September 2016 Hatch-A-Long

[stormyhorses98]

@harmsonfarm thank you. I live in So Cal so it's not very humid here. I am having a herd time getting the humidity above 40% right now. I will try adding water from different spats and see how it affects the humidity and temp. Thank you for your quick response and the help.

@pamperedamber If you ever have a real hard time getting your humidity up you could always try a damp sponge... I put two sponges in my incubator for lockdown and they really help because my water (trays) in my incubator can't keep up.

 

[KeyFlock]

A lot has happened since I last updated, so let me recap. When I started lockdown, I put 4 eggs under Mother Hen, my broody, and left 13 in the incubator, so 17 eggs in total. Out of all 17 eggs, we only have 3 that haven't pipped, and 4 chicks. One hatched under Mother Hen, and her other 3 eggs are pipped. I had 2 black sex link pullets hatch in the incubator, and I put them both out with the broody. When I came back in from giving the chicks to the hen, another one had hatched! A RIR that I'm going to set with Mother Hen when I'm finished posting. I'll post pictures when they're all fluffed up! Meanwhile though, I have a question. In the last few batches that I've incubated, I've had one or two eggs that get completely zipped, and then can't push the shell apart because the membrane has hardened and stuck the chick in the egg. I've managed to help all but one, with just a little bit of residue, but I would like to know how to prevent it in future batches. I thought it might be shrink wrapping, but the humidity has held high, and not many get it per batch, if any. But please correct me if I'm wrong, I'd just like to know how to fix it in the future. Thanks for any help

 

[Duke12]

My friend who is watching over my eggs has been doing a fantastic job keeping me posted twice a day but the fluctuation in temp is starting to boil my blood :/ The darn incubator was being so stable before I put the eggs in and before I left! Argh of course when I leave!!! (A good 99.8ish to 100. I have two thermometers in there ones harder to read ones digital with an attached hygrometer) the lady wants me to dry hatch but it keeps getting too dry too fast and I think that's making the temp raise. The whole time I've been gone it's been about 100.4-100.6 every time she checks and really low humidity and I make her add water with hardly going down with whatever I make her do. Is this incredibly bad for a forced air? I'm gonna try and fix it to keep it at 99.8is to 100 again but are my eggs toast or am I just being a worry wart? I've heard it's fine for forced to be in the 99.5 to 100.5 range... On my way back home should be there in about 4 hours any tips? It's the 1602N with a fan installed from incubator warehouse and auto turners and the wafer is giving me so much grief I swear, if I ever get another incubator I'm gonna spend the extra money and just get the one with buttons I think... So much more simple!

Edit; We are on about day 3ish now just in case that matters. I might just be too worried about it but I've been trying to look up others experiences and can't find anything!

 

[ladyargentum]

Lol too true they do! everytime I go in the chicken run olive gets right there wondering what they are getting and not her

She's a lab, husky, german shepherd with some border collie we think.
hyperactive and always hungry!

atm I only have 3 Isa Browns. I plan on keeping 2-3 of these australorp chicks to boost my mini-flock numbers but as I'm in suburbia I am limited. I am currently living at a place where the back 800m2 (half the block size) is fenced off so the 3 Isa's have free range over that area. The dogs are NOT allowed in there if the chickens are out (I strongly suspect Hera has prey drive but I have no intention of ever putting to the test). The chickens have a run around their coop so I can lock them in their if the dogs have access. In about 12 months I will be moving (Im about to build a house) and the chickens will then be restricted to the run & coop at that property (but I will build a decent size run for them).

So for the moment dogs and chickens do not mix at my place. I would love it if they could but I am not going to risk my pooches eating my flock.

