Setting Eggs Sept. 24th-Oct. 4th-Last Hatch of the Year. Anyone care to join me?

[chicks4fun]

Thanks for joining us. There is no "reason" when it comes to hatching chicks.

Here is a very good thread on incubating & humidity: Incubation & Hatching Guide

Thanks for the link. I know one of the reasons I get confused it there are so many different opinions on humidity. I wonder who is right and why each side seem to report better hatches with more or less humidity. Being new to this I have no experience to rely on. Well, this is my second hatch and I need to write down notes so that I learn from my mistakes or good luck.

 

[Brookhavens]

Thanks for the link. I know one of the reasons I get confused it there are so many different opinions on humidity. I wonder who is right and why each side seem to report better hatches with more or less humidity. Being new to this I have no experience to rely on. Well, this is my second hatch and I need to write down notes so that I learn from my mistakes or good luck.

The more I read and talk to people it seems that the people who have been hatching for a LONG time use the dry hatching method with much success. This was another interesting article I found from an old timer: DRY INCUBATION

 

[LakeBird]

I have only done shipped eggs once before and only 1/15 eggs hatched so I really don't know. From everything I have read and seen on other hatches letting the eggs settle for a few days before starting to turn does seem to help. There are a couple of great threads on BYC that go into the technical details as to why it helps. When you are dealing with detached aircells or bubbles inside the egg you want to do everything you can to get those to the top of the egg before the embryo really takes hold.

Sounds like my first shipped egg hatch 5 out of 30 hatched. I didn't let them settle because I didn't know any better at the time. My 2nd hatch was from a local breeder, got 75% hatched from that group. This will be my 3rd hatch. YES I would like to say I am good with chicken math!

 

[Brookhavens]

Sounds like my first shipped egg hatch 5 out of 30 hatched. I didn't let them settle because I didn't know any better at the time. My 2nd hatch was from a local breeder, got 75% hatched from that group. This will be my 3rd hatch. YES I would like to say I am good with chicken math!

My first hatch was from a local farmer. I had just finished making my own incubator and didn't want to test it out on expensive eggs. He only charged me $5/15. I hatched 9/12 and 7 lived so I thought that was pretty good for my first time. I now realize what terrible shape the eggs were in. They had poop all over them and I had all sorts of problems with the chicks- wryneck, hernias, spraddle leg. I learned a lot from that hatch and now I make sure that my eggs come from chickens that are well cared for and are good breeding stock.

 

[LakeBird]

My first hatch was from a local farmer. I had just finished making my own incubator and didn't want to test it out on expensive eggs. He only charged me $5/15. I hatched 9/12 and 7 lived so I thought that was pretty good for my first time. I now realize what terrible shape the eggs were in. They had poop all over them and I had all sorts of problems with the chicks- wryneck, hernias, spraddle leg. I learned a lot from that hatch and now I make sure that my eggs come from chickens that are well cared for and are good breeding stock.

I've seem some local chicken owners with not so great conditions. I've steered away from them. I picked up 22 EE locally - she told me they were hatched 05/31, but compared them to my birds hatched on 06/12, hers were considerably smaller. I asked her if they were bantams and she said no. The conditions at her farm were nice, but she had so many pens - I wasn't sure if she had them straight. Those EE are semi-friendly, but not like the ones I've hatched. It seems that the chicks I've hatched are friendlier than the older chickens that I have picked. I am thinking I prefer to raise them from chicks verses getting older chickens.

 

[Roxanneinla]

I just got word from the breeder I'm getting my eggs that he was out of town cause of family emergency and will be shipping them today or Monday.....sigh He was going to send them off on Monday or Tuesday this week. sigh..........

 

[Roxanneinla]

The more I read and talk to people it seems that the people who have been hatching for a LONG time use the dry hatching method with much success. This was another interesting article I found from an old timer: DRY INCUBATION

Thank you very helpful!

 

[debchick]

whoowhoo 20 days to go. check temp check humidity check temp check humidity have been up and down the steps 800 times I think I'm loosing weight LOL

 

[Leavingegypt]

I think we may have the same cross going, as I happened to get three BO roos in with my dozen pullets at Tractor Supply this past spring. My hens are all very uniform, and deep brick red, and none of them are in the least broody. They are free-range during the day, and lay their eggs in the coop nest boxes, but leave the coop shortly after they lay. They came from the container with Red Production and Red sex-links, if I recall correctly (which I may not)! The roos are big beautiful iridescent gold...my profile pic is one of them at about 6mo. They are even prettier now. It was certainly NOT my intention to have roos, but it gives us the opportunity to try our hand at incubating. I just never knew how smitten we would be with these chickens!

The funny/sad/special thing about my eggs and Wilma going broody at this time is I just had to re-home my roo BIG Al and these will be his chicks. Wilma and BIG Al were a cute couple. I have never hatched eggs or had a broody hen- as a matter of fact these are my first chickens. I have had them since getting them @ 1 day old. My Production Reds are all about business as well.

 

[LakeBird]

whoowhoo 20 days to go. check temp check humidity check temp check humidity have been up and down the steps 800 times I think I'm loosing weight LOL

Great way to get your exercise!