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

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: just remember its better to have a tad higher temp than anything lower than 99.5, I run my bators at 100-101 with great success with calibrated equipment. I need to do the salt calibration on my new hygros though...

Eventually I am just skipping the digitals and going to do a wet bulb hygro and wick.
We're both running still air, so closer to 102°F on TOP of the eggs works best. That puts bottom of eggs around 97°F & center 99-100°F.
definitely!

I wont use Chads styro I have here, it don't have a fan either.

 

[Gardeningmama]

Kind of off-topic, but not really....

With all the eggs I plan to set for this hatch-a-long, I'm gonna need more room. I posted this in the "managing your flock" section earlier, but I wanted to post it here in the hopes I get a quicker response. I'm gonna copy and paste the post:

Here's my set up right now:

1 EE Cockerel and 8 Barred Rock/Barred Rock cross hens. They are in an 8X4 coop with a covered, attached run that is about 30-40 square feet. The BR's and cross hens have been in this coop since spring of last year. The EE was recently acquired, and has been in that coop since December.


1 Chocolate Orpington Bantam cockerel and 1 Chocolate Orpington Bantam pullet (not laying yet). They are in a 8X12 coop. I just got this pair in December, and since the other chickens beat the crap out of both of them when I tried integrating, I put them in the bigger coop. No run is attached to this coop.

All these chickens free-range from noon to dark.

Inside my house in a brooder: 2 Tolbunt Polish (1 cockerel, 1 pullet) about 5 months old. Acquired in January. Also, 5 Barred Rock chicks that are 8 weeks old, hatched NYD.


Here's what I WANT to do, but have no idea HOW to do it:

I want to move the EE roo and BR girls to the 8x12 coop, and the bantams to the 4x8. I wanna do a switcheroo. The reason being: I'm going to be hatching eggs for Easter, and some of them are going to be bantams, possibly some silkies, but I also am going to be hatching some large breeds as well. So the large breeds will eventually be integrated with the EE roo and hens. So they need more room. The bantams/polish/possible silkies take up LESS room, and I won't have as many of those, so they can make it in the smaller coop.

So how do I do this? The bantams put themselves to bed in the bigger coop, and the EE and BR's put themselves to be in the smaller coop. How do I get them to switch...meaning, how can I get to the point where after free-ranging, the EE and BR's put themselves to bed in the BIG coop, and the bantams put themselves to bed in the smaller coop????

TYIA

EDITED TO ADD:

Both of these coops are one building, with a wall separating the two parts. I was also considering cutting an opening...a chicken door...in the wall so that the chickens can go from one coop to another, but I don't know if that will work, or if it will cause territory issues with the chickens and roos, since they are 2 separate flocks (even though one flock only consists of 2 chickens). I am definitely building a covered run for the big coop, once this polar weather goes bye-bye.

It's not gonna happen overnight. I really liked Silkies idea, even though your birds might not like it so much. It took me months to get my 4 EE's to switch coops. They were soo stubborn. In that sense the freezing spell we had helped because then they wanted to be in there.

EXAMPLE of why I tell everyone if they have a malposition (pipped wrong end) and its chirping and getting air LET THEM ALONE just note the time and keep an eye on them!
I got lucky to catch a video of one today....


EXCUSE the WHITE OUTS thats the bator lights kicking on and off sorry!

Mine always hatch out,...even though you did have to talk me down from helping that last time..

Hard to beleive it is that time of year again!!!!

I'm in , just need to figure out what to hatch. Hmmmm . . .. easter eggers me thinks!!!!!

Hey lady... Nice to see you still have your clothes on

Quote: The white eggs in the basket was why I hatched out Barred Hollands for the New Years Hatch-A-Long. Funny how important having EVERY color can become!

Quote: Oh Yes....Just Wait.....

Love this lady! My kinda gal

Why couldn't I have had a crazy great aunt like this??

 

[ronott1]

We're both running still air, so closer to 102°F on TOP of the eggs works best. That puts bottom of eggs around 97°F & center 99-100°F.

definitely!

I wont use Chads styro I have here, it don't have a fan either.

We were talking about temps on the Northern CA thread. This hatch I incubated at 100 and hatched at 97.7.

The lower temp at hatch increases the Oxygen which helps them a bunch.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I only go to 98.5 - 99 as I have an inlet air hole behind fan for hatch. And you do this when? day 18 or with pips beginning?
I will have to check out some trials and studies on that much drop in temp, interesting thanks Ron

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Nevermind I found something, all the studies say ill effects below 98, but this "Hubbard Guide" suggests otherwise, NOTE the temp reduction days

still looking for a clinical study or trial showing this, not sure I am phrasing it correct in google or something

but its after midnight and I am tired so that could be it as well!



http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/managementguides/Incubation guide (english).pdf

 

[ronott1]

Nevermind I found something, all the studies say ill effects below 98, but this "Hubbard Guide" suggests otherwise, NOTE the temp reduction days

still looking for a clinical study or trial showing this, not sure I am phrasing it correct in google or something

but its after midnight and I am tired so that could be it as well!



http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/managementguides/Incubation guide (english).pdf

I try for 98 on day 19. I hatched like that all of last year with good results.

Go to sleep!

 

[abmaddox1981]

I'm officially an addict. Took some roos to the auction, came home with 13 Silver Cuckoo Marans chicks and a dozen RIR hatching eggs. I need a bigger brooder.....

 

[Jessshan8]

Well I finally got my hatcher completed minus the wire hatching trays For the Easter hatch and the Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon. I gave it an operational test today and finally have it tweeked in and adjusted. I had to change out the fan to a larger one to get adequate air flow to even out the temps. Temp hold within a degree between the top and the bottom. Here is the pics of the progress between start and finish. Built this to go along with my 1266 GQF That I recently bought at a thrift shop and repaired. I am all set now for this seasons hatch.

 

[Corny Caleb]

I'm going to wiggle check emu egg A. tomorrow again, too see if anythings going

(It takes WAY too long to hatch emus FYI lol).

 

[Razadia]

Nevermind I found something, all the studies say ill effects below 98, but this "Hubbard Guide" suggests otherwise, NOTE the temp reduction days

still looking for a clinical study or trial showing this, not sure I am phrasing it correct in google or something

but its after midnight and I am tired so that could be it as well!



http://www.hubbardbreeders.com/managementguides/Incubation guide (english).pdf

I'm saving this for when I can finally hatch chickens again. I sold my crazy and evil rooster late last year, so no fertile eggs from them. Funny thing is, mom told me that one of the older girls decided to go broody. Did she have to wait till Red was gone?