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

[eggorthechicken]

I need to make correction. I stated that I had chicks hatching on day 19, well I refigured it is actually day 20. Still though it is a day early, 5 so far.

That happens to be quite often...a day or 2 early. Last year i had a duckling hatch 3 days earlier than the others..set same time.

 

[chicken pickin]

You have to put something heavy on top of the strawberry containers to keep the little houdinis from escaping.
I use mesh drawstring bags for pedigreeing.

I just keep the lids attached and close them after I put the eggs in. It closes up very tight and chicks cant knock it open. The lid and bottom of the strawberry container have pre slit air holes so they are not air tight sealed in.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I saw some post somewhere with a link to some shrimp bags I think but can't find anywhere. They were an even better idea than the strawberry container. Do you have a pic of the bags you use?

I found 100 at a flea market. They had a shrimp label on them that I have to remove.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Okay… I checked the temps in my homemade bator with my brand spankin new Spot Check. The temp on the "floor" was 96.4 while the "ceiling" temp was 103.6. This is forced air! So, I adjusted the direction of my fan to point more upward, and the temps have stabilized and are the same floor to ceiling.

But that temp is 101.6.

That's too high, right? Right now, there are no eggs and the humidity is only 50%. What will happen to the temp overall when I add eggs and more humidity? Should I do that and then fiddle with the temp to bring it down a couple of degrees?

I bet it will come down when you add the eggs. Just keep an eye on it. Since it's circulated, you want to shoot for 99.5*.

We have a welsummer roo, and a bunch of dual purpose hens. This is the first time we have done meat birds with our own eggs. We have no idea how this will go.

Welsummer culls make great dinner. I've processed several. I've also raised meaties.

My Day 18 (19th day) starts in a few hours so I have stopped the turners and will be locking down after candling around midnight. Could not sleep last night and had dreams about some weird chicks. They popped out of a hole in the ground and kept coming until I had to block the hole. Turns out they were not chicken chicks and were some sort of dino-monster chicks disguised as chicken chicks. Thats when my wife woke me up.

Gotta love chicken dreams!

Does this look like an ok lock down set up??

As long as they have air circulation, they'll be fine.

so day 18 is today for the eggs i set the 14th...does this mean seramas go on lockdown too if they were set the 16th?

and i set another egg the 15th, so it on day 17 now...would it be ok just to move it to lockdown too?

They will be fine to lock down together. Only 1 day difference isn't going to matter.

My first-time broody is doing well with her five eggs. I think she'll stick.

Broody folk: how do you check the eggs without pestering the hen. Impossible? Is lifting the hen the same as lifting the bator lid? I want to monitor her hatching babies, but I don't want to fiddle her to death. Just walk away and let Nature handle it?

It really depends on the broody. I have some that don't care if I check under them, and others that want to be left alone. You can check at night when things are calmer. Be sure to check the coop often to make sure one isn't out from under the hen and getting cold.

OMG! WOKE UP TO FIND THIS LITTLE SERMA! DOING THE SNOOPY DANCE! #chick #bantams #fluffybutts #cuteness #hatching

Congrats!

Two are out.... I am so happy the one that pipped the wrong end made it out.

Now I have one left that has pipped in the middle.

Good job waiting! I'll bet the middl pipper will make it out too.

I went to put them in lockdown and a little something stuck to my finger...a piece of shell...it's a pip! I hear chirping! Go chick, go!

Just in time!

Both my accurite thermometers say 97. My spot check says 99.0… which do I believe???

Spot check.

I saw some post somewhere with a link to some shrimp bags I think but can't find anywhere. They were an even better idea than the strawberry container. Do you have a pic of the bags you use?

I wouldn't think you'd be able to get the shrimp bag clean enough. The thought of warm shrimp smell in the bator,

. (and I love shrimp)

 

[RedIII]

OMG! WOKE UP TO FIND THIS LITTLE SERMA! DOING THE SNOOPY DANCE! #chick #bantams #fluffybutts #cuteness #hatching

Yay little baby!

I don't bother broody hens at all.

I confess I biter them just a little, but I mostly feed them and let them do their thing.

For anyone who remembers or has kids and loves Reading Rainbow. Here is the episode we watched when doing our egg strength experiment.

I loved that show! Reading Rainbow, Bill Nye, Magic Schoolbus.....ahh, good times

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Day 19 started for us about 2 hours ago and I noticead about a half hour ago we have our first pip!!!! I believe it is one of the Black Japanes Bantams, so I'm eager to see them hatch with knowing 1/4 die in shell.

Hopeing this is going to be a good hatch!!!

 

[NikkiCole5]

When you say, low do you mean 98? 99? My temp pretty much settled at 99 and only now and then did I catch in at 100. So I'm dithering on whether I should lock down a little later as well. 

Mine was 95 at the bottom of the eggs, so idk what it was on top. I didn't know anything about hatching. I did my best and guessed what to do next. I kept it low because when I wasn't home it would get up to 110! It was insane and hard to keep track of but I finally figured it out and got two baby duckies from it

 

[NikkiCole5]

Is there a way to test the humidity on the little giant still air incubator because it bounces all over the place, the digital reading. I am not too concerned because the air cells look good, but just wondering for lock down?

 

[tatinatimom]

I bought a digital thermometer/ hygrometer from Home Depot for $10 to put inside mine.
My LG was all over the place before lockdown because there was little to no water in it. At lock down after I added the water to the chambers the humidity stayed steady and was fairly dead on with the hygrometer. I think w/o water in it it is VERY temperamental.

 

[Sueg4332]

CHICK FIX
My neighbor broody hatch 7 little chicks, 2 of hers, I planted cochin bantams , 4 hatched and a big black something
what !!!!!!!! Thousands more to come. Big ones, little ones and all different colored ones....
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grooming lunch break over.