The 4th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long

[Gardeningmama]

Quote: I LOVE this method

HOWEVER I strongly believe sending them sideways is an issue!
Why? because if you have ever taken an egg and tried to shake it and dislodge the air cell with brutal force you will find it takes ALOT OF FORCE.
Arm tiring force! HOWEVER the tiny non stop jostling's on the road will work that air cell loose and cause it to roll to the most upper part of the egg.
look at this image to understand what I am explaining. WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANTS OF EGGS being FAT END UP for positioning reasons as well!
My two cents lol


Hmmm...Makes sense to me.

While you have that picture there. The water bottle on the left, I have an egg thats air cell is fixed like that on the side. Dead center of the egg. Do I lock that one down on its side, or upright?

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Ok, I have a drs. appt tomorrow afternoon. So, I just went ahead and pretty much am locking down tonight. I won't be turning tomorrow, but may open the bator in the morning to add, or take away a sponge. We'll see how it looks in the morning. I had to toss three..not sure on a few, and am scared to death of some of them. I don't mark the air sacs until I lock down, so I can see how I want to set them.
Here's an example of how so many of them are..some are on both sides..saddles...will be watching them closely. I put the real bad ones in a separate bator, in case I have some start hatching, others don't even pip..then I usually check the others. This picture shows one side way up high on the side, that chick is very much alive!

I always have to assist them in this condition, they pip so odd because they couldn't turn right : (
I only assist after the others started to hatch.

 

[Brookhavens]

I LOVE this method

HOWEVER I strongly believe sending them sideways is an issue!
Why? because if you have ever taken an egg and tried to shake it and dislodge the air cell with brutal force you will find it takes ALOT OF FORCE.
Arm tiring force! HOWEVER the tiny non stop jostling's on the road will work that air cell loose and cause it to roll to the most upper part of the egg.
look at this image to understand what I am explaining. WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANTS OF EGGS being FAT END UP for positioning reasons as well!
My two cents lol

x2. I have much better hatches with shipped eggs when they are shipped with the fat end up.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Got two from the assist.... One did the job herself after I made an external pip for her.... Took her all night to zip. She's got that tilty head back thing. I started giving her sugar water and will buy vitamins later. I couldn't find where the beak was in the Araucana egg...

it passed sometime in the last two hours as I was stupidly waiting to see if it would turn at all.....

The silkie is the last one.... I was able to remove enough shell to find the beak and make an internal pip... Almost no bleeding .... It's in there gasping away right now, but the assist article said that's what happens at this step. All I can do is pray.... So that's what I'll be doing until I see veins disappear ... I have to go to work in 2.5 hrs, but ill be home on my lunch break to check her 4 hrs later.... Praying I can save her.... My two strugglers are still holding on.... Not sure if they will make it.... They look bad....

update!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I LOVE this method

HOWEVER I strongly believe sending them sideways is an issue!
Why? because if you have ever taken an egg and tried to shake it and dislodge the air cell with brutal force you will find it takes ALOT OF FORCE.
Arm tiring force! HOWEVER the tiny non stop jostling's on the road will work that air cell loose and cause it to roll to the most upper part of the egg.
look at this image to understand what I am explaining. WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANTS OF EGGS being FAT END UP for positioning reasons as well!
My two cents lol


Hmmm...Makes sense to me.

While you have that picture there. The water bottle on the left, I have an egg thats air cell is fixed like that on the side. Dead center of the egg. Do I lock that one down on its side, or upright?
if its not rolling I would lay it with air cell up and watch for odd pips

 

[Gardeningmama]

Thanks Miss Sally!

 

[CowgirlHC]

OK I'm prepping the bator for lock down but am confused.....normal I know I've had the eggs in a turner but want to lay them flat for hatch. One place I read I should put them in a cut down egg carton, but I'm leaning towards laying flat. Another said I should raise the grate so they're at approximately the same level to keep temp the same. And another place said leave the temp alone and put them flat and they'll be fine. Soooo......which do I do? lol Like I said I want to lay flat if at all possible.

Second question. I have a horrible time keeping up humidity. Is it OK to mist the eggs with a spray bottle of luke warm water maybe morning and evening? That seems to be the only way I can keep enough humidity to put any type of condensation on the windows. Also, should I attempt to take both plugs out? I know ventiliation is impotatant especially being a still air, but it also lets humidity out. Should I set up my daughters humidifier by the bator to help?

 

[EPetrilli]

The kids will be doing lockdown today in class for their project! We have the hatcher all set and ready to go temp and humidity steady! P will do a quick candle and check prior to putting them in the hatcher so we should have our final viability count this afternoon!
Good luck to everyone going into lockdown! Can't believe only 4 more days til hatch!!

 

[noahsmom]

OK I'm prepping the bator for lock down but am confused.....normal I know I've had the eggs in a turner but want to lay them flat for hatch. One place I read I should put them in a cut down egg carton, but I'm leaning towards laying flat. Another said I should raise the grate so they're at approximately the same level to keep temp the same. And another place said leave the temp alone and put them flat and they'll be fine. Soooo......which do I do? lol Like I said I want to lay flat if at all possible. Second question. I have a horrible time keeping up humidity. Is it OK to mist the eggs with a spray bottle of luke warm water maybe morning and evening? That seems to be the only way I can keep enough humidity to put any type of condensation on the windows. Also, should I attempt to take both plugs out? I know ventiliation is impotatant especially being a still air, but it also lets humidity out. Should I set up my daughters humidifier by the bator to help?

I just layed mine on their sides on shelf liner, I add water through the ventilation hole on top and under the grate and shelf liner right below the ventilation hole is a paper towel...This way it will catch and hold some water. Just add water slowly and play with how much raises the humidity how high and how long, at least this is what I have did. I didn't want to add to much and spike it way to high to quickly or vice versa. Today is day 21 for me and already have two in the brooder and 5 pipped! Everything going smoothly so far, I hope you have a good hatch! I PERSONALLY wouldn't mist the eggs, however I'm new to chickens and this is my first hatch, but just keeping the temp steady and the humidity up between 55-60% is working PERFECT for me.
My plug is in, but I'm not sure what you are supposed to do with a till air....I think a humidifier in the room with plugs out is a good idea (If YOU have to have it out), you will just have to keep a steady eye on your hygrometer.
Hopefully someone else will chime in with more help and definitive answers!

 

[Wax Myrtle]

I hope she's broody, but I also want you to know that this is normal for hens who are developing yolk peritonitis, so you can look for signs of it, because often we don't know until it's too late and we've lost a beloved hen to it. I did. Do some looking on here, as there is a lot of discussion regarding it. You can rule it out, if it's not the case.

Thanks, I will definitely check into this. As luck has it, she is a favorite.

haha i almost went real knitting terms ( k1, turn, k2tog, turn, k1, k2tog, k1) but then i decided to write it all out

Looks so cool, I had to write your instructions down, and I did use knitting terms. Lol

got it. it gets more confusing later, sl1,k1,psso   is always a favorite one to try to guess

My very favorite left leaning decrease is sl1, k1, psso! Someday I will finish the Estonian knit lace wedding veil... Maybe in time for my 9yo to wear it. Lol