The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[campingshaws]

OK I'm ready: 47 eggs!

13 EEs
8 OEs
13 SS
11 SS mixes (amber links, australorp, and FBMC under SS roo).

I tested my thermometers in ice water: the one on top SEEMED accurate, and the big one on the side was 4 degrees low. So I should be ok until my brinsea gets here Tuesday. Right? Does everything look ok? I've never incubated this many eggs.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

As

How long after starting the incubator is it safe to ad more eggs?? I'm still holding onto hope that my cream legbars will lay me an egg!!

As long as you have someplace you can lockdown and hatch, you can put them in whenever you like. I stagger all the time, as long as you keep track of who is due to go into the hatcher when, you can incubate different groups and different species with different hatch dates together.

 

[Mama Bay]

What kind of containers have you all used to separate different types of eggs for lock down?

 

[wornoutmomto3]

Finally! The humidity has settled at 65% and the eggs are in. I would like it a bit lower, but I have tried everything to get it down. I still have some uncooked rice in a cup to help absorb excess moisture. I just put the eggs in so I will keep a close watch for the hour or say to make sure the temp and humidity stabilize quickly.

 

[wornoutmomto3]

I have a question. I have my greatest issues after the first chick or two has hatched. The toddling chicks spin and bump and rotate the other eggs in the hatcher. I have lost quite a few viable chicks because of this. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

 

[chicken pickin]

Finally! The humidity has settled at 65% and the eggs are in. I would like it a bit lower, but I have tried everything to get it down. I still have some uncooked rice in a cup to help absorb excess moisture. I just put the eggs in so I will keep a close watch for the hour or say to make sure the temp and humidity stabilize quickly.

I have used the grocery store strawberry containers since they have lids and air slots already in them. Oops I quoted the wrong person, I meant to quote Mama Bay.

 

[Jessshan8]

I have a question. I have my greatest issues after the first chick or two has hatched. The toddling chicks spin and bump and rotate the other eggs in the hatcher. I have lost quite a few viable chicks because of this. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

http://www.storesupply.com/pc-12194...ucttargetid}&gclid=CMayo7vzqsQCFdKGfgod_F8Aqg

You can use something like this to lay the eggs on it will not eliminate the "kicking" around but greatly reduce it. It is a 14" x 14" wire grid with 1" squares th set the eggs in.

 

[Junibutt]

I have a question. I have my greatest issues after the first chick or two has hatched. The toddling chicks spin and bump and rotate the other eggs in the hatcher. I have lost quite a few viable chicks because of this. What can I do to prevent this from happening again?

The way I dealt with it was I raised the humidity in the room where the incubator was. So opening the incubator to take the newly hatched chick(s) out would not hurt the pipped eggs.

I had a humidifier running plus 4 open pans with hot water at about 120 degrees all around the incubator. (you have to be careful not to drop in the chicks in one of the pans, I almost did)

One of my friends does her hatch in the bathroom for the same reason with hot shower running or the bath tub filled with super hot water.

 

[LadyCluck77]

What kind of containers have you all used to separate different types of eggs for lock down?

The dollar store sells small shallow plastic baskets, used for organization of arts and crafts supplies. I line the bottoms with shelf grip liner, and if you can only fit two baskets, place eggs that you know the chicks will look different in together.
For example, I put my Faverolles with Marans because I know the Faverolles are fuzzy yellow and the Marans are black.
I don't put EE with brown leghorns because they are both chipmunk colored. If I were doing all four, I would put the EE with Faverolles and the Marans with the BL.
Whatever you can find would work just fine if it fits the right size for your incubator and you can line it with the shelf grip. You want the chicks legs to be able to stand without slipping.
If your chicks will look different enough, you may not even need baskets. I don't always use them.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The way I dealt with it was I raised the humidity in the room where the incubator was. So opening the incubator to take the newly hatched chick(s) out would not hurt the pipped eggs.

I had a humidifier running plus 4 open pans with hot water at about 120 degrees all around the incubator. (you have to be careful not to drop in the chicks in one of the pans, I almost did)

One of my friends does her hatch in the bathroom for the same reason with hot shower running or the bath tub filled with super hot water.

I just make sure that my humidity in my bator stays up around the 75% range and I take my chicks out too. I hardly ever loose anymore than 3-4% humidity and I am still well within the safe range even then.