So called experts over-complicate things, when a hen in her natural environment cannot be so precise.

[Ian B]

I have a particular interest in Black Australorp chickens. I have had mixed success with three batches of six eggs each. Unfortunately, the five hatched chicks (in total) all from an interstate supplier, turned out to be cockerels, when all I was seeking were three pullets!
Nine eggs purchased from a local supplier on 1 November have resulted in seven viable eggs, one hatching on day 21, three hatching on day 22 and one hatching on day 23, the latter when power to the incubator was off during a significant electrical storm! Fortunately, we are in late Spring and being in a sub-tropical climate in Queensland, Australia, the night-time temperatures don't often go below 25C (77F). So, the chicks that had been moved to the brooder all survived OK. I know chicks should be left in the incubator for 24 to 48 hours, but in my nine-egg incubator a chicken cannot stand up and tends to lean on the temperature sensor, that then sets an alarm off, so they get 24 hours max in the incubator.
I gave the remaining two eggs the 'warm water' test today and they both show as still being viable, so I will give them another couple of days.
There are more opinions on chicken hatching than stars in the night-sky, so for all those newbies, do your research, but also factor in that everyone's experience is unique and don't for one minute think anyone knows everything about chicken hatching and/or rearing.

 

[saysfaa]

... for all those newbies, do your research, but also factor in that everyone's experience is unique and don't for one minute think anyone knows everything about chicken hatching and/or rearing.

I agree with you for the most part. I agree hens do it without that kind of precision and I know there are alternatives to what experts usually say about raising chicks without a hen that accommodate much less precision.

I think you might be missing a part of what the experts are doing though. The conventional recommendations are so precise not because failure is sure if the temperature of the incubator drops a few degrees below the range they give for the last day or if a chick is in the incubator for 23.9 hours or 48.1 hours after it hatches. The recommendations are so precise because together they give the largest margin of error for people using that kind of system while still being workable for most people.

Take the 24-48 hours before moving chicks to the brooder. Chicks are dried by 24 hours, they've had a little time to rest, they've had a little time to find their balance.

All but the weakest will do well moved to the brooder then even if the brooder is only almost right. Some of the weakest may also do well if the brooder is just right. Some of the strongest (by strength or will) may do well even if they are moved before they are dry or rested or up and about. Or if the brooder is less right.

Explaining which aspects can be pushed how much under what conditions makes the whole thing unworkable.

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are more opinions on chicken hatching than stars in the night-sky, so for all those newbies, do your research, but also factor in that everyone's experience is unique and don't for one minute think anyone knows everything about chicken hatching and/or rearing.

The same thing is true about feeding, breeds, breeding, housing, integrating, and every other aspect of chickens. Everybody has their opinions which may be valid for them but may not be for everybody else. There are just too many differences in goals, experience, climate, and other circumstances fort the same thing to be right for everyone. Some posts on here come across as "if you don't do it my way you are abusing your chickens" when there are usually many different ways to go about doing something, none wrong and none right for everybody.

I agree people should keep an open mind and listen to different opinions.

I know chicks should be left in the incubator for 24 to 48 hours,

I'll use this as an example. You probably read this on this forum. Broody hens don't necessarily follow this rule. I don't follow that rule, really don't even consider it. It usually won't hurt them to stay in the incubator for as long as 72 hours. Once the hatch is over I take them out. They are usually dried off by then but even if they are not dry I carefully get them to a warm brooder. In most circumstances it won't hurt them to stay in the brooder 24 to 48 hours after they hatch but it is certainly not necessary.

The hatcheries many of us get their chicks from do not follow the 24-48 hour rule. By postal regulations the chicks are supposed to be packaged and shipped within 24 hours of the first one hatching. Then they should be delivered within 48 hours of being shipped. A healthy chick should survive 72 hours or more after hatch without eating or drinking. When we are hatching at home we are not bound by these practical limits.

 

[Debbie292d]

so for all those newbies, do your research, but also factor in that everyone's experience is unique and don't for one minute think anyone knows everything about chicken hatching and/or rearing.

I've incubated eggs at least 100 times in my life, and do not consider myself an "expert," just experienced. The vast knowledge and experience that our BYC members have is what makes it so great.

Sometimes I have improvised or strayed off the "conventional" method myself. As long as it's what's best for the eggs or the chicks, and they live, then it's all good! The goal is to help everyone have the best hatch rate possible and to be successful in raising their chicks and chickens.

By the way, welcome to BYC!

 

[Susan Skylark]

You also need to differentiate between large scale industrial incubation recommendations and Amazon bubble incubator in my son’s room incubation. I read somewhere that turning your eggs 87 times a day raises hatch rates by 0.1% or something vs say 3-5 times a day. For me that would be ridiculous, I can’t spend 2 weeks 24/7 hand turning ten quail eggs for that! But when you are hatching millions of eggs per year, that adds up. The industrial incubators have made a science out of what is an art to backyard hobbyists, figure out what works for you and then do it. I pull my quail out of the incubator in small groups, even if they are 5 minutes out of the egg, my humidity runs so high they never dry out and they are dragging each other around by the feet, kicking eggs, whatever! They go straight in my brooder and do fine, that is what works for me, your set up and needs and desires are totally different, do what works for you. Most of the ‘science’ out there is geared at industrial incubators and I’ve seen several well meaning posts on here citing articles about fruit fly eggs rather than chickens, they took the point of the study but for a completely different species. And then there’s the AI obsession, if google says it it must be true, when even 5 seconds of looking deeper shows significant errors in the presented data. Common sense, trial and error, a steady temp, consistent turning and you’ll be able to hatch eggs, no matter what the internet thinks!

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Make yourself at home here.