- May 21, 2013
- 36
- 1
- 24
This is our 2nd attempt at hatching. The first time (about a month ago), one pipped and then 24 hours later, it was dead on day 25. None of the other pipped. All died. Of the 16, at least 8 were perfectly formed chickens. I know, *now*, that they were all put in the egg turners pointy side up, b/c I wasn't given any other instructions. I'm guessing that's why they died.
So we decided to try again. This time, we have 12 eggs. I didn't candle this time, just kept the temp steady at 100 and kept water in two of the three basins in the bottom of the styrofoam.
Today is day 20, and when I came home this afternoon, one has pipped. No chirping. It still rocks a little bit when I whistle at it. I've added more water (with a straw dripped down through the ventilation holes.
Should I hear it chirping? I'm worried that I'm not doing something right. We didn't have a way to check humidity and I'm hoping that the thermostat we used is correct. It held at 100 degrees almost the entire 3 weeks, so I'm guessing so? I just found another thermometer and it's measuring the internal temp at 107. Yikes! I hope it's wrong! It has a humidity checker as well and is saying that it's 55 internally. But I have no way of knowing if it's right. All 3 bins are full of water and my friend has used this same styrofoam incubator to successfully hatch their chickens. She doesn't pay much attention and just lets it all happen. I am not cut out for this! I'm way too stressed I think! lol
How long until it should be out? I don't know when it pipped today. I didn't get a chance to check this morning, but at 3pm today, it had pipped. Now it's almost 6pm. I'm so afraid of losing this batch of chickens again.
Thanks for any guidance. I know at this point, all I can do is wait and watch every so often, right?
But why isn't there any chirping?
So we decided to try again. This time, we have 12 eggs. I didn't candle this time, just kept the temp steady at 100 and kept water in two of the three basins in the bottom of the styrofoam.
Today is day 20, and when I came home this afternoon, one has pipped. No chirping. It still rocks a little bit when I whistle at it. I've added more water (with a straw dripped down through the ventilation holes.
Should I hear it chirping? I'm worried that I'm not doing something right. We didn't have a way to check humidity and I'm hoping that the thermostat we used is correct. It held at 100 degrees almost the entire 3 weeks, so I'm guessing so? I just found another thermometer and it's measuring the internal temp at 107. Yikes! I hope it's wrong! It has a humidity checker as well and is saying that it's 55 internally. But I have no way of knowing if it's right. All 3 bins are full of water and my friend has used this same styrofoam incubator to successfully hatch their chickens. She doesn't pay much attention and just lets it all happen. I am not cut out for this! I'm way too stressed I think! lol
How long until it should be out? I don't know when it pipped today. I didn't get a chance to check this morning, but at 3pm today, it had pipped. Now it's almost 6pm. I'm so afraid of losing this batch of chickens again.
Thanks for any guidance. I know at this point, all I can do is wait and watch every so often, right?
But why isn't there any chirping?