THE MOTHER'S DAY HATCH-A-LONG!!!! The last day to join in and set eggs with us is April 28th.

[what did I do]

Hi everyone! I have a question for the more experienced than I. This is our first try with incubating and so far (knock on wood) we are having great success. We started with 42 and have 39 still growing as of day 16. We did a full candle and could see everyone of them moving. So we are on day 18! Lock down today, my question is, what do you use in your incubators under the eggs, I have seen some use cheese cloth, looks like some use the non slip shelf liner with the little holes in it? We are using a hovabator 1588 and it has the wire floor over the plastic liner. I wanted to do what was best for a the chicks.  Thanks for any ideas or opinions.

edit - grammer

I just put the eggs on the wire floor.

Hatching eggs is messy and as soon as they finish you need to clean the bator.

 

[donnavee]

I have a question... Do the ducks hatch out easily or do they tend to need help. I swear I have heard from other oils that they can't get duckso hatch on their own. They can't gt out of their shell. I have one pipped right now but it looks different. A chick pip tends to look like a hole. This duck pip looks more like a cracked mound push up from the inside. As it try to zip, much the same thing. Cracking, mounding shell, but it doesn't actually crack through the shell. Like making crack on the inside of the hell, bit it doesn't crack through to the outside of the shell.
I don't know if this makes sense or not. I also read somewhere it can and will take 48 hrs from pip to pop on a duk, where typically its more 24 hr-ish or chicks before you help.
(I just really want some ducks to hatch! My kids hearts are set on it!)

I can only speak for call ducks - and we have had most of them hatch fine, but found through experience if they don't come out on their own after about 12 hrs, they probably need some help. We let the 1st one chirp and struggle for over 24hrs before finally helping it out. Poor little thing was stuck, and looked horrible for a few days. Then it perked up and now is sitting on her own little clutch of eggs - they are due to hatch on Mother's Day which is very cool. This year we helped one out after a few hours and it was in much better shape. It was stuck, so it would have died without our help.

Good luck!

 

[zookeeper15133]

Right now my two hatchery quality buff orpingtons are broody, and my SQ blue orpington is pretending to be broody for hours at a time, but not all the time, (maybe because the BO steals her eggs?) I only have one BO separated out into a broody pen, maybe I should make another nesting box so the two broodies can knit the quilts together. Sigh. Part of me is wondering if having a flock full of orpingtons is a good idea?


Love the chirping stories! Glad I'm not the only one with random chirp tinnitus.

Right now I only have 4 broody hens. Come the end of July, I will be getting very few eggs. I have Silkies and Cochins. How many broodies fit in a nest box? At least 5 with whoever's not broody climbing on top to lay!

 

[lcammack]

I love this stuff.. best thing in the world to prevent spraddle legs..
I use it in the bators at hatch as well as in the brooders

I just put the eggs on the wire floor.

Hatching eggs is messy and as soon as they finish you need to clean the bator.

Thanks guys! I love the direct confident answers that all of you provide. You are all so helpful!

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Hi everyone! I have a question for the more experienced than I. This is our first try with incubating and so far (knock on wood) we are having great success. We started with 42 and have 39 still growing as of day 16. We did a full candle and could see everyone of them moving. So we are on day 18! Lock down today, my question is, what do you use in your incubators under the eggs, I have seen some use cheese cloth, looks like some use the non slip shelf liner with the little holes in it? We are using a hovabator 1588 and it has the wire floor over the plastic liner. I wanted to do what was best for a the chicks.  Thanks for any ideas or opinions.

edit - grammer

I tried cheesecloth----There are two sides. Love it because it is absorbant, and it does not get wet and make the eggs wet because it breaths, seems to be more stable. BUT after the chicks come out, their little feet get tangled in it and it drags all over. So if I can get the chicks right out I love it. If I am in and out and know I won't be close all the they are hatching, the shelf liner is what I use. I am going to try a flour sack dish towel remnant this time to see if I like that.

 

[HEChicken]

I use the shelf liner after hearing recommendations on it on here. I like that it allows for good air circulation so the water is still able to add humidity and the fan is able to circulate the air right up through it (in my home-made, the fan and water are in the bottom of the incubator, then there is a shelf covered by shelf liner and the eggs sit on that, above the water and fan). Also, it is easily washable but also so cheap I don't mind just throwing it out and cutting a new piece for the next incubation. The chicks have no problems getting a purchase on it as they learn to walk, and it is a softer, spongier surface for them than directly on the wire.

 

[Cynthia12]

Hi everyone! I have a question for the more experienced than I. This is our first try with incubating and so far (knock on wood) we are having great success. We started with 42 and have 39 still growing as of day 16. We did a full candle and could see everyone of them moving. So we are on day 18! Lock down today, my question is, what do you use in your incubators under the eggs, I have seen some use cheese cloth, looks like some use the non slip shelf liner with the little holes in it? We are using a hovabator 1588 and it has the wire floor over the plastic liner. I wanted to do what was best for a the chicks. Thanks for any ideas or opinions.

edit - grammer

Here's a picture of the shelf liner I use. I find it at our dollar store out here.
These are some Silkies in lock down right now. They weren't at the time, but I do leave the middle open for the moisture to be able to spread out. I use two sponges, and a dish towel to keep the humidity up around 65 or 66. I keep both plugs open during the whole incubation time..that's why all the sponges and towel.

But they do well on this stuff. I also tried the cheese cloth..and had the same experience. Little stickery toe nails getting caught.

 

[wolftracks]

I use the shelf liner after hearing recommendations on it on here. I like that it allows for good air circulation so the water is still able to add humidity and the fan is able to circulate the air right up through it (in my home-made, the fan and water are in the bottom of the incubator, then there is a shelf covered by shelf liner and the eggs sit on that, above the water and fan). Also, it is easily washable but also so cheap I don't mind just throwing it out and cutting a new piece for the next incubation. The chicks have no problems getting a purchase on it as they learn to walk, and it is a softer, spongier surface for them than directly on the wire.

Ditto on the shelf liner. It they get too icky they're cheap enough to toss. Otherwise I clean wish soap, water and bleach.

 

[1hotmoma]

I just started lock down. I posted earlier that I had a few eggs stuck to the turner. Well I was finally able to get them off. Of course they were either not fertile or rotten. I hope to have better luck with the other ones.

 

[kvmommy]

I saw someone mention to clean the incubator immediately...well last hatch my husband moved my bators downstairs because we had company. I ASSUMED he must have cleaned them out. Now why would I assume that considering its impossible for him to take initiative on anything...I don't know. So...fast forward 2 weeks. There is the most nasty smell in the basement. I sniff it out and its my incubators. Filled with water from the hatch and yolk from 2 eggs that pierced thru the yolk and drowned but dripped into the water plus regular hatch mess. Dear Lord, there was nothing in this world that smelled as bad. It smelled like death when I opened them. As I was taking them outside my daughter ran right into me and I spilled some of the liquid on her. So gagging, I rush her to the bathroom where I immediately scrubbed her repeatedly til she was almost in tears. Then I soaked, soaped, bleached, peroxided, soaked, bleached, alcoholed, soaked, soaped, bleached and lysoled it. Then set it in the sun to dry where my chickens promptly ate over half of the LG bottom and a big chunk of the hovabator. Lesson learned. Clean the bators immediately after hatching and don't trust DH to be self motivated.