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

[hunter109]

So I need to get a diff thermomitor to put in there

 

[jnjmanning]

Woohoo! 3 more hatched, now I am up to 23 out including the nicest looking blue eggs!
Plus I see another zipped, and many more pips.
I think everyone should do a batch of eggs that have not been shipped now and then, just to build up your confidence again.
I have been doing everything the same, and with shipped eggs I was getting some horrid hatch percentages.
Now these non shipped eggs are already up to 54%, and they are not due to start hatching until tomorrow!
I am having fun again.
Jim

Jim, you are my hero....LOL This is my 2nd time hatching shipped eggs. Only reason is, I cant get the birds I want locally, or trust me I would!!!

 

[melina90]

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.

 

[KKs Kandies]

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

 

[jnjmanning]

I have pips! I went from thinking none were going to hatch to 6 pips! Now my water is getting low......what do I do,I have to add more? Today is hatch day,so this is 4 days.

Is there an air hole of a plug to open and close for humidity level? I use a syringe and put water in that way.

 

[melina90]

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".

Wow, love the story on how your father found some joy in incubating and hatching chickens. Thanks for sharing, brought tears to my eyes.

Really proves that live animals should be a much bigger part of geriatric and psychiatric care. I'm considering to lend my incubator to the kids kindergarden next easter along with a batch of eggs. Hope they'll accept my offer!

 

[hunter109]

So how many should hatch with a 100.2temp and 41 to 42% humitity

 

[Valley Girl]

Is there an air hole of a plug to open and close for humidity level? I use a syringe and put water in that way.

There is a plug on the side but I don't have anything that would even reach the containers.It's a cabinet incubator,I expect you could hook up a bucket and run a tube to them.I opened it up and did them as fast as I could and everything is back to normal,only took a couple minutes.So hopefully it will be ok. Before I did that I had 9 pips and some are more like little holes,no zipping yet Grandchildren have been here and gone and no chicks,I had so hoped one would hatch while they were here!

 

[jnjmanning]

There is a plug on the side but I don't have anything that would even reach the containers.It's a cabinet incubator,I expect you could hook up a bucket and run a tube to them.I opened it up and did them as fast as I could and everything is back to normal,only took a couple minutes.So hopefully it will be ok. Before I did that I had 9 pips and some are more like little holes,no zipping yet Grandchildren have been here and gone and no chicks,I had so hoped one would hatch while they were here!

Whew glad you got some water in. My last hatch was late but my grands were able to see the first one hatch. They SCREAMED when it finally got free from the shell. It had to scare the begeesus out of the poor chick......lol

 

[pebbles7998]

I have two more hatching that where under my broody hen. I can't wait. We have 9 total under her. We bring them in to a inucbator that is ready to go once they start hatching as other hen trying to sit with Broody hen on eggs haha.