NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

My one worry about the D'Uccles is they have ZERO room to grow in their eggs...they are tightly fit into them right now...that is what I had posted originally and why the poster had told me to lockdown early...

They may hatch a day early. Mine ALWAYS do. So what? Remember that not all information given is 100% accurate for 100% of the cases we deal with. If you knew some of the things I have done when I started (and continue to do) you would know that everything is subject to change. Like Someone on here says "your milage may vary". (And I never actually do "lock down"....I just try to keep things as consistant as possible...I still hatched 75% the 3 times I used a 'bator) Seriously, hens do not sweat the details like we do and they have much better hatch rates...all without a hydrometer, thermometer, lockdown and such.

 

[blzzrdqueen]

They may hatch a day early. Mine ALWAYS do. So what? Remember that not all information given is 100% accurate for 100% of the cases we deal with. If you knew some of the things I have done when I started (and continue to do) you would know that everything is subject to change. Like Someone on here says "your milage may vary". (And I never actually do "lock down"....I just try to keep things as consistant as possible...I still hatched 75% the 3 times I used a 'bator) Seriously, hens do not sweat the details like we do and they have much better hatch rates...all without a hydrometer, thermometer, lockdown and such.

Thanks, that is reassuring!!

I'm going to lockdown 1 day early, Thursday morning instead of Friday morning. I am going to up the humidity just a bit tomorrow morning, see if I can get it to 50%. The Thursday I will up it to 65-70%...I don't think the larger eggs are ready yet, they still have some room to grow...I know I'll cry if I lose any....

 

[featherz]

They may hatch a day early. Mine ALWAYS do. So what? Remember that not all information given is 100% accurate for 100% of the cases we deal with. If you knew some of the things I have done when I started (and continue to do) you would know that everything is subject to change. Like Someone on here says "your milage may vary". (And I never actually do "lock down"....I just try to keep things as consistant as possible...I still hatched 75% the 3 times I used a 'bator) Seriously, hens do not sweat the details like we do and they have much better hatch rates...all without a hydrometer, thermometer, lockdown and such.

X2. I open my incubator during 'lockdown' to take chicks out when dry and I still have 100% hatches. So I play loose with 'lockdown'. As cass says, hens do all sorts of things and still can hatch chickies. Just take the eggs off the turner a day early and don't stress.

FWIW, I do 40% during incubation and 60 at hatch. I have a brinsea so easy to set. I find I have zero shrinkwraps with this formula, but that's just me. =)

 

[blzzrdqueen]

X2. I open my incubator during 'lockdown' to take chicks out when dry and I still have 100% hatches. So I play loose with 'lockdown'. As cass says, hens do all sorts of things and still can hatch chickies. Just take the eggs off the turner a day early and don't stress.

FWIW, I do 40% during incubation and 60 at hatch. I have a brinsea so easy to set. I find I have zero shrinkwraps with this formula, but that's just me. =)

I'm using a LG still-air bator...and hand turning...this is my set up:


The D'Uccles are #4-8

 

[Cass]

I'm using a LG still-air bator...and hand turning...this is my set up:


The D'Uccles are #4-8

Way cool. So you don't have to turn off a turner, just don't turn the 2 you are worried about and get in and get out as fast as possible until it is time for their "lockdown".

I am going to tell the teachers that are hatching my eggs about your set up. It is very clever and allows for more record keeping than the way I have done it. (which is to just roll them around on the mesh once in a while. LOL)

 

[blzzrdqueen]

Way cool. So you don't have to turn off a turner, just don't turn the 2 you are worried about and get in and get out as fast as possible until it is time for their "lockdown".

I am going to tell the teachers that are hatching my eggs about your set up. It is very clever and allows for more record keeping than the way I have done it. (which is to just roll them around on the mesh once in a while. LOL)

I honestly have no idea what I'm doing, LOL...well, I do, from research, but you don't truely know until you experience your first time! You could say I'm a hatching virgin

I did the egg cartons this way because I didn't want the hatched chicks to roll the unhatched chicks around, and this way I can also keep track of my turning and the air cells. Since I was doing a dry incubation, I had to keep track of air cell growth, which seems to be fabulous! I'm such a nervous ninny though, and I wish I wasn't, it's driving my husband insane!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

I came home from work today to find my first silkie chick has hatched! Go chickies! Hopefully the rest hatch out pretty soon.

 

[blzzrdqueen]

Yay, I so want to hatch Silkies, they are so beautiful!

 

[AQHAchick22]

I'm using a LG still-air bator...and hand turning...this is my set up:


The D'Uccles are #4-8

I really like your setup! I have my first eggs set and I also used the egg carton bottoms to hold my eggs. However I wasn't exactly intelligent about it and I cut them all separate and cut the bottom off for ventilation. I'm kicking myself for not doing it your way, every time I roll the eggs I have to make sure they don't tip over.

 

[blzzrdqueen]

I had no idea what I was doing when I did those cartons, I just poked all sorts of holes in them for ventilation...they are cut into 5 and 6 cup sections...they seem to be doing the trcik, we'll see how it goes for the hatch.