Is Olive 'fluffy'? Im wondering how much of that husky came through. I suppose in Canada the weather would get a bit cold in winter so a bit of thick fur would be handy for a dog. I have a strict rule of only short fur dogs due to our summer heat (that and I dont want to have to cut/ shave my dog in summer)

It's day 18.5 effectively for my eggs now.... getting a bit impatient!! But I suppose the later in the week they hatch the better so I have the weekend with tiny fluff balls

 

[RobandSue2]

Hello....hatching for the first time under a broody hen...she sat on a clutch of 11 eggs we found under the porch! We successfully moved her to a secure private location (dog crate in the storage area of one of our coops).
Started seeing chicks this morning...have seen 5 at one point--
By the way Copper Maran over an EE or True Blue Whiting (have to check her leg band to be sure)

Anyways at what point can I pick her up to see how things are going?

Candled the eggs last night (had no idea she was this far along) and believe 1 or two may not be viable but figured I had more time...guess not..

 

[Joplus]

My friend who is watching over my eggs has been doing a fantastic job keeping me posted twice a day but the fluctuation in temp is starting to boil my blood :/ The darn incubator was being so stable before I put the eggs in and before I left! Argh of course when I leave!!! (A good 99.8ish to 100. I have two thermometers in there ones harder to read ones digital with an attached hygrometer) the lady wants me to dry hatch but it keeps getting too dry too fast and I think that's making the temp raise. The whole time I've been gone it's been about 100.4-100.6 every time she checks and really low humidity and I make her add water with hardly going down with whatever I make her do. Is this incredibly bad for a forced air? I'm gonna try and fix it to keep it at 99.8is to 100 again but are my eggs toast or am I just being a worry wart? I've heard it's fine for forced to be in the 99.5 to 100.5 range... On my way back home should be there in about 4 hours any tips? It's the 1602N with a fan installed from incubator warehouse and auto turners and the wafer is giving me so much grief I swear, if I ever get another incubator I'm gonna spend the extra money and just get the one with buttons I think... So much more simple!

Edit; We are on about day 3ish now just in case that matters. I might just be too worried about it but I've been trying to look up others experiences and can't find anything!

Every time I add water my temp drops or vice versa. If you are going dry and things were stable temp wise why are you adding water? The hydrometers take longer to stabilize too and usually way off. One of mine says 55% and one says 40% but I have to think, I live in the desert and there's just a tiny jar of water, not likely 55% (that's the one that comes with it, total junk). I was getting anxious so I candled day 3 and saw some really promising signs! That chilled me out on the humidity. I use the flashlight app installed on my phone, works good enough.

 

[Duke12]

Every time I add water my temp drops or vice versa. If you are going dry and things were stable temp wise why are you adding water? The hydrometers take longer to stabilize too and usually way off. One of mine says 55% and one says 40% but I have to think, I live in the desert and there's just a tiny jar of water, not likely 55% (that's the one that comes with it, total junk). I was getting anxious so I candled day 3 and saw some really promising signs! That chilled me out on the humidity. I use the flashlight app installed on my phone, works good enough.

I was going dry hatch for the lady as she recommended but she also told me to keep the humidity at least above 25? And it's been like 17 a few times the girl checks it so I made her add a lil water and turn temp down (manual junk thermowafer thing :/) I feel that's way too low and probably the reason the temp is higher cus when I left the humidity was at around 35 even without any water and was much more stable than the numbers she's been giving me. I'll candle tonight as it should be day 3 now, if nothing than I'll wait until day 8 then kick out blanks at day 12ish. But I'm totally open to corrections and any pointers people want to say, this is my first time and I really just want to learn but not fry my eggs while I do so lol. I feel I'm just having problems because I'm gone but just about 10 minutes till I get home! Hoping for better here on out!

 

[ladyargentum]

I was going dry hatch for the lady as she recommended but she also told me to keep the humidity at least above 25? And it's been like 17 a few times the girl checks it so I made her add a lil water and turn temp down (manual junk thermowafer thing

) I feel that's way too low and probably the reason the temp is higher cus when I left the humidity was at around 35 even without any water and was much more stable than the numbers she's been giving me. I'll candle tonight as it should be day 3 now, if nothing than I'll wait until day 8 then kick out blanks at day 12ish. But I'm totally open to corrections and any pointers people want to say, this is my first time and I really just want to learn but not fry my eggs while I do so lol. I feel I'm just having problems because I'm gone but just about 10 minutes till I get home! Hoping for better here on out!

