November Hatch-A-Long (2014)

[rachelpotter]

Steam punk... I'm a total worrier too! Welcome to the party!


One box if eggs arrive at my post office this am... One is next town over. The one I paid for Super fast shipping from OR won't be here til tomorrow. It was mailed first! Ugh

 

[Dcat]

Steampunked, do you have any pics of this incubator? Im very intrigued since I was eyeing those too for a bit.if I had the nerve to fly to Africa I would have tea all the pamphlets too, glut to. For punishment I guess.

This morning I tossed all the quail eggs and three chicken eggs as they all looked clear. Cracked them open and it was confirmed. Down to five chicken eggs all showing movement and growth.Everything is coming out as expected and I think of the chicken eggs thats pretty good from the farmers market. No co.plants from here.

 

[thailand]

Hi fellow hatch-a-holics

Good to hear how everyone's eggs are coming along. I candled mine for the first time last night and the prognosis is as follows:

Under the broody: 6/10 with good veins and lots of movement. 3 x clears and 1 x not sure (will give a little more time and check again).

In incubator: 6/12 with good veins and lots of movement. 1 x blood-ring and 4 x clears. 1 x not sure (will also give more time).

The kids helped me with candling last night and they were thrilled to see movement.

I'm impressed with my cheap Chinese incubator, it's holding temp and humidity really well. This is my 2nd hatch with it and I think I've finally got it worked out correctly.

Can I ask what you had to work out with your incubator? I saw them all over the place but saw such mixed reviews that I was leery of them and eventually decided not to go that route

Sustained - The temperature thermostat seemed to be all over the place and I had a lot of trouble getting it to agree with my independent thermometers. Played around with it so much I thought I surely had mucked it up. My first hatch had one chick born with spraddle legs which soon developed into totally crippled and unable to walk at all. A 2nd chick was not as bad and only developed a hock problem from 7 weeks old. He lived about a year before dying of another cause. (Much to my amazement he must have been able to fertilize eggs though because I've just finished a broody hatch and he had obviously fertilized one of the girls. I now have a darling 10 week old Brahma pullet. Very special). Anyway, I wasn't sure if the problem was the incubator, inbreeding or diet. This new baby (from a broody hatch) appears to be perfect health.

Steam Punk - I'm wondering if we have the same incubator? Mine only holds 12 eggs.

This is it....

http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Hot-Hot-incubator-bird-egg-incubation_1517652723.html

This 2nd hatch is going better than expected!

 

[Steampunked]

Yes, I have the JN12 - it seems to have gotten okay reviews despite being cheap. I couldn't fit 12 eggs into the main carrier so modified it successfully with cardboard (the extras lived and were turned just fine).

For pics, and a review, see http://groundtoground.org/2014/04/10/jn12-egg-incubator-review/

 

[thailand]

I've got my JN12 set at 37.7 degrees celsius. The humidity is keeping steady. I did have a couple of temperature spikes early on, but quickly sorted that out by keeping a fan on all day most days aimed at the same level as the incubator. I just turn it off at night. All's good now.

I can easily fit 12 chicken eggs in (my chickens must be laying smaller eggs I guess

). Thanks for the link. I do find that occasionally the barriers do lift, buy mostly seem to stay put. However, I think I will try fixing them with twine for my next hatch...that's a great idea

All the very best for your hatch.

(I see you're an Aussie! I'm a Kiwi living in Thailand. Nice to meet you)

 

[ochochicas]

There is a lot of conflicting information out there about humidity. I know the goal is to allow the eggs to lose about 13% of their weight during days 0 - 18 and then increase the humidity to 65% for hatching. I'm sort of following the instructions that came with my incubator while also taking in all the advice I've read online. The hygrometer I bought says the humidity in my incubator ranges from 38 - 50 percent depending on how long I've had the lid open, etc. However, I don't completely trust the hygrometer. I live in Seattle, so it is already really humid here. This week alone it has rained over 4 inches. Because of this I am not adding a lot of water to the incubator, just enough to keep it at about 40% (according to the hygrometer).

My question is, how many of you use hygrometer readings to determine when to add water? Are there people who weigh the eggs instead? It was so much easier when the broody did all the work! LOL I am planning to weigh my eggs after day 7. An average 60 gram egg should have lost about 3 grams by day 7. If the weight loss is more, I will add water more frequently. If the weight loss is more than 3 grams, I will stop adding water and do more of a dry incubation method. Has anyone else used the weighing method? How did it work for you?

My broody eggs only lost 7 - 10 percent of their weight and did fine. One of those hatched a sticky chick, which would indicate it lost too much fluid during incubation. It just goes to show what is normal or acceptable doesn't work for everyone. Plus it is making me more confused!

Can you tell I was a science major in college? It feels like I'm doing my own science experiment with these poor little eggs.

 

[Talonstorm]

Can I join the hatch-a-long? I am setting 7 eggs tonight from Papa's Poultry. This is my first time trying to hatch eggs, so it should be interesting. I have a Brinsea mini advance incubator. I'm hatching a variety of orpingtons, a marans, and a wyandotte.

 

[rachelpotter]

Despite two trips to the post office and lost packages... They ALL finally arrived!

12 Serama
6 Jersey Giants
7 black copper Marans
5 Isbars
3 Olive Eggers
1 Blue Ameraucana

 

[Sustained]

Despite two trips to the post office and lost packages... They ALL finally arrived!

12 Serama
6 Jersey Giants
7 black copper Marans
5 Isbars
3 Olive Eggers
1 Blue Ameraucana

Awesome!! I had my last 2 batches leave Portland at the exact same time and somehow only one of them is getting delivered today. I don't get how the PO does things.

 

[ChickyChickens]

I have soo many nice pics to share with u guys!! Will post them tomorrow!!