November/December "Hatch-a-Long"

[Heidisgran]

I use Clorox clean up

 

[CarolinaHen]

I use Clorox clean up

I can't seem to get it as completely clean as I would like without scrubbing, but that would tear up the styrophome. Do y'all just spray and go? I've been wiping it down with paper towels after spraying bleach water on it, but it seems that at some point it is going to get too dirty.

 

[Heidisgran]

Quote: I take it outside...spray it off good...spray the Clorox clean up on it and let it soak some...then spray it good with the hose
it usually comes pretty clean just a few poohs to scrape of

 

[BadgerHill]

Love this thread! It's LOCKDOWN day! 16 silkies started, 10 in for the final 3 days! There are 2 I am not sure about, but I am hopeful enough to let them go to the end. I am wondering, what is everyone's experience in hatching positions? Upright or sideways?

 

[LoveToFarm]

Hi everyone! I have been reading this thread and can't leave my chair. I am afraid someone's chicks will hatch and I won't be here to see them!   I tried my first hatch ever (game chickens)   in September and out of 13 eggs (had 14 but dropped one putting it in the bator)  I went into lockdown with 8 and hatched 7 on the 12th of this month. They are in the house in a brooder box on my freezer. I don't know how it happened but my incubator has 36 eggs inside it and it is day 3. What was I thinking?!   I am chicken obsessed! Hoping everyone here has great hatches and I'm so sorry for the losses you have had. Can I hang out and share your hatch dates until mine gets close?

Well yes u can join! Congrates on the 7!

 

[chickydee64]

Love this thread! It's LOCKDOWN day! 16 silkies started, 10 in for the final 3 days!

There are 2 I am not sure about, but I am hopeful enough to let them go to the end. I am wondering, what is everyone's experience in hatching positions? Upright or sideways?

HI,
I use egg cartons so upright for me..............=)
And

 

[chickydee64]

I use bleach and water to clean most of my chicken dishes (feeders, waterers, rubbermaids, etc)

but I used Lysol kitchen spray (anti-bacterial) and paper towels to clean my incubator for the first time...


edit: 2 posts in a row, sorry!!

Bator update: Humidity dropped to 25% overnight woohoo!!! Sitting between 99.5-100 degrees consistently, without vent plugs in

Can anyone give me advice on the best way to handle the humidity from here on? You said I should keep the humidity low for a while to compensate for the 3 days of high humidity. How long should I keep it low at 25%? And then should I slowly increase 35-45-55? or where is the sweet spot I should stay until hatching? 45%? I have so much conflicting information in my head, I could really use some help clarifying this part!

I keep it simple for myself...run about 35 till day 18 then pop it up to 60/65...............some do not increase until the first pip.
I have not heard of a progressive increase...............Sorry, maybe was not to much help here.........
Bottom line, with in reason of these details, my experience is if they are going to hatch they will.......

 

[familypendragon]

25% is great for now up to 35%...then by day 18 65%...slight variations are fine...just not below 25% ! your going to do great

Everyone, and everywhere, and every bator seems to be different, LOL! I did dry hatches at first with lower humidity and had so many malpositions with even my own eggs. I have since started keeping it around 45% the whole time and for me it has been the perfect setting. Heidisgran lives near me, so you'd think our weather situation would be enough the same that our settings would be the same. But they aren't, LOL! IMO, I would keep it around 25% for 3 days and then raise it to around 45% and hold it. I just put a paper towel in the bottom and dribble water on it when I need to add water. It allows me to have more control.


ETA: By "whole time" I meant the first 18 days. After that I keep it around 65%. If I have to open the bator to assist etc I up it to around 70% first.

 

[familypendragon]

Love this thread! It's LOCKDOWN day! 16 silkies started, 10 in for the final 3 days! There are 2 I am not sure about, but I am hopeful enough to let them go to the end. I am wondering, what is everyone's experience in hatching positions? Upright or sideways?

I have tried all different ways. I took a poll and the majority said laying down. But I did not have luck with that. I have found for me the method that seems to work best is to leave my turner in ( I have a separate hatcher) with it off and all the eggs straight up. I take them all out, lay paper towels down over the turner, put the eggs that are in lockdown around the edges of the bator so I can see them better through the windows, and then I wet the paper towels down the center and along the edges that hang down off the sides of the turner onto the floor of the bator (wire screen covered in paper towel). This is just what works for me

 

[familypendragon]

Two chickies out now 11 more to go!