Operation Dry Hatch

[ChickensInMyYard]

Is this your Buttercup chick?
No, I didn't turn them any more after day 18. Locked 'em down and sat back for the fireworks.
And yes, I was seriously worried about helping them out, even if they did live, because they had to have been out of oxygen and I wondered if they would be brain damaged. They had been in there for a long time by that point.
I think I did everything right except for the humidity level. My DH now calls me Dr. Frankenstein, so I was getting the bator ready to try another hatch. We have tons of eggs around here to experiment on, it's just not a real good feeling to give them life and the kill them like this. I thought maybe this time I would just put in five or six. I had planned to hatch along with a broody hen so if things didn't go right and I only got one chick like I did last time, I was going to slip it in with her and be done with it. That one little chick thing is no fun. I had a loner for a week and a half and it ran me ragged. Finally found some bantam friends to go with her last Tuesday and life is so much more peaceful now! Only I sat eggs under the hen two days ago and didn't get mine in the bator yet. Oooooppppsss!!!!
Are Buttercups a rare breed?

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Do you have anything hatching right now? How is it all going?
I have eggs in lockdown and the last I looked there were three pippers! I can hear little cheeps coming from the bator. I'm on my way down to see if anyone else has pipped or there's any progress on those working their way out!

 

[immyjay54]

Aaaawwwww!!!!! I didn't expect to see pictures of sweet little chicks being born. They are so delightful you gave me the shivers!
Congragulations.
Are these from you stock or are they shipped eggs?
Keep us posted on how the others do.
What an exciting morning you are having.

The 3 barred rock eggs were my stock. I put 4 in incubator 1 was infertile the other 3 hatched. 10 out of the 13 Rhode Island Red egg were fertile and they all hatched and were shipped eggs. They are 9 days old now and just doing excellent.

 

[immyjay54]

Oh my goodness, how sweet! That second one looks like me in the mornings.

I see you use a egg carton to hatch them out, is this your first time in doing so? How's it working for you?

No, this is not the first time for using the egg cartons to hatch in. It seems easy for them to get out and they don't roll the other eggs around. As I've said so many times though, I do not hatch in the Brinsea. I did once and it just seems to small for my liking. What is really funny with using the egg cartons is sometimes you'll look in the bator and see a couple of these little guys sitting in the empty holes where there was not eggs. It is really comical.
Sorry I didn't answer these 2 posts sooner but I haven't been on this forum for a while. I'll enclose a photo for you to see them. 13 went into lock down and 13 hatched. lol These all hatched within 22 hours from first pip to end. This photo was taken the morning after hatch once they were dry. I just love hatching these little biddies. lol

Two of these even got to go to church Easter Sunday. My neighbor wanted to take them and even the egg shells to teach the children on the miracle of birth. I thought that was pretty nice. I wrapped them all up in towels and put them in an Easter Basket. ha,ha.

 

[ChickensInMyYard]

The 3 barred rock eggs were my stock. I put 4 in incubator 1 was infertile the other 3 hatched. 10 out of the 13 Rhode Island Red egg were fertile and they all hatched and were shipped eggs. They are 10 days old now and just doing excellent.

Wow! That's pretty good for shipped eggs! Excellent! What kind of incubator do you have?

 

[immyjay54]

If any of you haven't seen this site before, it tells you whether the certain bird is common, uncommon, rare etc. I use to look at this quite often. Don't bother much anymore since I have what I want. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html Some good information about each breed.
Jim

 

[immyjay54]

Wow! That's pretty good for shipped eggs! Excellent! What kind of incubator do you have?

I have 1 Genesis 1588, 1 Hova bator 2562 R and then the Brinsea 20. I love to incubate in the Brinsea or the Genesis the hatch them in the 2562R. I have been have super, super hatch rates since I started this way a few months back. If you go to my web site and look on the incubation page you will see the different ones that I've set this year and the hatch rates that I've had. I have 7 eggs that will go in lock down tomorrow night then I'm done for a while. Oh my, I'm getting to many to handle. lol
Jim
Gosh, forgot to put my site on here. It is in my profile though. http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com

 

[ChickensInMyYard]

I have 1 Genesis 1588, 1 Hova bator 2562 R and then the Brinsea 20. I love to incubate in the Brinsea or the Genesis the hatch them in the 2562R. I have been have super, super hatch rates since I started this way a few months back. If you go to my web site and look on the incubation page you will see the different ones that I've set this year and the hatch rates that I've had. I have 7 eggs that will go in lock down tomorrow night then I'm done for a while. Oh my, I'm getting to many to handle. lol
Jim
Gosh, forgot to put my site on here. It is in my profile though. http://jimspetsandpoultry.weebly.com

 

[ChickensInMyYard]

 

[immyjay54]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/579490/the-brinsea-octagon-20-eco-thread-hatches-etc-pics/350 Click this link and you will see how I set mine up.

If it isn't clear, let me know. There are pictures etc. that I posted. lol I don't want to have to do it again if I don't have to. lol I just have the Brinsea 20 and turn it by hand 3 times a day. 9AM 5PM 1AM. It works out fine. I add water about every 3rd day and my humidity stays between 40 - 55. When I hatch I fill every place there is to put water in the styrofoam bator and it stays in the 70's. I never had it go below 70 and never add water once it is closed. I leave one vent hole open in top all the time. On the Brinsea I leave the slide vent open about 1/4 to 1/3 of the way for incubation. It does not hurt to open, lift tray out add water and put lid back on but if you are getting the advance with the water pump you won't have to do that. lol