Need some hatching buddies - Hatching May 24-28

[Cynthia12]

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oohh..so sorry Stevenson. Hopefully you will have the rest hatch. Understandable that you are down on hatching. You will have eggs next year..that's great, you can build from there. It's the Delawares that you are wanting right? My little young Delaware, that I posted the picture of earlier..laid her first egg! She laid it from the roost, but laid an egg she did. She is only 13 weeks and two days old! I didn't know that they matured this fast. Will have to train her what a nest is all about.

Thankfully, none of the other girls ate any of it..the yolk was still intact. We'll see if she is going to lay regularly now, or if it will be a here and there time for a while.
Good luck on your eggs!

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
I don't know what kind of incubator you have but it is important to maintain the correct temperature and humidity also. If too dry...the chicks get shrink wrapped and can't hatch out and die. If too wet....they drown . Other than that...the only other thing is to try not to open the incubator very often because it throws off the temp and RH. Good Luck! It is addicting!

Hey fife..I am one of those that doesn't even worry about the humidity until it's time for lockdown. What a relief it's been!! I just put water in once in a while..usually its around 40, 45, or even gets down to 30, then I'll put more in. But on lockdown I go to 65. I've been doing ok so far.

I know a lot of folks have gone with the complete dry hatch. No water until lockdown.
I don't go completely dry, but almost.

 

[fifelakelooper]

Quote:
I don't know what kind of incubator you have but it is important to maintain the correct temperature and humidity also. If too dry...the chicks get shrink wrapped and can't hatch out and die. If too wet....they drown . Other than that...the only other thing is to try not to open the incubator very often because it throws off the temp and RH. Good Luck! It is addicting!

Hey fife..I am one of those that doesn't even worry about the humidity until it's time for lockdown. What a relief it's been!! I just put water in once in a while..usually its around 40, 45, or even gets down to 30, then I'll put more in. But on lockdown I go to 65. I've been doing ok so far.

I know a lot of folks have gone with the complete dry hatch. No water until lockdown.
I don't go completely dry, but almost.

You are very fortunate...I read so many horror stories! I've done good also...but no thanks to me really...mine is all digital..."incubators for the simple-minded" basically!

 

[Amarisus]

My Incubator is a Hova-bator but i did get a digital thermomoeter/hygrometer. its set up at the bottom of the bator and then i have an old fashioned analog thermometer resting on top of the eggs so i can keep track of the temperature all around. I have been told to keep the humidity between 50 and 60% the entire time we are incubating. So thats what im doing.

 

[Stevenson]

Quote:
oohh..so sorry Stevenson. Hopefully you will have the rest hatch. Understandable that you are down on hatching. You will have eggs next year..that's great, you can build from there. It's the Delawares that you are wanting right? My little young Delaware, that I posted the picture of earlier..laid her first egg! She laid it from the roost, but laid an egg she did. She is only 13 weeks and two days old! I didn't know that they matured this fast. Will have to train her what a nest is all about.

Thankfully, none of the other girls ate any of it..the yolk was still intact. We'll see if she is going to lay regularly now, or if it will be a here and there time for a while.
Good luck on your eggs!

Yeah, I was really hoping to have a second line of Delawares...and I also have some Barnevelder eggs in there I have been really excited about. I do have 18 Delaware that are 5 weeks old (8 pullets and 10 roos I do believe) from Paul Harter in Missouri. I do have a good place to start...and I have learned SO much this year....next year will be much easier!

 

[Cynthia12]

Here are some posts on the dry hatching. I am in the desert..so do add some water, but not much.https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=503630

 

[Lifesong Farm]

I candled my 20 eggs tonight. I am down to 11 BCM eggs and 8 Faverolle eggs. I had a crack in a BCM I couldn't see till I candled it and a chip in my Faverolle egg. Otherwise 100% development! I am sooooo happy since my BCMs were purchased.

 

[Batty about Banties]

The bator I am using is pretty small because the BF said he didn't want alot of chicks and blah blah blah. We still have 9 days until our first hatch is due but he has already made another incubator twice as big and asking when we should start collecting eggs!!! He's hooked.

So I just candled on day 12 and it looks about 50% (5/10) but I am a total novice so I will really know on the 24th!!

 

[Cynthia12]

tomorrow will be my last day turning my three eggs I have, and started with 7. Just had one quit! That's strange..it came along so far. When I opened it, the yolk was larger than the baby. So, for some reason, it wasn't absorbing the yolk.
Yaay, lockdown of Wed. Then, lockdown on Fri. for the others.

Same breed..have 8 of those, so, should be getting a few of the Mille Fluer D'Uccles' I wanted.

 

[Cynthia12]

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Sounds like you are going to have some BCMs'! Do you have the Faverolles, and got eggs from them?