LOL love the pics Bulldogma.
and just a random thought/observation...
I started up my 3rd incubator a little over a month ago. I had been using just 2 prior to that. with prior batches in either #1 or #2... sometimes moved from one to the other if that group had to be spread out when they were set because of other batches of eggs already in the 'bators. not to mention consolidating for clear eggs and such, again, to make room for new eggs going in.
I ALWAYS hatch in a dedicated hatcher, because of these rotating clutches.
over the last several months I've incubated a number of batches of SFH eggs, both shipped and from Bulldogma, with pretty consistent results (always in incubators #1 and #2), but have also noticed a number of chicks in each group being 'goopy'. sorry that's the best way I can think to describe it. they have a thick syrupy goo all over them, which inhibits hatching by causing them to shrink wrap, even at 80% humidity. when helping out the chicks, they are sticky to the touch, and if not rinsed before they dry, appear almost glazed. eggs that pipped but failed to hatch, upon eggtopsy, are usually found to have the goo crusted over their nostrils, effectively suffocating them. some of the chicks I've helped out appeared almost bloated as well, as if incubating at too high a humidity.
now, I dry incubate everything, every time, so I know the humidity wasn't too high. it's usually in the 10-15% range, never going over 20%.
I've also noticed that SFH seem to take a good 12-24 hours longer to hatch than other chicks incubated side by side of different breeds.
Now here comes the odd observation. This last group of eggs incubated included a number of Bulldogma's SFH eggs, some of her dark Cornish, and some of my own blrw and mille fleur cochins. ALL these eggs were incubated in #3, with the exception of 3 sfh, and 3 mfc eggs, that wouldn't fit. they went into #2. around day 10 I candled, removed the clears, and consolidated the others over to #3, so the hatch would be all together. After removing the quitters, I had 28 eggs go in the hatcher. there are 4 eggs that were still moving but had not pipped as of this morning, 2 mfc, 2 sfh. last night when I went to bed, all but 7 eggs had hatched, but a few were pipped. this morning, those 3 pips had hatched overnight. 2 mfc, 1 sfh. NONE of the sfh were considerably late, NONE were glued or shrink wrapped. ALL but the couple mentioned earlier were incubated entirely in #3...
each incubator is set at the same exact temperature, calibrated by the same thermometer so I know they're consistent. each one has a 12v computer fan running on a 9v cell phone charger (slower turn speed), and using an auto turner.
so now i'm wondering if it's #1 or #2 that was causing the issues all along, the changing between bators mid way, or what. I know that even between the same brand/model/location, incubators can still vary slightly in humidity and hatch times. I'm wondering if there isn't some tolerance i'm not noticing that's also causing breed differences as well.
so next weekend i'm picking up yet another batch of sfh eggs from Bulldogma, with the intention of testing these thoughts, by putting so many in each incubator, and rotating other groups from one to the other (if we have enough eggs). unfortunately I won't have any of my own eggs to put alongside, since all my mfc and blrw are broody now. LOL
if only I had more eggs to do the 'test' with...
and just a random thought/observation...
I started up my 3rd incubator a little over a month ago. I had been using just 2 prior to that. with prior batches in either #1 or #2... sometimes moved from one to the other if that group had to be spread out when they were set because of other batches of eggs already in the 'bators. not to mention consolidating for clear eggs and such, again, to make room for new eggs going in.
I ALWAYS hatch in a dedicated hatcher, because of these rotating clutches.
over the last several months I've incubated a number of batches of SFH eggs, both shipped and from Bulldogma, with pretty consistent results (always in incubators #1 and #2), but have also noticed a number of chicks in each group being 'goopy'. sorry that's the best way I can think to describe it. they have a thick syrupy goo all over them, which inhibits hatching by causing them to shrink wrap, even at 80% humidity. when helping out the chicks, they are sticky to the touch, and if not rinsed before they dry, appear almost glazed. eggs that pipped but failed to hatch, upon eggtopsy, are usually found to have the goo crusted over their nostrils, effectively suffocating them. some of the chicks I've helped out appeared almost bloated as well, as if incubating at too high a humidity.
now, I dry incubate everything, every time, so I know the humidity wasn't too high. it's usually in the 10-15% range, never going over 20%.
I've also noticed that SFH seem to take a good 12-24 hours longer to hatch than other chicks incubated side by side of different breeds.
Now here comes the odd observation. This last group of eggs incubated included a number of Bulldogma's SFH eggs, some of her dark Cornish, and some of my own blrw and mille fleur cochins. ALL these eggs were incubated in #3, with the exception of 3 sfh, and 3 mfc eggs, that wouldn't fit. they went into #2. around day 10 I candled, removed the clears, and consolidated the others over to #3, so the hatch would be all together. After removing the quitters, I had 28 eggs go in the hatcher. there are 4 eggs that were still moving but had not pipped as of this morning, 2 mfc, 2 sfh. last night when I went to bed, all but 7 eggs had hatched, but a few were pipped. this morning, those 3 pips had hatched overnight. 2 mfc, 1 sfh. NONE of the sfh were considerably late, NONE were glued or shrink wrapped. ALL but the couple mentioned earlier were incubated entirely in #3...
each incubator is set at the same exact temperature, calibrated by the same thermometer so I know they're consistent. each one has a 12v computer fan running on a 9v cell phone charger (slower turn speed), and using an auto turner.
so now i'm wondering if it's #1 or #2 that was causing the issues all along, the changing between bators mid way, or what. I know that even between the same brand/model/location, incubators can still vary slightly in humidity and hatch times. I'm wondering if there isn't some tolerance i'm not noticing that's also causing breed differences as well.
so next weekend i'm picking up yet another batch of sfh eggs from Bulldogma, with the intention of testing these thoughts, by putting so many in each incubator, and rotating other groups from one to the other (if we have enough eggs). unfortunately I won't have any of my own eggs to put alongside, since all my mfc and blrw are broody now. LOL
if only I had more eggs to do the 'test' with...
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