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

[Noncentzter]

Have you subscribed to that thread yet?

Yep, just did!

 

[Penny Hen]

I was kidding, but what on earth is a protagonist??? now I am serious!! ha ha ha

The leading man or woman of a story. But serriously, couldn't you see a Dark Brahma roo named Othello?

 

[Gardeningmama]

Quote:
Oh, yes, we flock together

. You should join the FB page Poultry Keepers of York County. Lots more of us, and we meet up once a month for drinks.

 

[Penny Hen]

You have to share this project. I am very interested. I could use my existing dishwasher and it would not only give me a in incubator but a new dishwasher.

Well I am going to document it thouroughly. I am going to write instructions that will allow even newbies who have never even wired a simple circuit from a battery to a lightbulb to be able to follow. And I am going to explain some things that experienced electricians and carpenters might know the reasons you do little things that never get mentioned in the instructions. Like when wiring a thermostat into the power supply you really don't want to strip more than what is going to touch the contacts. Common sense and if you are using the water heater thermostat that hooks around the screw not really a problem if you are not real precise. But the kind where you insert the end of the wire into the box and screw the clamp shut, you should not have more than 1/4 inch bare wire. I had about 1/16th more than that and while shifting the thermostat while it was plugged up it sparked and shorted out.

So now I have to call ChickenSmart and see if she has room in her incubator for 11 eggs or wire the Water heater Therm back in that allowed the temps to reach 131˚ F last time.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Humidity can vary but that is because it is moderated to make sure the air cells develop corectly by days 7, 14 and 18 going into lockdown. I use a diagram and then candle to be sure air cell is getting large enough. I just hatched running at 16% humdity and still thought the eggs did not have air cells large enough. THe right size air cell is the key to survival at hatch.

As there is no fan then 102 at the top of the egg is correct-- just right.

Fan is not a requirement, just move eggs around to different locations for best results.

I hand turn so put fish tank thermometers on paper cups cut to half the height of the eggs and with a fan , shoot for 100 or slightly higher.

If you are using a turner, the temp can be taken at the height of the turner. Again 100 degrees.

Hens are 102 degrees and settle their bare chest on the eggs. In a nest, the eggs are insulated and her heat keeps all the eggs fairly warm, of course she turns them a lot herself and the temps are 102 on top of the eggs. Not above the eggs but right at the top of the eggs.

I measure in several places as temps vary in different locations in my LG. I like to use 3 thermomters, and move the eggs around.

 

[ocap]

ok yall, so i got my incubator going and i been trying to regulate.. so far im at temp 102 ..humidity 54%.. how do i get the temp down without losing the humidity ? what levels do you all use for temp and humidity .. o and im using a 25 watt bulb.. we poked holes in the styrofoam to help lower the temp ( it was 106) .. btw a friend of ours has gathered me 7 eggs from his chickens..theres some mottled and blue cochin eggs(4) and 1 pheonix, and 2 more im not sure what he got ( i know hes got some game bantams of sorts and polish - prob some of that) .. so i am excited.. my 13 yr old son is especially excited about the pheonix egg he hopes it hatches and he hopes its a roo..lol.. he has claimed it already. so i gotta fix my incubator.. lol.. help please!!

"Sally Sunshine" has done a "Hatching 101" article and that is where I started in learning about regulating temp and humidity then read the information that was included in the incubator I bought then hatched chicks then reread "Hatching 101" then found this thread am learning more and more thanks to all. Try and find the "Dry Hatch" information on this web site, that helped me also.

 

[Wisher1000]

When are we supposed to set for this hatch? I don't guess it really matters, I will have batches running constantly for the next two years (if I continue like I'm going!)

Yesterday, I loaded the biggest hatch to date in my bator, 71 eggs! I actually filled (nearly) both egg trays on one of the shelves. I have been using just the front egg tray on each shelf to keep up with what week they are on by sight. A local BYCer came over to bring me a couple of Greenfire Marans roosters and brought 3 1/2 dozen fertile eggs from her flock. They are mixed, but look very nice. I had set the other tray of eggs yesterday morning before she arrived and it contains my first sizable number of Silver Campine eggs - the hatch before it has my very first, two SC eggs and it is due the 14th - so I am really looking forward to that hatch.

Do any of you incubate your eggs upright, then lay them on their sides for hatch? I could fit more into my hatcher if I did, but I'm afraid they will not get into the proper position to pip and zip. My bator runs a little high and my eggs usually start to internally pip on day 19 and most of my hatches are done on day 21. I am tempted to try, but not with this batch, those SC eggs are too important to me.

On another note, yesterday was such a beautiful day!

DH and I transplanted a Redbud tree from between the house and AC unit, to the front yard. It has been growing well there behind the AC, the trunk is about an inch and a half thick and it is over 14 feet tall. It is mainly one central leader, but forks at about the 5 foot mark and both those branches are almost the same. I may prune one of them off later, after it is well established in it's new location. As you can imagine, we were pretty rough on the roots but did our best. I hope it makes it.

We also did some major pruning on my Weeping Willow which had already started to leaf out! Today, I hope to get a couple of the flower beds cleaned out and turned and ready to plant. I love spring! It is spring, if I keep insisting, it will have to be!

 

[SilkieSensation]

Must be nice Wisher! I woke up to freezing rain this morning...grrrr

 

[sasimpson77]

So very excited going to pick up two cabinet incubators this morning. Wish I wasn't working all day would love to be able to come home and set them up right away but I am working a special event for work so I will probably be up late tonight playing with them.

 

[mlm Mike]

@Wisher1000 Set day for chickens in March 29 (noon whatever your time zone).