The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Arielle]

Quote: x2

Wolf, I promise you some day I will print out all your posts, if that is all right with you?? The Biography of WolfTracks: A Wise Chicken Lady

 

[Mumsy]

Hi, I am setting 40 eggs on Saturday. This will be my fourth hatch using shipped eggs. I also have a LG, one with a turner. The other does not have one. I use it for lock down. My first 2 hatches, last year were pretty good with about 50% hatch. A few weeks ago I lost 40 eggs with only one that hatched. There were 2 issues. Three dozen of the eggs never started or were infertile and many were rottten so they got pulled early on. I was sick. I am interested in the dry hatch method. I see you one of you are maintaining 40% humidity..is that correct? I guess my question is do you add any water whatsoever to the incubator? Also what humidity level do you use for lock down?

In the still air LG dry is dry. I didn't add any liquid. Here in the Pacific North West, outside humidity stays high indoors when it's raining or very overcast. I can adjust my indoors temperature in the room with my bator but not humidity. Until it goes too low. It took fifteen hours for the 52% to come down to 40%. I did not open the lid during that time until this morning. My last hatch in this bator, I didn't start adding liquid until the second week. We had dry windy weather outside then. I insert a clear plastic tube through a hole I poked through the styrofoam lid. I place a flat plastic tupper ware type lid in a corner and drip distilled water tinted with blue food coloring using a syringe. Just a few drops at a time, waiting an hour or more for the humidity to change before dripping more in. At lockdown, I place a sponge on that plastic lid and position the tube over it. I can then drip water onto the sponge. I work at keeping humidity at or below 65% at pipping. In my climate, this method has given me good results.

 

[chiques chicks]

208 quail - bobwhite
12 Turkey -6 each blue Slate and bourbon red
Still room for chicken, tbd

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I like the rolling on the floor techinique-- on the floor it's harder to roll off the table. Even with the elongated eggs , at least with these, I can see the blunt end and the pointy end. I think the concern here is most recommendations are to set only the typical egg chape and not the unusual. Certainly, if there is a genetic component to the shape, the typical shape will be favored and become the dominant shape.

I just was curious whether it was a hatching issue or a preferred egg shape issue.

I think it's both.

 

[ChooksChick]

Quote: I use the dry incubation method, and when I don't run a staggered hatch, I just unplug the turner when it's time to stop turning- the Cheat Sheet is in my signature. I don't add any humidity until the first guy pips.

Quote: If a baby can grow AND hatch upside down, then I'm thinking a slightly elongated shape should be ok. THe very round eggs do have me perplexed.
I candle any that have a wonky shape to make sure the aircell is up. If you can't tell right now, you will be able to on day 6, and they go on their side until then. By day 6 you'll have had enough vein development and evaporation to be able to tell, and you'll still have ample vein development in the right areas from having put it on its side (mind you, it still needs to be turned).

 

[Arielle]

Hi, I am setting 40 eggs on Saturday. This will be my fourth hatch using shipped eggs. I also have a LG, one with a turner. The other does not have one. I use it for lock down. My first 2 hatches, last year were pretty good with about 50% hatch. A few weeks ago I lost 40 eggs with only one that hatched. There were 2 issues. Three dozen of the eggs never started or were infertile and many were rottten so they got pulled early on. I was sick. I am interested in the dry hatch method. I see you one of you are maintaining 40% humidity..is that correct? I guess my question is do you add any water whatsoever to the incubator? Also what humidity level do you use for lock down?

Hi, there is an LG thread if you are interested. All LG users.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/601352/little-giant-incubator-tricks

I add whatever amount of water gets me to goal. Goal is the correct size air cell for the 7th 14th and 18 th day for chicken eggs. During my first hatch of this season, RH was running at 19%, far lower than the summer RH, and with fewer eggs than last summer, so I would add a bit of water, RH jump to 35-40 and then fall to 19 again, where it would stay a few days, I repeated this, using the air cell size as a guide.

By day 18 I felt the air cell was too small ( darn! ) so I did not add the water for lockdown at day 18, rather I waited until the air cells were in the range I am happy with and then added the water. All the chicks hatched that made it to lock down. 11/11 ( All clears opened and only one quiiter early on)

You can use weight to gage appropriate weight loss too, then adjust moisture levels.

I also have a fan in my LG. IF the plug is open, more moisture leaves the incubator than if it is closed. Many factors affect the air cell size.

Hope this helps. If not hop on over to the LG thread and we can help you. That invite is for everyone one, of course.

 

[audrey02026]

Well I could not wait any longer so I candled my Duck eggs (day 5) and YAY!!! all three are growing perfectly. I was worried as I got them from ebay...you know how shipped eggs can be, plus you never know what you get from ebay.

 

[Arielle]

208 quail - bobwhite
12 Turkey -6 each blue Slate and bourbon red
Still room for chicken, tbd

Those are BIIIIGGG egg racks.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I use the dry incubation method, and when I don't run a staggered hatch, I just unplug the turner when it's time to stop turning- the Cheat Sheet is in my signature. I don't add any humidity until the first guy pips.

Quote: If a baby can grow AND hatch upside down, then I'm thinking a slightly elongated shape should be ok. THe very round eggs do have me perplexed.
I candle any that have a wonky shape to make sure the aircell is up. If you can't tell right now, you will be able to on day 6, and they go on their side until then. By day 6 you'll have had enough vein development and evaporation to be able to tell, and you'll still have ample vein development in the right areas from having put it on its side (mind you, it still needs to be turned).
I have room to lay them on their sides this year-- I"m being good and NOT setting hundreds at a time like last year! lol

Marans eggs are the ones with ends looking too much alike. And of course being very dark, only the aircell is visible at best. Those I do the roll test and incubate on their sides then mark the aircell end.

I just collected a few more Speckle Sussex eggs-- the girls are at 4 per day!! Whoot!! All with NO lights. I think I will not let those go to waste and hatch those out too. If anyone wants SS eggs, let me know!!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Hi, I am setting 40 eggs on Saturday. This will be my fourth hatch using shipped eggs. I also have a LG, one with a turner. The other does not have one. I use it for lock down. My first 2 hatches, last year were pretty good with about 50% hatch. A few weeks ago I lost 40 eggs with only one that hatched. There were 2 issues. Three dozen of the eggs never started or were infertile and many were rottten so they got pulled early on. I was sick. I am interested in the dry hatch method. I see you one of you are maintaining 40% humidity..is that correct? I guess my question is do you add any water whatsoever to the incubator? Also what humidity level do you use for lock down?

It really depends on your climate whether you add water or not. Some people add water when they start incubating, but don't refill it. I don't add water until lockdown, then bring the humidity up to 55-65%.

208 quail - bobwhite
12 Turkey -6 each blue Slate and bourbon red
Still room for chicken, tbd

Wow, that's a whole lotta quail!