MARCH HATCH-A-LONG come join in

[Cloverleaf Farm]

Quote:
Give the one with the pip until late tonight, and if it's still going strong, but not making any progress, it might be stuck and need a little help - it's your call though, I've had stuck chicks that I helped and did just fine, and I've had others that I shouldn't have helped as they were not meant to have hatched, if you know what I mean! Generally I don't help, but if they are peeping really strongly after being pipped 24-36 hours, I will at least zip their shell for them and put them back (lightly spritz any exposed membrane if you decide to do this). Also, wait for the other pipped egg to hatch before you do anything.

Congrats on the others though!!

 

[afinney]

Have 2 red sex link mix, 1 game bantam, 8 white silkie bantams, and 5 black cochin bantams....had 3 red sex link but 1 hatched with mushy navel and didn't make it.........1 red is pipped.

 

[Spore]

Thanks Cloverleaf, these eggs you sent me sure hatched some healthy looking babies!! I am experiencing some of the hatching father's anxiety at the moment though, I am worried that maybe there is not enough water in the wells anymore to keep the humidity up high. I filled them both before lockdown but they are awfully low at this point. I am going "au naturel" and have been just monitoring temperature and have no humidity gauge. Thanks everyone for the praise, kind words, and bits of advice, those little peeps sure take on a whole different meaning when they are in your own bator.

S

 

[Spore]

so i took a straw and a funnel and poured in some warm water into the basin. I put too much in and the water leaked out all over the place on the botton of the brinsea. i guess this is why it is called the "eco" model. ::sigh:: i just need to remind myself that it is alright.

 

[Ariel301]

I'll join! I've got six turkeys due on March 15th. I candled them for the first time last night, and six out of six are developing and dancing around in there! I have no idea what I am going to do with six turkeys...I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for hatching eggs, and I thought it was apparent I meant chickens, but she gave me some from her turkeys. This will be a new experience, I have never had turkeys. They are Royal Palm, and the father of them is just gorgeous! I figure I could keep a pair and have any others for Thanksgiving. I was told by my friend that turkey eggs need more humidity than chicken eggs. Anyone know if that's true?

 

[hunt4meat]

Quote:
I don't see how it would hurt.

 

[gamebirdsonly]

6 are out with 3 more trying

here are some pic's

 

[chickenmeadow]

hunt4meat: Have you considered putting your eggs in an egg carton with a whole cut out of the bottom for circulation of air & humidity? Starting Day 18 (lockdown) the carton keeps the egg upright (they usually have themselves positioned by Day 19 for the air cell at the wide end) & keeps the hatched ones from knocking the unhatched ones around & even out of their zipped shell before they are ready . But, this is a whole other subject from what they will be walking on after hatching.

I don't like the wire mesh bottom either, as it seems rough & any exposed cut edges are sharp on little toes (had 2 experiences with that). I used cheese cloth a couple of times, but some of the chicks nails got caught. Then I used craft type plastic canvas but it didn't have enough "grip" for the chicks. The best has been that non-slip shelf liner (that looks like waffle), as mentioned by another BYC'er earlier, thanks. The chicks don't slip on it, it has good "grip" & helps them avoid "spradle leg" (where their leg or legs spread out to the side/s & they can't walk good, then they need a pipe cleaner brace for a few days, not fun). In my 1st week brooder, I always lay paper towel down with chick starter feed scattered, but they can slip on the paper towels. So, I put a layer of that waffle shelf liner over the paper towel & sprinkle the feed over that for a few days till they are ready to eat only from a feed dish. I don't use paper towels in the incubator (nor slick newspaper with bad ink). Hope this helps. Have fun hatching, enjoy & relax!

Spore: Humidity is given by the width/length of the surface of the water & not the depth; I have to keep reminding myself. Smart move with the funnel by you, who wouldv'e known too much would go down. It's always something when I try something new. In thinking about it, there must be some sort of tiny turkey baister with tubing attached (or a medical pipette) to syphon some out next time if needed? Those Brinsea incubators look great, gotta get me one of some sort. Best wishes with the balance of the eggs to hatch. Congrats on what you have chirping around!

 

[chickenmeadow]

gamebirdsonly: Great chicks! What kind are they?

 

[chickenmeadow]

Quote:
In reading back a few pages, I don't know if anyone had replied. I have noticed cold spots on the outter edges in my Marsh clear plastic dome incubators & have attributed the cold spots to why some of my hatches had different hatching days when the eggs were the same breed & of course put in the bator at the same time. Now I rotate the placement of the eggs more often & try to keep them away from the outside edges when possible. Sounds like you had already figured that out on your own, good intuition!