Starting a hatch September 21....hatch along?

[cochins1088]

Usually incubators are set to 99.5 degrees but if you set them to 100.0, some will hatch a day early!

I don't mean to argue in any way, but actually that depends on the incubator. If the incubator is forced air, it should be 99.5 degrees, if the incubator is still air, it should be 101.5 degrees. So it really depends on the incubator as far as optimal tempature. If you set it at 100 degrees with a still air incubator, they would actually hatch late. But it is very true that if the incubator is kept a bit too warm, they will hatch bit early and if it's kept a too cool, they will hatch late. But try to keep it at optimal tempature because otherwise you risk deformaties and such.

 

[Nelson-90]

dont you think its better to do incubate the old fashion way ???

 

[cochins1088]

by the old fashion way, do you mean a broody hen? And yes, I usually perfer to use a broody hen for the hatching but sometimes they abondon the eggs, sometimes they break them, and rotten ones tend to go unoticed and I paid about $60 for these eggs so I wasn't going to trust them with a broody. Also if I plan to sell the chicks, I use an incubator because I would fell terrible taking chicks away from their mother, but if I am hatching my own, or local eggs and I plan to keep the chicks, I use a broody hen.

 

[lareynadenada]

OK 2 days early i have a hatchling!!!! very tiny,,,,,,,,Blue partridge bantam

 

[LukeandAli]

I would leave it be, I have had eggs like that in the past, once in a while it will require help but sometimes they can hatch on their own. If it manages to make an external pip, wait until after 24 hours to help. If you notice that it has pipped internally, you can help by make an external pip for it 24 hours after if it still hasn't figured it out on it's own. If every other egg has either hatched or is a dud, go in and make an external and internal pip, but at that point there won't be must hope.

So in other words leave it, and see how it does. If it's expensive then watch for the internal pip, but my advice to leave it and pray it pips externally, if it's still not out in 24 hours after the external pip, help it. Sometimes they do hatch on their own.

Thanks! I'm so nervous about this hatch. My last one didn't go too well.

 

[LukeandAli]

OK 2 days early i have a hatchling!!!! very tiny,,,,,,,,Blue partridge bantam

Yeah!!!! Congrats!

 

[Steemroo]

Gratz!

 

[lareynadenada]

and now my twin broodies have one hatched

 

[itsren]

and now my twin broodies have one hatched

Awwwww. How cute! And, so very tiny!

 

[LukeandAli]

I just put my eggs into lockdown!

It's a day early, but, there is at least one (maybe as many as three) that are looking bigger than the others--it's hard to tell, even with the white shells, because the shells are so thick (I'm hoping the chicks can get out!). I'm taking 10 into lockdown (7 leghorns and 3 from my flock) and I have 6 others from my flock that have another week to go. I'm so nervous about this hatch! After my last hatch fried almost all of my babies at day 14 (the weather was super warm and we don't have a/c), I need a good hatch to make me feel like a good chicken mama!

How are things going with all of you?