My first try with the incubator

[AlleysChicks]

Bantams won't necessarily hatch early. I've hatched some and they hatched day 20/21. Keep an eye on the air cells. And good luck!

 

[abraga]

Serama eggs are hard to hatch. I purchased quiet a few this year...on the clutch.where I only had 6- 8 eggs i only got a single chick..on the ones where I purchased 10-12 eggs I got about 5 chicks on each clutch. Some made it to lockdown but died and did not pip. Serama eggs are really a challenge!

 

[Taysherm]

Bantams won't necessarily hatch early. I've hatched some and they hatched day 20/21. Keep an eye on the air cells. And good luck!

Thank you for the continued advice Alley. I've read a lot of mixed things about bantams, so I thought I would go earlier than later. Is there a sure fire way to know when to start lockdown? I don't want to rush it if it isn't needed. I certainly don't want to drown or endanger the hatch by trying to play it too safe.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Thank you for the continued advice Alley. I've read a lot of mixed things about bantams, so I thought I would go earlier than later. Is there a sure fire way to know when to start lockdown? I don't want to rush it if it isn't needed. I certainly don't want to drown or endanger the hatch by trying to play it too safe.

I watch the air cells. If they are dipped where they should be on last candle then I lock down. If not I give them an extra day of dry incubation and lock them down late day 19. Usually it's the jumbo eggs that require a extra day or eggs that's been in too high humidity.

Here's a chart. Have you been tracing the air cell lines when you candle? I like to so I can see how much they are losing between candlings.

 

[Taysherm]

Our first pip is visible! It's a day or two earlier than expected, so part of me hopes this one is slow to hatch. However, it was summer when these eggs were collected, and maybe, just maybe they started to develop before hitting the incubator. I guess I'll know once I meet this little barred rock. I will probably force myself to go to sleep so that I can let nature hatch this egg. I'm excited to see what the morning brings; I'd love to be woken to the sound of peeps in the living room!

 

[Cntry1958]

Wow how exciting this must be for your family. I bet you will be getting up just to check on the progress of the hatch during the night. Remember the pip then rest the pip and rest and begin unzipping the egg the will get to a point where they stop and let absorb the yoke sak as the rest then all the sudden the chick will appear. Can take 12 hours to over 24 hours all depending on the chick. Make sure your brooder is ready. best of luck cant wait to see pictures.

 

[Taysherm]

Our first chick has arrived!
This was the second to externally pip. There are currently 2 pips and 1 chick. The incubator is doing an excellent job of keeping temps and humidity. The only thing I've encountered that's troubling is the fact that I can't seem to keep the cat from trying to get inside the incubator now that there is a chick.
Our official hatch time was supposed to be another 36 hours away, but this little chick seems happy and healthy (from what I can tell here on the outside or the Hova-bator).

 

[abraga]

It it a serama chick? Most of my serama eggs hatch on day 18. How exciting...keep us posted

 

[Taysherm]

Thank you abraga. The first chick out was a barred rock. Only one sedans egg made it to lockdown, and it has yet to pip. I had to go to work, but surely I will have an update when I get home this evening. When I left there were 5 external pips (3 barred rocks, 1 bantam Easter egger, and 1 gold necked d'uccle). It looks like today is going to be hatch day for several of my peeps!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Cool! Now you need to post pictures because I'm away from home and chick deprived.