She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[scflock]

You're pushing your luck mister

What, you all hopped up on Mike's now and getting lippy?

 

[sideWing]

. Just go to the GoldenCorral thread and ask snowbird

So I was thinking that if I have some eggs that have no achieved sufficient weight loss by day 18, and others that have, having 2 bators to split them would be good. Those that have achieved weight loss can have the humidity bumped up, and those that haven't can keep the humidity low till one pips, then gets bumped up.

Oh right...you're the no muss no fuss guy, I should be talking to Amy...;-]



My altitude is around 400', not an issue. My eggs are all from my flock.

And the fun hatching in a Brinsea is that now I will be able to set 81 eggs, instead of only 41. Remember, goal is to get 100 new layers this year.

Altitude issues are out. I jest about the Brinsea, I would buy one in a heartbeat if I was going to hatch and sell a lot or was building up my flock. I not only use styro I made it myself to make things 9X more complicated. I had no air holes on my first two hatches and I think I suffocated many of my lockdowns by day 19-20. I opened it up this hatch (day 11) and it's looking much better.

I have been checking in on my 9 in the brooder ever 30 mins for the last 9 hours, and in the last 30 mins 2 more chicks have died. One was in bad shape from the beginning, but another I thought was thriving. I have placed them on the food, put their beaks in the water, made sure the heat was good...sheesh, this is turning into a nightmare.

Dang! Thats very unusual. I hope someone here has some ideas. I have heard of that when they are overloaded on CO2 from hatching.

 

[NTBugtraq]

I incubate and hatch both chicken and turkey eggs, mine, local and shipped. I've incubated eggs set the day of lay, and those three weeks old; refrigerated eggs vs sitting on a table. No matter what you start with, here are the guidelines that have given me the best results (though not like Amy's as I don't watch my incubator 24/7):

Storage: Okay at room temp up to 7 days, if planning on storing more than 7 days before setting, put in your kegerator (55-65F).

Turning: I use a spare turner to keep them moving before setting. Tilting a carton would work just as well. During incubation, I use the LG continuous auto-turner. I prefer to stop turning around day 16 for chickens and day 21 for turkeys, especially as my Easter Eggers are sired by a very large fowl and my turkeys are mothered by a BBB, so the chicks and poults grow very large before hatch.

Fertility: Use good breeders. This is one factor that you can't fix during incubation.

Humidity: Chicken eggs (and especially bantams) seem much less particular about humidity up to time of hatch. With turkeys, ambient incubator humidity in my climate (ranging from 16-65% with an average of 25% this time of year) provides appropriate air cell development. I do add water if humidity is below 25% for more than a few hours, but only a couple of ounces. I use the commonly available air cell charts rather than weighing as I try to handle the eggs as little as possible. At lockdown, I have had best results around 75-77%. Natural spikes have caused no issues.

Temperature: I have a still air hatcher and a forced air cabinet. In the forced air, I prefer 99.5-100.5 per the Brinsea Spot Check to deliver hatches on days 27 & 28 (or 20 & 21 for chickens). In the hatcher, I drop the temp to 99 - 99.5 at center of egg level. Dropping the temp lower at hatch has resulted in weak, tired hatchers with open navels. Higher temp at hatch has resulted in chicks that hatch vigorously but suffer heat stress immediately after hatch.

Ventilation: You can't have too much after day 4. Day 0-4 do better closed up.

I take the middle road on pulling chicks from the incubator and moving to the hatcher. When they are dry, and when all zippers are done zipping, only then will I open the incubator to snatch out the babies. I have left them for 2 days when they hatched when I wasn't home, but that is with lower hatching temps only.

I used only eggs laid in the last 7 days, tilted cartons till I took the turner out of the previous hatch, then put the new set into the turner. Storage temps were as you describe. I have only the one BCM rooster, with 21 layers, perhaps he should be hitting the mark more than he has been. I did just acquire 2 more BCM roos (only 3 weeks old). I drew the air cells and even was able to draw draw-downs on most eggs on Day 18. I did have the vent open after Day 18, but otherwise, not a lot different between us except this time I did not take the chicks out when there were no visible pips (I simply did not take them out at all till morning of Day 23). I never opened the bator when there were pips or zips.

 

[WVduckchick]

 I want to see that one make it out!

You're a daisy if you do.

Honestly, that was the one that i expected to be out first. It was the fullest, most developed looking one of all on day 18. The air cell has grown so much these last couple of days, if it survives, it will be a super tiny chick.

And I guess I'll pretend to be blonde. I don't know what that Daisy comment means. Lol

You're no daisy, you're no daisy at all

I have no idea...

 

[WVduckchick]

What, you all hopped up on Mike's now and getting lippy?

First one did go down pretty well...

 

[scflock]

I used only eggs laid in the last 7 days, tilted cartons till I took the turner out of the previous hatch, then put the new set into the turner. Storage temps were as you describe. I have only the one BCM rooster, with 21 layers, perhaps he should be hitting the mark more than he has been. I did just acquire 2 more BCM roos (only 3 weeks old). I drew the air cells and even was able to draw draw-downs on most eggs on Day 18. I did have the vent open after Day 18, but otherwise, not a lot different between us except this time I did not take the chicks out when there were no visible pips (I simply did not take them out at all till morning of Day 23). I never opened the bator when there were pips or zips.

BCM are going to make it even tougher in styrofoam. There is a lot of debate over what is the proper humidity on those eggs just because of the extra pigment layers on the eggs. The posts that make the most sense to me are the ones that say they need an even lower humidity because the shells don't lose moisture as easily as white or light brown eggs. I would say 50% was a little high, even for lighter eggs. I would be very curious for you to follow Amy's advice. When she gets here, you will hear all about "dry incubation". I give her a hard time, but I believe in her when it comes to styrofoam

 

[NTBugtraq]

WVduckchick, can I ask you a candling question? I have an Ova Scope HI, and my darkest eggs are maybe a BCM 4, but usually much lighter. With that setup, I usually can only see maybe 1/4" - 3/8" beyond the air sack. Have you been able to do better than that? I'm discovering, I think, that I am leaving a lot more infertile eggs in my bator because I cannot well see veining.

 

[scflock]

Honestly, that was the one that i expected to be out first. It was the fullest, most developed looking one of all on day 18. The air cell has grown so much these last couple of days, if it survives, it will be a super tiny chick.

And I guess I'll pretend to be blonde. I don't know what that Daisy comment means. Lol
I have no idea...

WV, I am shocked. Me not liking country is one thing, but you haven't seen Tombstone? I'm too disturbed to even slap

 

[scflock]

 

[scflock]