eggs.  Down a little further in the center of the eggs it was even cooler, because its a still air incubator.  So I got a couple of thermometers that have hygrometer and temperature indicators (or whatever you call them) and used them laid down at the egg yolk level between the eggs.  That makes the incubator run warmer than the usual 99.5, but the average air temperature is correct.  It will be nice to get a fan kit though and see if that helps. 

I ran this hatch at 30-35% humidity until the last few days. Then I jacked it up.  All the chicks that have been hatching were not glued in or stuck at all.  Popping out clean with no membrane or anything sticking to their down.  I got it up to about 50% about 24 hrs before the first pip.  I know that it is recommended that it be a bit higher than that, so I will have to work on it.  Maybe 2 pieces of the sponge instead of 1.  The humidity would spike up when chicks were popping out and then it would slowly slide back down to 50%. 
Click to expand...


Mine has stayed pretty steady around 30% except for that one sunny day we had when it dropped to about 18%.

I didn't think to candle to see the air cells, too excited I guess. Monday is day 7, so I guess I'll check then. If any are upside down can I change them then? Or is it too late?
 

Similar threads

cajunlizz
    • Like
    • Love
ANYONE FROM LOUISIANA ?
4 5 6
Replies
55
Views
9K
WhoDatChick
WhoDatChick

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom