May Hatch Thread--Fill up those bators n' broodies!

[el pollo rey]

little foam forced air.
I think it is a hova bator
Jim

i have one as well i also have a farm innovators both forced air the hova seems to be quite a bit more stable

 

[ceocka]

Gosh, this thread is so fluid! I love hearing about everyones incubation adventures. I spent the entire day at my nieces christening, and it was rather peculiar how everyone kept asking me about my chickens and wanted to see photos and hear stories and talk about poultry. Haha.

So, yesterday I did an assisted hatch on a chick that wasn't making progress for more than 24h. And I figured since I've done this quite a few times already I felt comfortable filming it, so I put my phone on the table in front of me and let it record as I helped the chick in front of the camera. It turned out awesome, no hands/fingers in the way and the focus and light was perfect. I really want to show you all! I just have to find a way to put it online...

The baby chick did great and is now one of the most active peeps in the coop.

Congrats!

Best wishes to all on their May hatches.  I just found this thread, so glad !
Dad has alzheimers and had been depressed and agitated, so unlike himself, so... i took a few of my March hatch chicks to him and he was so excited and interested - we were thrilled to see improvement but then he began asking all kinds of questions which led me to set up an incubator for him full of my own eggs with instructions to just watch through the window and wait.  Don't touch!      I set up one here the same day which, of course, i couldn't keep my hands off of.  He had a 75% hatch, I got 11 out of 40!  He's thrilled with his new charges and the fact that he "won"!  I should have taken my own advice.  lol

I'm eager to see if one of my hens will go broody, sounds like such fun to let the girls raise their own.

I've had iffy luck with shipped eggs, at best, but it does seem to help if the seller marks the box  "Live Embryos".

In Jan. I set a full incubator of Marans, Bared Rocks and EE.  Carefully watched temps, humidity, etc., candled on just the usual suggested days... thought every thing was going fine and then I just couldn't keep my hands off, reached in to share some love and POW!, the egg I put my hand on exploded! with such a sound it made me jump!  Sounded like a gun shot... needless to say,it stunk, everything was a mess.

I've got a few different incubators going now, had some hatch last week, more due 5/15 and again on 5/26.  

to keep myself from constantly "watching" the incs. and in an effort to keep my hands off and out, I'm keeping very detailed records...on paper.  Interesting and time consuming and it might even pay off in the future.  And yes, my dh seems to think i'm nuts too, but he never refuses the food this nutty-ness provides and is almost always helpful with building new cages, etc.  He even enjoys gathering eggs, he's hooked-he just won't admit it.

Love this thread, great to hear everyone's experiences, keep us posted all!

k

that is amazing news about your dad! What a wonderful gift of life you have given him! Chicken therapy is the best!

Sorry to hear about the explosion.

 

[Justoldbobo]

Candled day 8. Out of 16 eggs one clear. One too dark to see. 14 have good movement and development. Great so far on my first try

Can see movement in darker egg now so that's 15 out of 16 developing and one clear on day 10. Been running 40-45 humidity with no water in yet. I have one egg that I put in earlier ( was excited to try it out pulled four out of fridge ) its on day 15. Would raising humidity for the one harm the rest of the bunch.

 

[ceocka]

I am on Lock down. 10/10. Of my own eggs. Polish old English bantams and Cochins! Whoot whoot!

Shipped silkie eggs got 15 but 6 never developed so 9 will be going on lockdown next week. I am sooooooooo excited!

 

[el pollo rey]

Congrats!
that is amazing news about your dad! What a wonderful gift of life you have given him! Chicken therapy is the best!

Sorry to hear about the explosion.

i was a closet chicken enthusiast my self my wife just loved her flock and would buy and add unique birds when ever she found them. after a few years i came out lol,,, now i have two bators going three coops two breeding pens and over 50 birds we travel to a few shows a year and visit different breeders a few times a year and go on chicken missions we share the love of our hobby and have a lot of fun, i fish and she dint so i can not share my hobby so i joined her in hers and love it

 

[ceocka]

El Polo Rey,
Thanks for the compliment, but I didn't do much
My methods are far from the proper way probably.
I put the eggs in, with the vents closed, no water, and the turner off.
I have the thermometer in there for the first few days just to make sure the thermostat did not get bumped, then I take it out for the rest of the time, so I am not tempted to start chasing the temperature around.
Day 3 I turn on the turner.
Day 7 or 8 I candle to get rid of the clears, then I open one of the little vent holes.
Day 17 I candle, checking for good movement, take them out of turner, fill all the tray slots with water, and lock it down.
Usually I try to be gone for day 19, and 20, so I am not tempted to open it up and remove chicks

This time I was home, and by the morning of day 20, there were 20 chicks in there batting the other eggs around, so I took them out, put a big sponge soaked with water in, and locked it back down.
Day 21 I took the last 12 out, and candled the remaining 5 eggs,  Only one had any sign of life, and it was far behind, so I shut off the incubator.

Now I am trying to get 120 Cortunix quail eggs, so we should have a popcorn hatch soon!
Jim

That is what I do! Mine is a still air. By my huge cabinet incubator is forced air and I do same thing with it too!

 

[ChickidyChick]

One chick is pipping.Has been since about 8 this morning. It is pretty loud once in a while. The other 9 are quiet and no movement. Hope the overnight and morning bring more movement and noise! Or better yet.....CHICKS!

 

[Friar_Tuck]

i was a closet chicken enthusiast my self my wife just loved her flock and would buy and add unique birds when ever she found them. after a few years i came out lol,,, now i have two bators going three coops two breeding pens and over 50 birds we travel to a few shows a year and visit different breeders a few times a year and go on chicken missions we share the love of our hobby and have a lot of fun, i fish and she dint so i can not share my hobby so i joined her in hers and love it

That is a hoot! I would be afraid if my wife enjoyed chickens too. As it is, she tolerates them, and that is all that keeps me from going overboard. When I lived out in the country, I had a big old wooden incubator that would do 250 eggs. I raised so many chickens that we had to eat a chicken a day just to keep up. Our kids just laugh now days when they talk about chickens. Hopefully I will be able to get one of my grand kids hooked in the future

 

[hunter109]

I was wondering if it would help if I would get it up off the table with a table cloth on it would it help with humitiy

 

[melina90]

I love this pic! Just like my cowboy always gotta check out the new babies! My cowboy is a chihuahua and I call him my chicken wrangler. He helps me heard them back in the coops. Chickens ducks geese rabbits he does them all. He is so gentle with them all. He even jumps in the brooder and smells each and every chick to make sure they are all there! I love him so much!

Thankyou! Sounds so sweet. That sounds so adorable, what a little hearder you have there! Mine got chased by my buff orpingtons a while ago, and since then he's very careful aroung the chickens - preferrably keeping his distance. But he loves the rabbits and the baby peeps!

Also, good luck on your lockdown! Keep us posted on the result!