stagared hatches

[harris farm]

IMO, i dont think its a good idea. im doing one now with turkeys and it seems like im loosing more eggs this time. the eggs make it full term then die after pipping the air sack. is this from opening the bator to much for water and removing hatchlings and putting eggs in for "lock down"? its not really lock down with all the opening is it? what is everyone's opinion.

 

[birds4me]

I run stagared hatches all the time. I have done it with a bator full of chicken eggs and a mix of goose and chicken eggs. Personally I don't do a "lock down" nor do I leave chicks in the bator once they have hatched. When I am in what most people consider a lock down time, when ever I open the bator I mist all the eggs with warm water. I had the problem that you are having with one batch of eggs. It was just 1 batch and honestly I striked it up to that specific batch because I have not had that problem with other batches. I also pull chicks from the bator after they hatch and put them in the brooder. They seem much happier in the brooder. I work from home so as they hatch I wait around 30+ minutes and then take them out and put them in the brooder ~ MUCH happier chicks!!! So I open my bator a lot ~ I just mist with warm water after each opening. Everyone has their own opinion on how to hatch, but honestly I feel hatch the way that you are most comfortable with and how you see the best results. Good luck with your hatches.

 

[harris farm]

i'll try misting from now on. thanks

 

[Gypsy07]

Your chicks die after pipping into the airsac? But before they actually pip through the shell to the outside world? It could be that there is too much moisture still in the eggs and the chicks are drowning. Or it could be due to low oxygen levels in the bator, though if you're opening it all the time I wouldn't think that was what was causing it.

I've done staggered hatches before and although I'd say they were mostly successful, I do notice a greater death rate than when I just run a normal hatch. I put it down to a combination of fluctuating humidity and a dirty incubator, but that's just my guess...