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

[Audio51]

My last broody is hatching her eggs now. She has 2 so far out of 6. I also have chicks hatching in the bator I have 6 in there now. All these split hatches are killing me. I have more to hatch next week also. It seems everytime I get more space in the incubator ,more eggs fall back into it. Lol!! Same thing with my other bator also.

at least i can sell them almost as fast as I hatch.. Literally!!

It is amazing how the eggs just end up in there, isn't it? I think the hens must be sneaking in at night and laying them directly in the 'bator.....

Quote: THe spirals scare me with little babies. I'm always afraid I am going to break thier little legs.....

I did just PM DMRippy about the elastic bands. They sound perfect for little ones!

Quote:
I have been using the Zip ties too and they have worked well for me. But I am hatching for a very busy lady and worry about her forgetting to replace them as the chicks grow, The elastic ones sound more forgiving.

Quote: It looks like the Cinco de Mayo one this links to is designed around Turkey hatch dates. Chicken eggs would not be set for another week. I just set 20 chicken eggs and am wondering if there is another HAL these could be for....

Quote: I open mine completely when candling and never have a problem. The broody hen gets up off the eggs at least once a day for 30 or more minutes so they should be fine.

RIP MICKEY ROONEY, THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS..FOR THOSE OF US THAT REMEMBER. AND FOR THOSE OLD SOULS, BUT YOUNG IN AGE THAT LOVE THE OLD MOVIES.

He will be missed!

 

[Pozees]

Just last year one of the movie channels ran a tribute week/month (can't remember) to Mickey Rooney and we watched a lot of them - most of the Andy Hardy movies, several of the movies he did with Judy Garland. Really fun stuff, and very entertaining. He was just a bundle of energy.

 

[Cynthia12]

Just last year one of the movie channels ran a tribute week/month (can't remember) to Mickey Rooney and we watched a lot of them - most of the Andy Hardy movies, several of the movies he did with Judy Garland. Really fun stuff, and very entertaining. He was just a bundle of energy.

I almost posted a photo of him with Judy, man, you can't think of him without thinking of her. They grew up together in the movies, and made a lot together. Then there was the classic one with Elizabeth Taylor. National Velvet.

Loved it..here it is in a nutshell. )

 

[Happy Chooks]

uphilljill
2 NEW chicken-themed kitchen towels (CAN DO CANADA)
Arent they cool!

Beautiful!

Quote: I got them at my feed store in various sizes. But these are the same. I've used them for chicks, but not for adults. I may be giving them a try with adults as I have some Houdinis that manage to get out of the cellulose bandettes.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/321176020430?lpid=82

Just stopping in to say hi. Been a busy few weeks and I am 1309 posts behind.

LOCKDOWN, half are Shipped Blue Salmon Favs and the others are brahma and CCL
Didnt pull a single egg at candle!

GO CHICKIES, only one internal so far in a SF!
GO BATORS GO!! I am so happy I could SCREAM it couldnt have worked out better! SERIOUSLY! YAYYAYYAAAAY!!

God is GOOD!

Awesome!

Morning everyone!! Ehhh I guess it's good afternoon for me!

I have a confession I'm really proud of... I have not opened my bator since.... SATURDAY!!!!! WOO HOO! haha

Step slowly away from the bator.

My pyle leghorn made it! I did not need to assist this one, I had to leave for work early this morning but I've been checking in on a live webcam every so often.
*Also, a Marans hatched as well, so I've got two of seven as of right now.

If I use this incubator again I think I need more water at lockdown- the wells have run dry and I can't open it to put more water in.

None of the EE's have hatched yet that I can tell. Something to look forward to at the end of the day. Wow thanks everybody- I would not know what to do without you guys!

Congrats!

Yesterday morning we chatted about the topic of elevation and the use of vent plugs. I am located at 7,700 feet, so I pulled my plugs to get as much air flowing as possible. I got the temperature stabilized again, but the humidity dropped to 20% (it's very dry here). I put one vent plug back in and added 2 more of my humidity cups (for a total of 3). This stabilized things at 99.7F and 40%.

This morning I decided to try and get the other vent plug out and stabilize the humidity. I added 2 more humidity cups (for a total of 5) and have been watching the temp carefully. The temperature I have gotten back up and stabilized, but the humidity just refuses to climb any higher than 20%. I don't have much more room for humidity cups, and am a little hesitant to fill the water reservoirs in the bottom of the incubator, as I've heard the water can be a real pain to get out if it's too much.

