Setting eggs today 5-3-12...anyone with me?

[LuvinChickens]

It wasn't shrink-wrapped after all. The cord fell off of the chick soon after I posted. Oh and I now have six cute little chicks. six more to go! Thank you.

 

[GreenGirlGrammy]

Do a search for helping shrink wrapped chicks. I think you can do it in a really humid environment, like in your bathroom with the shower running to keep the humidity up and warm. When we ended up helping the two we had to, we just broke away some of the shell. As for still being connected, I think that is the umbilical cord...we had to cut it on the two we helped. I let them rest for a long time with the shell attached...then when they started moving around more and trying to drag the shell with them we snipped it off.

I had one that seemed to be stuck also. When I tried to pull him out, I could see a little yellow and some blood. I thought, Ahrrrh, I've wounded him. So, I sort of stuffed his little rear back in and wrapped everything but his little beak in a very moist, very warm paper towel, then wrapped that with saran wrap, leaving his nose out to breath. He just was not ready yet, and I was rushing him, plus he was dry. The saran wrap keeps the damp paper towel from cooling from evaporation. About three hours later he started doing those kung-fu trampolene kicks, so I took off the wrappings. He was perfect.

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

I had one that seemed to be stuck also. When I tried to pull him out, I could see a little yellow and some blood. I thought, Ahrrrh, I've wounded him. So, I sort of stuffed his little rear back in and wrapped everything but his little beak in a very moist, very warm paper towel, then wrapped that with saran wrap, leaving his nose out to breath. He just was not ready yet, and I was rushing him, plus he was dry. The saran wrap keeps the damp paper towel from cooling from evaporation. About three hours later he started doing those kung-fu trampolene kicks, so I took off the wrappings. He was perfect.

That is awesome...what a great idea! Glad he is okay! I think they are tougher than we think.

 

[sawinga]

I am going to be watching your experiment. I hope you have good luck on both of them. What are the incubators that you are using?

Well both are homemade incubators. One is made out of a Styrofoam and the other is an old small chest drawer which is ideal. I have attached a thermostat to the chest drawer with a light bulb and it is the one with the water pan filled with water.
The styrofoam one does not have any water and is set at 99.5-100.
P.S The styrofoam one is a forced air one and the drawer one is still air. So basically am checking all factors here. Even the eggs come from the same flock so that the error in experimentation can be reduced.
Lets hope for the best. I guess i am just trying to get better results compared to last time.
Fingers crossed!!!

 

[mbleily]

Well both are homemade incubators. One is made out of a Styrofoam and the other is an old small chest drawer which is ideal. I have attached a thermostat to the chest drawer with a light bulb and it is the one with the water pan filled with water.
The styrofoam one does not have any water and is set at 99.5-100.
P.S The styrofoam one is a forced air one and the drawer one is still air. So basically am checking all factors here. Even the eggs come from the same flock so that the error in experimentation can be reduced.
Lets hope for the best. I guess i am just trying to get better results compared to last time.
Fingers crossed!!!

I will be interesting. Have you used these both before and had good hatches from them?

 

[JDchicks]

I'm curious about the trying the still air, since with the forced air cause different temp within the incubator. Right under the fan was cooler than the corners of the incubator.

 

[sawinga]

I will be interesting. Have you used these both before and had good hatches from them?

Well I have used the styrofoam one which gave me poor results but then again there were several temperature spikes and my first time using it. The drawer one was used by uncle who hatched several babys with it and even said that he always had a 90 percent hatch or above even. So lets see how it goes. He is the one who said use the water pan and dont let it cross 100 on the still air. Hes had alot of experience on it so I set the same conditions as instructed in the drawer one, which is no fan, water pan filled with water and at 100 degrees. The styrofoam is done using all the info collected from BYC forums over dry incubation which is basically no water, forced air and temps of 99.5sh.....so yes lets see how it goes. Will candle them the day after as it will be day 7 for the eggs then, so am hoping to see some development.

 

[mbleily]

Well I have used the styrofoam one which gave me poor results but then again there were several temperature spikes and my first time using it. The drawer one was used by uncle who hatched several babys with it and even said that he always had a 90 percent hatch or above even. So lets see how it goes. He is the one who said use the water pan and dont let it cross 100 on the still air. Hes had alot of experience on it so I set the same conditions as instructed in the drawer one, which is no fan, water pan filled with water and at 100 degrees. The styrofoam is done using all the info collected from BYC forums over dry incubation which is basically no water, forced air and temps of 99.5sh.....so yes lets see how it goes. Will candle them the day after as it will be day 7 for the eggs then, so am hoping to see some development.

I am looking forward to seeing your progress. Sounds like you have it well under control. I have not had a good hatch last time. only 2 out of 18 hatched. But there where things going on in my home made incubator and I moved the eggs twice. So I guess that did part of it. Only 4 of the eggs that didn't hatch were delevoped at all. I have 7 right now hatching that were in my new Genesis and have one zipped and two pipping right now on day 21. I do put water in it but try to keep the humidity around 35 then up to 65 on lock down. I am hoping for a better hatch here. Well it is already better as there are 3 hatching. These are going to be olive eggers. one it an EE that has just pipped. Started with 16 eggs and down to 7 at lock down.

I must say I have the hatching bug.

I have 30 shipped eggs waiting right now to go into the incubator when these are done. I have to quit after this. LOL

 

[WyoChickenMamma]

What kind of shipped eggs do you have waiting????

 

[mbleily]

I have eggs that will be mostly EEs. Some should be Mixed Ameraucanas. Which I guess are concidered EE's too but in my mind they aren't. LOL There are 8 Brown Leghorns that should have nice blue eggs because the Ameraucana roos over them. There are 7 Ameraucana eggs. And the rest are various brown eggs of Barhmas both light and dark. Rhode Island Reds,Chanteclers, Buff Orpingtons, Astrolorps, Delaware, Ancona, and she said a few others. LOL They will all be EEs. She has Ameraucana roos over them all. I am hoping for some light colors. I have a lot of blacks chicks right now.

My ones in the incubator are hatching right now. At least three are. One is out and two are zipping. The one out is silvery gry with brown tones around the head. The one just now hatching looks like it will have a lot of light color on it. too wet to tell yet. And the other is still zipping. That leaves 4 more eggs to pip. Keep your fingers crossed I get some more....

This new one looks a little too wet to me.

these are the next eggs going in tomorrow or sun.