The 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[Book]

If I recall correctly, the Singing Incubator from Hell has a smooth plastic slippery floor. In my similar incubator I cut a piece of non-adhesive shelf liner for the floor. This helps prevent the chicks from developing legg issues.

​

​

It actually has this try that hold all the eggs in place, it is just too tiny I think to let the chicks spend much time in that thing at all, if any hatch. We will put them in the brooder with towels as flooring for the first few days and then shavings. Thats the plan anyway!

 

[JackieandChicks]

BooHoo three more quitters - and the marans to boot. Can't wait until this weekend to see what I have !

I've asked this before - those of you who have the eggs in cut cartons, do you put them down on the floor of the incubator at lockdown?

 

[JennaLynn122]

BooHoo three more quitters - and the marans to boot. Can't wait until this weekend to see what I have !  

I've asked this before - those of you who have the eggs in cut cartons, do you put them down on the floor of the incubator at lockdown?

I put mine on the floor at lock down. Prob a good thing with all of them wanting to challenge the air sac and come out the other end

 

[chickenlisa]

Lockdown tonight...for most of my eggs! Hope they all hatch, I had to toss so many of them!
Good Luck everyone!!!

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

BooHoo three more quitters - and the marans to boot. Can't wait until this weekend to see what I have !  

I've asked this before - those of you who have the eggs in cut cartons, do you put them down on the floor of the incubator at lockdown?

I take mine out of the cartons and put them on the floor for the same reason, in case they pip at the wrong end. Plus, I like to see them rocking. You can't see that when they're in the carton.

 

[MontanaDolphin]

Question about moving eggs to hatcher.

I'm getting my temp right in the 2nd incubator I picked up yesterday. This is my first time using a "hatcher", so I have a couple of questions.

1: What should the temp be in the hatcher before I add eggs?

2: What should my humidity be in the hatcher before I add eggs? (I know that once they start pipping, the humidity will go up, so what should pre-humidity be?)

3. How does it work...like, I mean, when it's time for lockdown (which is 7 am tomorrow for me), do I just transfer all the eggs on day 18 to the hatcher? Or should I just put the 9 guinea eggs that have weeks to go in the 2nd incubator, and just use the incubator they are in as the hatcher?


TYIA!!

 

[mlm Mike]

Question about moving eggs to hatcher.

I'm getting my temp right in the 2nd incubator I picked up yesterday. This is my first time using a "hatcher", so I have a couple of questions.

1: What should the temp be in the hatcher before I add eggs?

2: What should my humidity be in the hatcher before I add eggs? (I know that once they start pipping, the humidity will go up, so what should pre-humidity be?)

3. How does it work...like, I mean, when it's time for lockdown (which is 7 am tomorrow for me), do I just transfer all the eggs on day 18 to the hatcher? Or should I just put the 9 guinea eggs that have weeks to go in the 2nd incubator, and just use the incubator they are in as the hatcher?


TYIA!!

The normal temp you would hatch at 99.5 F for me, I think some lower the temp .5 degrees to 99.
Humidity normal humidity you hatch at, 60% - 65%
Yes, transfer the eggs going into lockdown to the hatcher.

 

[WHmarans]

This is a somewhat complicated lockdown for me because I have 2 incubators but eggs on 3 different schedules. I'm not really sure when the first eggs should pip because they were under a broody (not part of the HAL). But I think they're a couple days ahead of the middle largest group of eggs which are due the 19th. So the first group is going to not get much of a lock down. On thursday or friday I plan to fit the first and second group into a lockdown incubator and would ideally see hatching go on in that incubator through even Monday of next week because Saturday is hatch day for the second group. Ill have to be pulling out chicks from the first group during hatching of the second group but Ill just try to limit chick removal to once per day and aside from nearly parking myself over the incubator for the better part of a week, I hope it'll all go ok. ... Just trying to get by until hatch day.. Here is a picture from last summer.

I hatched out bunches of wheaten marans chicks and brooded most in a 55 gal aquarium and the cold frame brooder. They all did great.

 

[coopsbyty]

Good morning all! Locked down the seramas last night all 11 I had at last candle still going strong!

 

[realtreegirl]

I candled last night the remaining 13 shipped silkie eggs are all looking good. All the air scas look to have healed! They have been in the auto turner since day 5. I started with 27 out of the 14 I removed I had 1 stuck and one quiter the other 12 where either scrambled or didn't even start to develop. The stuck one and the quiter where the size of a little bean so they were probably about a week old or so. All 15 of my own backyard mix eggs are looking good.

Lockdown is Friday!!!! I am getting so excited I hope my Silkies keep going I can bot wait to see them pop out of those tiny little shells

I need to decide whether to hatch in cartons or lay on side on bottom of bator. I have been leaning toward cartons but ithe the eggs looking so good air cell wise I am now rethinking. Any suggestions from experienced shipped egg hatchers?