I know the answer to all humidity questions lies in the "watch the air cell" answer, but seeing as how I've had the humidity stable at 37-40% this entire hatch, I would think I should be trying to keep it there, even if it means filling a reservoir.

Any thoughts/advice? Thanks!!!

Clean sponges are supposed to really help with humidity.

Does anyone know a good method for cleaning of very sticky chicks?

I've been trying warm water and a q-tip but it seems too slow (don't like having the chick out in the cool room too long), and it's not really doing a great job of cleaning them up.

I don't wash my sticky chicks unless it restricts wing or head movement. I don't get many sticky chicks, but I've found that they preen themselves and fluff up on their own in a couple of days. So I choose to not risk chilling them by getting them wet. I did have one chick once that could not move it's wings, and I washed that chick under warm water and then gave it the blow dry treatment.

So my two Midget White turkey hens went broody (in the same nest) this weekend. I have 4 turkey and 7 chicken eggs in the incubator due to hatch the weekend AFTER Easter that I'm thinking of giving to them. I know chickens will hatch anything, but are chicken eggs to fragile for turkey? Also, should I separate the hens? They seem pretty happy together...

I've heard of others letting turkeys brood chicken eggs.

RIP MICKEY ROONEY, THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS..FOR THOSE OF US THAT REMEMBER. AND FOR THOSE OLD SOULS, BUT YOUNG IN AGE THAT LOVE THE OLD MOVIES.

 

[Cynthia12]

Happy Chooks..like your Avatar.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Happy Chooks..like your Avatar.

Thanks, first time since I've joined that I've changed.

 

[chiqita]

Does anyone know a good method for cleaning of very sticky chicks?

I've been trying warm water and a q-tip but it seems too slow (don't like having the chick out in the cool room too long), and it's not really doing a great job of cleaning them up.

if they have not fluffed up, and i'm worried they are too sticky for temp control, I do what i call a " do over" O wash then in warm snuggly water with a tad of soap, and put them back in the bator. They fluff up in about 20 min, and i take them out. Better then loosing them to cold.
I gave up trying to keep up with he thread, but i'm trying again! we shall see how it goes, lol, you people are like wildfire!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: I love the change too! Your BeUuuuutiful!

 

[ozexpat]

Yesterday morning we chatted about the topic of elevation and the use of vent plugs. I am located at 7,700 feet, so I pulled my plugs to get as much air flowing as possible. I got the temperature stabilized again, but the humidity dropped to 20% (it's very dry here). I put one vent plug back in and added 2 more of my humidity cups (for a total of 3). This stabilized things at 99.7F and 40%.

This morning I decided to try and get the other vent plug out and stabilize the humidity. I added 2 more humidity cups (for a total of 5) and have been watching the temp carefully. The temperature I have gotten back up and stabilized, but the humidity just refuses to climb any higher than 20%. I don't have much more room for humidity cups, and am a little hesitant to fill the water reservoirs in the bottom of the incubator, as I've heard the water can be a real pain to get out if it's too much.

I know the answer to all humidity questions lies in the "watch the air cell" answer, but seeing as how I've had the humidity stable at 37-40% this entire hatch, I would think I should be trying to keep it there, even if it means filling a reservoir.

Any thoughts/advice? Thanks!!!

If your eggs are locally laid, I would not get too stressed - hopefully you can evaluate air cell development.

If the eggs are from the low lands.....

I would try a channel in the floor. As its so dry, the water will evaporate fairly fast so distilled water wont form deposits in your bator. Throw a couple of pennies in the water to keep it free of algae. People say you need old pennies but the new ones still have the same amount of copper cladding and thus copper surface ares in contact with the water. You are a long way from hatch so if the water in the channel is over the top with its humidity effects, you still can dry it up.

I would also consider a small fish tank airator with a tube pumping air into the bator for the last week. Just a thought on how to ensure your eggs get the most oxxygen they can,

 

[Blarneyeggs]

Happy Chooks! Love that avatar! We lost 4 hives last season and was just looking them over today thinking about how to recover.

Got my second planting of lettuce, carrots, spinach and radishes in today just before the rain. Oh yeah, I'm happy!