As long as the temp is OK don't stress too much about the humidity early on. You can mark air sacs later on and adjust accordingly. I would try to keep it above 25% but keep in mind the ambient humidity does effect it so it will not always be stable from day to day (your weather will effect the humidity) and then your humidity reader may also be inaccurate. . The actual humidity level is not the key factor (except from day 18 when moisture is important but even then people have different values they go for)- just that they have an appropriate air sac (too large= no room to grow, too small = not enough air to survive on when they pip internally).

This is a good read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Being day 3 you should see signs of veining to indicate they are developing.

Good luck Let us know how they look when you candle them tonight.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Hello....hatching for the first time under a broody hen...she sat on a clutch of 11 eggs we found under the porch! We successfully moved her to a secure private location (dog crate in the storage area of one of our coops).
Started seeing chicks this morning...have seen 5 at one point--
By the way Copper Maran over an EE or True Blue Whiting (have to check her leg band to be sure)

Anyways at what point can I pick her up to see how things are going?

Candled the eggs last night (had no idea she was this far along) and believe 1 or two may not be viable but figured I had more time...guess not..

You don't have to pick her up at all. When she knows they are done, she'll lead the chicks off to eat and drink.

The only problem is if some eggs were volunteered by other hens or you.
If you know all eggs under her started incubating the same day, there are no worries. So let her do her thing.

 

[harmesonfarm]

atm I only have 3 Isa Browns. I plan on keeping 2-3 of these australorp chicks to boost my mini-flock numbers but as I'm in suburbia I am limited. I am currently living at a place where the back 800m2 (half the block size) is fenced off so the 3 Isa's have free range over that area. The dogs are NOT allowed in there if the chickens are out (I strongly suspect Hera has prey drive but I have no intention of ever putting to the test). The chickens have a run around their coop so I can lock them in their if the dogs have access. In about 12 months I will be moving (Im about to build a house) and the chickens will then be restricted to the run & coop at that property (but I will build a decent size run for them).

So for the moment dogs and chickens do not mix at my place. I would love it if they could but I am not going to risk my pooches eating my flock.

Is Olive 'fluffy'? Im wondering how much of that husky came through. I suppose in Canada the weather would get a bit cold in winter so a bit of thick fur would be handy for a dog. I have a strict rule of only short fur dogs due to our summer heat (that and I dont want to have to cut/ shave my dog in summer)

It's day 18.5 effectively for my eggs now.... getting a bit impatient!! But I suppose the later in the week they hatch the better so I have the weekend with tiny fluff balls

Olive has prey drive, but she's a pretty good girl too... After chasing one of our first ever hens (hubby accidentally left the backyard gate open to the front yard...there was an epic chase but happily no blood shed). Since then though, she got the idea that if she wanted in that yard, she had to be good and figured out they were family not food! lol at least not yet then. I started to try and train her, in the sense of only having her outside with me (at this point i was just pregnant so no baby yet made it a bit easier to do) at first until she showed she understood.

She's not really fluffy, more of a german shepherd length with coarse fur. She likes hunting rabbits the most (I don't mind...they eat my cabbages!) The chickens she helped me herd them into the coop once in a while if they escaped once we had built a run for them (casper was particularly an escape artist until she realized she had to deal with the dog and me wearing a baby trying to get her back in!)

Here where we are in canada (Vancouver Island) we don't get too much of the extreme cold winters that most of the other parts of canada do. We mostly get rain with snow on our mountains, I don't mind...gives us good mushroom hunting and lovely green year round!

This is olive being a silly goose (probably rolling in the grass right after a bath!) haha:



Exciting your in lockdown!! yay! I can't wait