Operation Dry Hatch

[mohillbilly]

On calibrating the hygrometer, what do you do if it is off? Buy another one?

I have Accurite brand and it seems to work alright. I have a barometer, temp/humidity gauge outside of the bator we have had for years and the Accurite seems to read the same when it is outside as it does, so I'm thinking it is ok.

Mine is one of those coiled wire ones.......

either subtract or add what it is off to your reading if you cant adjust it

 

[wholewheatchicken]

they should make a switch so you could turn the fan off during lockdown

If you're handy, you can put a switch on it yourself. My husband did for me and it is great. I didn't think to turn it off when I opened the top to turn the eggs, but it makes sense. I will have to retrain myself.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

ok, I have a question...

How do you do multiple hatches in the same incubator?

I have a shelf going off Saturday and one the following Saturday. So the first hatch will be taking out the turner and laying those eggs flat while the other shelf keeps turning. But I will be bumping humidity to 65%??? on Wednesday for lockdown, hatch is 'Saturday' and Monday would be day 23 for final check and removing the chicks from the first hatch.

Then do I drop humidity for the next couple of days and on the next Wednesday bump it up again?

I have a third shelf. Yes, eggs on it for the 3rd week hatch.......

thanks....

I was just talking to someone who apparently does staggered hatches in the same LG still air incubator, mixed species. She is having great success. I'm interested to see what others say on how to do this.

 

[immyjay54]

I was just talking to someone who apparently does staggered hatches in the same LG still air incubator, mixed species. She is having great success. I'm interested to see what others say on how to do this.

Hi everyone,
I have just been reading these posts from page one up through 7 then skipped to the last page. I may have missed a little but thought I would give my opinion. First off, I think we each need to see what works best for us then go with it. I have a web site with an incubation page and a hatchling page and have some of my last hatches listed on them. First off I want to say that my dad was born in 1897 and mom in 1905. My dad was 51 when I was born. Last of 12 children. My parents always had chickens but never hatched with incubators. They always hatched with broody hens. I started using incubators early last year. My first few hatches were absolutely disasters. I've tried the dry hatch, different incubators etc. I then tried to work the incubators like dad used to say about the old hens. He said if you watch an old setting hen that could free range she would leave the nest on the mornings when the dew was on the grass and get her belly feathers wet and go back in and get on the nest. she would almost always hatch out almost every egg. Sometimes they would steel their nest out in the field somewhere and we would think that something got her and after a few weeks here she would come with a bunch of little biddies following her. What a site to see. Dad would make this little triangular hutch out of slats and leave about 4 inches off the ground so the peeps could get out and run around a little but the hen couldn't drag them to far till they got a little older.
Right now I have 13 RIR eggs, 6 Barred Rock eggs and 3 English orpington eggs in my Brinsea which I keep the humidity between 40 - 50 % then on day 18 I candle them and all the good ones I take out and put them into one of my styrofoam bators for hatching and my humidity is usually between 73 - 77. My last few hatches have been 85 - 90% and these are all shipped eggs. I will keep doing this way unless my hatch rate goes down. On my own eggs that I've put in with shipped eggs I've had 100 % on fertile eggs.
Please, I don't want no one to think that I'm trying to burst any bubbles with this post but this is what works for me and I think a lot depends on the bators, where we live, what kind of heat you use in the cold weather etc.
Jim

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Hi everyone,
I have just been reading these posts from page one up through 7 then skipped to the last page. I may have missed a little but thought I would give my opinion. First off, I think we each need to see what works best for us then go with it. I have a web site with an incubation page and a hatchling page and have some of my last hatches listed on them. First off I want to say that my dad was born in 1897 and mom in 1905. My dad was 51 when I was born. Last of 12 children. My parents always had chickens but never hatched with incubators. They always hatched with broody hens. I started using incubators early last year. My first few hatches were absolutely disasters. I've tried the dry hatch, different incubators etc. I then tried to work the incubators like dad used to say about the old hens. He said if you watch an old setting hen that could free range she would leave the nest on the mornings when the dew was on the grass and get her belly feathers wet and go back in and get on the nest. she would almost always hatch out almost every egg. Sometimes they would steel their nest out in the field somewhere and we would think that something got her and after a few weeks here she would come with a bunch of little biddies following her. What a site to see. Dad would make this little triangular hutch out of slats and leave about 4 inches off the ground so the peeps could get out and run around a little but the hen couldn't drag them to far till they got a little older.
Right now I have 13 RIR eggs, 6 Barred Rock eggs and 3 English orpington eggs in my Brinsea which I keep the humidity between 40 - 50 % then on day 18 I candle them and all the good ones I take out and put them into one of my styrofoam bators for hatching and my humidity is usually between 73 - 77. My last few hatches have been 85 - 90% and these are all shipped eggs. I will keep doing this way unless my hatch rate goes down. On my own eggs that I've put in with shipped eggs I've had 100 % on fertile eggs.
Please, I don't want no one to think that I'm trying to burst any bubbles with this post but this is what works for me and I think a lot depends on the bators, where we live, what kind of heat you use in the cold weather etc.
Jim

I've kept my humidity up this time and it seems to be going okay. I have been around 55% and am going to lower that a bit to 45%. This is my last week to go.
How do you incubate your shipped eggs, especially the ones that the air cell is off on?

 

[immyjay54]

I read an article by Bev Davis (big Black Copper Marans breeder) and she said the best thing to do if you have eggs shipped and seem to have air sack messed up to let them set still for 24 hours in egg carton before putting them into incubator. I'll see if I can find that post again and link it here.
Jim
Shipped eggs a lot of times are ruined by x-ray at airports. I've had some shipped in that not one would hatch and then I've had some that I would get 10 hatch out of 12. figure?

Found it quicker then I thought I would. Go to this link. http://www.bevsmarans.com/hatching_eggs.htm

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I read an article by Bev Davis (big Black Copper Marans breeder) and she said the best thing to do if you have eggs shipped and seem to have air sack messed up to let them set still for 24 hours in egg carton before putting them into incubator. I'll see if I can find that post again and link it here.
Jim
Shipped eggs a lot of times are ruined by x-ray at airports. I've had some shipped in that not one would hatch and then I've had some that I would get 10 hatch out of 12. figure?

Found it quicker then I thought I would. Go to this link. http://www.bevsmarans.com/hatching_eggs.htm

Very helpful. Thank you for posting it. I know it's a gamble for shipped eggs, but at least I will give them the best chance possible.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

Very helpful. Thank you for posting it. I know it's a gamble for shipped eggs, but at least I will give them the best chance possible.

The eggs arrived today and this is so helpful to refer back to as I help them to settle today. I guess tomorrow afternoon I will put them in the incubator! I ended up getting three dozen...wow!

 

[immyjay54]

The eggs arrived today and this is so helpful to refer back to as I help them to settle today. I guess tomorrow afternoon I will put them in the incubator! I ended up getting three dozen...wow!

I should have eggs arriving either tomorrow or Friday. Gee, I wish you the best of luck with your hatch. If those all hatch you are going to have chicks running all over the place. ha,ha

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I should have eggs arriving either tomorrow or Friday. Gee, I wish you the best of luck with your hatch. If those all hatch you are going to have chicks running all over the place. ha,ha

If you saw how I hatched, you wouldn't be counting the chickens!!!!!

And I have a dozen more that I bought that just hit the sorting center in Cincinnati, Ohio this evening. That is just a twenty minute drive from my house. The pain of having to wait for them to make it to my Post Office

Good luck with your eggs. I have never bought any shipped so I hope I get some out of them.
Are you going to start a hatching thread?