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

[Tau in]

I am interested in the hatch along. I will set chicken and maybe bantam eggs

 

[angelobutter]

welcome to my world! lol I just know it is Friday bc I was waiting for today all week...we have eggs due today (day 21!!!) and a prego foster cat due to whelp (is that the word with cats, like it is with dogs?)

with cats it is called "queening"

 

[Hayduke27]

20% is too low and research has shown it will cause chicks that stick. Try hitting 30 to 40%

One or two of these added to the incubator on it's side will raise humidity about 5 to 7%. You may need two or three to get to 30%.

This is still dry incubation--which is defined as being below normal incubation humidity--Which is 55%.



notice the notches cut in the lid.

Awesome, thanks for the info! I will work on bumping the humidity up today.

 

[Cynthia12]

I Want To Participate

 

[LBKS]

Ok, so this is my first hatch, I plan on having a total of between 30-40 eggs in the incubator, not sure of the final count just yet. I have the incubator stabilizing right now, and the temperature is just about settled on 99.7, so I am feeling pretty good about it. My question is this: the humidity is hanging at 20%. This is the natural humidity, I have not added any water yet. Should I try to bump that up a touch to 25%, or is 20% good enough until lock down time?

Second question: I have a styrofoam incubator with a fan. There are water troughs in the bottom I can fill with water to adjust humidity levels. However, I have read that sometimes a wet paper towel is the way to go. Any opinions?

I'm counting the hours...

You also might want to check in your state thread too - see what people near you find works best. I have learned at least in my local climate not adding any moisture during incubation is the way to go. It is simply humid enough here that doing nothing keeps the humidity at an appropriate 'dry hatch' level of 30 something percent. I had significantly better hatch rates once I switched to that, but it wouldn't necessarily work for someone in different climate. If you had a desert climate for example it would be downright disaster.

 

[mlm Mike]

I am interested in the hatch along. I will set chicken and maybe bantam eggs

Welcome!

 

[Cynthia12]

I'm totally in on this one! I've never done a hatch along but had eggs going in tomorrow anyway I'll be putting them in before 9am as I have to work all day. I'll be setting ** total eggs. These will be Birchen Marans and Olive Eggers. If I need to add some BYM to get to ** I will. I haven't caught up on all the posts but wanted to get my name in there!

 

[mlm Mike]

I believe the next contest to close will be the wet fowl, closes April 2nd, Midnight PST.

Get your entries in!​

Contest #6 5th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-A-Long​

Show us your most soaked fowl​

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IN THE​

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WET POULTRY CONTEST!​

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Rules:

All BYC in Continental US, since it has a prize of hatching eggs.

No pools or ponds allowed for all poultry except ducks and geese.

Picture must be taken in the past year.

No photoshopped pictures.

No more than 2 entries per member.

A panel of judges will determine the winning entry.





Prize: 6+ Crested Cream Legbar eggs donated by sonew123


contest opens: March 13,2014

closes: April 2nd,2014 Midnight PST

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GOOD LUCK!​

 

[Cynthia12]

I'm in for sure! Will post what I will be hatching later today. ....=D

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I'm in I want to join

Update on my incubator temps:
They are much better this morning. Right now (13 hours after set), two of my temp gauges are showing 100, one 99.7. So I'm happy at this point. I'll watch to make sure they don't go up much more than that.

I really appreciate the encouragement from all the night owls!

Quote:
I must now experiment! to find a source that will equal internal temps that is like consistency to the inner egg and that will not go bad, perhaps motor oil! ha ha ha jk!

While you wait anxiously for set time, help me name my favorite NYD chick. She's an EE - cream with purple, black, and grey markings. Very calm disposition. She's my favorite, and it's time she had a name.

Lovely "Harlequin"

I have had chickens(hens) for over a year, but I am new to hatching. I have read all the learning center hatching 101 and I think I'm ready to do this. Please add me to the hatch a long!

PLEASE tell us about your GORGEOUS ice sculpture!!

I am interested in the hatch along. I will set chicken and maybe bantam eggs

Quote:

I TOTALLY agree with this, there are so many variables for each person, incubator types, size of fans, age of eggs and on and onnnnnn.
Where I live I have to vary my humidity levels even just a few weeks apart!

HOWEVER, it all comes back to achieving the ultimate weight loss in the egg. HUMIDITY is NOT a SET NUMBER! its a tool and thats all!

Thermos and hygros are calibrated?

I suggest NOT using the channels for water in your incubator, its too hard to remove water down there, start small size dishes and work your way up to where you need it. add a flat type plastic frozen food container and put a sponge in it, at lockdown you can use the water wells because you shouldnt have to remove water and remember at lockdown, no open containers with water, always sponges in them or marbles as chicks can drown.

I cant wait for you to hatch!!!!