Operation Dry Hatch

[vanalpaca]

I just wanted to say that out of 39 eggs set, 6 made it to lockdown. About half were clear and the other half had quitters in them at the 11-18 day stage as the embryos were all at least an inch or so big. One quit later as it was half the shell size. One was white, hmmm, maybe that silkie rooster did get to some hens....

I upped the humidity and they are locked down and due to hatch on Sat. I will be setting up at a fiber fair!

No cheeps, no pips, nothing!! they were set at 4 pm so this afternoon is day 22 and I'm pretty sure all those rockers died after putting them down into the hatching drawer on my cabinet unit. I just don't understand......so depressed.

 

[immyjay54]

No cheeps, no pips, nothing!! they were set at 4 pm so this afternoon is day 22 and I'm pretty sure all those rockers died after putting them down into the hatching drawer on my cabinet unit. I just don't understand......so depressed.

I would leave them another day but it seems that something just didn't go right to me. Were they shipped eggs? I just checked some of mine last night for the first time, day 9. Some are developing and some not. I had 3 of my English Orp eggs in there and they are all clear but that didn't surprise me at all because the hen just started to lay and some of the breeders of this breed say they have to be trimmed in the vent area for fertility. I'm just trying to see if I really need to do that or not. The others are shipped eggs and some are okay and some not. I don't usually candle etc until day 18 when I get ready to put them into lock down. That's a shame but if they were shipped eggs, it doesn't surprise me at all. I've had shipped eggs many times that do nothing. It is very depressing but it could just be a fluke. Don't give up hope. Lots of variables.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

No cheeps, no pips, nothing!! they were set at 4 pm so this afternoon is day 22 and I'm pretty sure all those rockers died after putting them down into the hatching drawer on my cabinet unit. I just don't understand......so depressed.

I'm worried I killed mine too. Today is day 20 and I'm nervous and I haven't had a good experience at this to date. Tomorrow will tell. I feel sick just at the thought something has caused them to die.
Have you had any action in the bator yet?

 

[azhenhouse]

I managed to keep the humidity level down during incubation, but now the chicks are in lock down and I can't get the humidity levels above 58%. I am using a new Hova-Bator 1588. All water reservoirs are full, and they have been full for two days. I have an egg moving around so I won't be able to open it up to add more water. What should I do? I currently have a cool mist humidifier in the room with the bator, but I am not sure if that is helping or not.

By the way, out of three dozen eggs I am hoping to get four chicks.

 

[azhenhouse]

I'm worried I killed mine too. Today is day 20 and I'm nervous and I haven't had a good experience at this to date. Tomorrow will tell. I feel sick just at the thought something has caused them to die.
Have you had any action in the bator yet?

How is the hatching going today?

 

[immyjay54]

I managed to keep the humidity level down during incubation, but now the chicks are in lock down and I can't get the humidity levels above 58%. I am using a new Hova-Bator 1588. All water reservoirs are full, and they have been full for two days. I have an egg moving around so I won't be able to open it up to add more water. What should I do? I currently have a cool mist humidifier in the room with the bator, but I am not sure if that is helping or not.

By the way, out of three dozen eggs I am hoping to get four chicks.

Don't know if any of this will help or if I already had this in another post but I'll try. I use the genesis 1588 for hatching and mine is always above 70. When you say all reservoirs are full do you mean all or just the two. I fill every cavity with luke warm water and I don't need to add any until they are done hatching. I also leave the front red plug out throughout the hatch. Sometimes I get super good hatch sometimes almost nothing. Lately it seems that my rate is a lot better on shipped eggs. As for my own, they are almost always 95 - 100%. That is if the eggs are fertile. lol
That is a real shame that you are loosing all those eggs.

 

[Frost Homestead]

2 Ameraucanas and 1 EE have hatched. I think at least 4 more have pipped.

I set 26 eggs at noon 3/05. I'm trying to be patient, this is my first hatch, and I kept it dry, it's pretty humid here so it stayed stable at around 35-40% without me having to add any water, with the exception of a syringe here and there if it dipped below 30%. I filled the 2 reservoirs and added a piece of felt to increase the surface area, that upped the humidity to between 65-70% for lockdown. The first couple made it out pretty quick, they're adorable!!

 

[immyjay54]

2 Ameraucanas and 1 EE have hatched. I think at least 4 more have pipped.

I set 26 eggs at noon 3/05. I'm trying to be patient, this is my first hatch, and I kept it dry, it's pretty humid here so it stayed stable at around 35-40% without me having to add any water, with the exception of a syringe here and there if it dipped below 30%. I filled the 2 reservoirs and added a piece of felt to increase the surface area, that upped the humidity to between 65-70% for lockdown. The first couple made it out pretty quick, they're adorable!!

Best of luck to you. If you set them 3/5 then today is day 21. Let them go a day or so and see how you do. Oh, I can tell you aren't a bit excited. lo

 

[azhenhouse]

Don't know if any of this will help or if I already had this in another post but I'll try. I use the genesis 1588 for hatching and mine is always above 70. When you say all reservoirs are full do you mean all or just the two. I fill every cavity with luke warm water and I don't need to add any until they are done hatching. I also leave the front red plug out throughout the hatch. Sometimes I get super good hatch sometimes almost nothing. Lately it seems that my rate is a lot better on shipped eggs. As for my own, they are almost always 95 - 100%. That is if the eggs are fertile. lol
That is a real shame that you are loosing all those eggs.

I filled up water trough one and two, plus the three center troughs. I was able to get a straw through the notch in the corner (the one for automatic turners) and put more warm water in. I now have 62% humidity. I just realized that I could have just unplugged the vent plug and put warm water in that way.

Out of the three dozen I received seven were broken upon arrival, thirteen of them when candled were clear, eight had rings, and the rest looked promising but in the end it looks like only four have a chance. Can chicks die in development at any stage, like day eight?

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I filled up water trough one and two, plus the three center troughs. I was able to get a straw through the notch in the corner (the one for automatic turners) and put more warm water in. I now have 62% humidity. I just realized that I could have just unplugged the vent plug and put warm water in that way.

Out of the three dozen I received seven were broken upon arrival, thirteen of them when candled were clear, eight had rings, and the rest looked promising but in the end it looks like only four have a chance. Can chicks die in development at any stage, like day eight?

It's my understanding they can....it's called a quitter. I can't get my humidity above 60-ish% and it seems to be going okay in there. I am adding water every which way I can without opening the lid. I have a huge crack in one egg and a pretty good pip in another. I decided to hatch them in egg crates this time so there may be more that I just can't see. It has cut down on the eggs wiggling so half the show is gone, but at least they won't be knocking the other eggs around that are trying to hatch.