September Hatch-A-Long

[darkbluespace]

I know I said I would not talk about Ethel and her babies, BUT they are a week old today... SO here are some Birthday pictures!

I m a little worried about the one chick, It is the one standing like a penquin. It seems smaller and frail. On the good side I did watch it eat or peck while I was with them.



Ethel checking out the I-Phone camera


All 5 babies note the one standing up straight.






This is the one that worries me, the dark one.

So cute... we love the photos!!

Does the last one, the dark one have some pasty butt going on?? I have been giving my babies probiotics on their food and have mostly been avoiding this. Though I did have to soak a baby serama today to clean up it's bum and get things moving again. I have heard apple cider vinegar in their water can help also.

 

[kada6305]

I am doing the dry incubation. I don't ad any water until day 18. I am setting up my hatching incubator since I have two batches in one incubator 10 days a part I will transport the eggs to that hatching incubator on day 18. Mt question is what is the humidity levels on lock down for dry methods? They have been mid-low 20's since we started and about 3 days were 16-18% would 50% be okay? My last hatch I didn't have any hatch as my temperature was off and I basically baked them when I switched thermometers. But this time around everything is calibrated and I know how much everything is off by. I don't want to give them too much of a shock from going to 20% to 50% in one move,either. All input in appreciated!

 

[Y N dottes]

I am doing the dry incubation. I don't ad any water until day 18. I am setting up my hatching incubator since I have two batches in one incubator 10 days a part I will transport the eggs to that hatching incubator on day 18. Mt question is what is the humidity levels on lock down for dry methods? They have been mid-low 20's since we started and about 3 days were 16-18% would 50% be okay? My last hatch I didn't have any hatch as my temperature was off and I basically baked them when I switched thermometers. But this time around everything is calibrated and I know how much everything is off by. I don't want to give them too much of a shock from going to 20% to 50% in one move,either. All input in appreciated!

I did a dry hatch. I didn't use a hygrometer though so I don't know the exact percentage but I put in containers of water with paper towels in them and had wet paper towels on the bottom too. It must have been pretty high because the window fogged up. probably around 70%. People do say the too high humidity at the end can cause sticky chicks. Right now I am on day 20 and have one chick out, 2 zipping and 3 more pips, so we will see if any get sticky. The chick that's out had no trouble though

 

[kada6305]

I did a dry hatch. I didn't use a hygrometer though so I don't know the exact percentage but I put in containers of water with paper towels in them and had wet paper towels on the bottom too. It must have been pretty high because the window fogged up. probably around 70%. People do say the too high humidity at the end can cause sticky chicks. Right now I am on day 20 and have one chick out, 2 zipping and 3 more pips, so we will see if any get sticky. The chick that's out had no trouble though

I have harware cloth in the incubator that the eggs will sit on. On the bottom I have the top half of an egg carton that I filled with water, may add a second one right now it's only reading at 25% but it hasn't even been an hour yet so we will see what it reads tomorrow. I am thinking 50-60 humidity should be plenty. Besides, as they hatch they will increase humidity anyway.

 

[Y N dottes]

Agreed, 50-65% would be what I would aim for.

 

[AmericanMom]

I agree on the 50-65% and 65 being on the extreme high side. as was stated, as they hatch they will create a lot of humidity..

 

[kada6305]

I agree on the 50-65% and 65 being on the extreme high side. as was stated, as they hatch they will create a lot of humidity..

Last batch I added water and it ended up going up to 100% which I think drowned them. I didn't have any hatch. This time I think having a second incubator for hatching will give me time to regulate the humidity before adding the eggs and hopefully prevent any extreme humidity. Only time will tell right now we have 35% humidity in the hatcher, and 19% in the current incubator.

 

[Mamasaurus]

Just updating


I had to go through and candle my incubator eggs, the room I keep the bator in had that tell tale egg fart smell that accompanies a rotten one.

Oh yeah, I know that smell, we got a rotten which was bad enough, but even worse was my inexperience when we got a cracked egg. Don't know how it cracked but it leaked out of the shell....and unbeknownst to me, into the water channels below. The egg was removed but the smell just kept growing and growing and ....growing, until it was intolerable! On a candling night I pulled the whole incubator apart and emptied the channels (outside), then cleaned and refilled it in record time...even had to add some peppermint oil to mask that ever lingering pong.....

 

[AmericanMom]

Last batch I added water and it ended up going up to 100% which I think drowned them. I didn't have any hatch. This time I think having a second incubator for hatching will give me time to regulate the humidity before adding the eggs and hopefully prevent any extreme humidity. Only time will tell right now we have 35% humidity in the hatcher, and 19% in the current incubator.

I don't keep track of the humidity in the incubator, I am guessing that's where mine was due to the ambient humidity.. I only add a few small sponge strips during lockdown.

 

[Y N dottes]

I agree on the 50-65% and 65 being on the extreme high side. as was stated, as they hatch they will create a lot of humidity..

That's true, which is why I didn't add any after the original water was evaporated.