They just keep hatching...

[DmCrawlz]

My neighbor wormed her chickens and had 4 days worth of eggs she was going to toss. We took all 32 of them and put them in the incubator.
I remove the chicks once theyre dry, bit they're 4 days apart, which means I have lifted the lid several times during that 3 hour DO NOT DISTURB period.
Today is days 21 - 24 and 12 have hatched, and 2 are pecking through as we speak.
2 are black with black beaks, they aren't fully black like those awesome Vampire chickens, but they're still pretty cool..
Last time, only one chick hatched, so this is pretty exciting.
Do you have any tips to be a little more successful hatching chicks? Experiences you can share? Thanks
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[ChirpyChicks1]

Have you gotten any more? I know nothing about using an incubator but reading all these posts about “lock down” and temp and humidity makes me not want to!

 

[Kusanar]

My understanding (and I don't hatch, so this is entirely from reading on here) is that the problem with opening the incubator during lock down is that the humidity goes down too low and can "shrink wrap" chicks that are trying to hatch. I believe that I have seen it suggested that you put a wet sponge or rag into the incubator if you have to open it during lock down to boost the humidity fast. Obviously, you don't want the eggs soaking wet, but you could probably mist them with a spray bottle and give them a wet sponge to help keep the humidity up.

 

[DmCrawlz]

Have you gotten any more? I know nothing about using an incubator but reading all these posts about “lock down” and temp and humidity makes me not want to!

One died last night before it hatched. It pecked a good amount of egg out when I went to bed. Overnight, too much air got in. The humidity was 40% when I woke up and the egg still wasnt open. I waited most the day, but it didn't move or anything. I peeled the shell off, the membrane was really stretchy and probably too hard for the chick to get out. Assuming low humidity dried it out. Needless to say, the chick had died.
I thought they were all done for because of the low humidity, but another one has been piping for the last few hours. Hoping it can make it out. Will keep and eye on it....

 

[DmCrawlz]

My understanding (and I don't hatch, so this is entirely from reading on here) is that the problem with opening the incubator during lock down is that the humidity goes down too low and can "shrink wrap" chicks that are trying to hatch. I believe that I have seen it suggested that you put a wet sponge or rag into the incubator if you have to open it during lock down to boost the humidity fast. Obviously, you don't want the eggs soaking wet, but you could probably mist them with a spray bottle and give them a wet sponge to help keep the humidity up.

I agree. I have my incubator outside in my garage. I live in Florida where it is 87 degrees out right now and super humid, so I think it wasn't as drastic when I opened the lid as it would be inside.

 

[Grampascarlett]

Do not open the incubator after they start hatching. I know it's hard but you'll get more successful hatched if you can wait till all are out of their shells

 

[DmCrawlz]

Do not open the incubator after they start hatching. I know it's hard but you'll get more successful hatched if you can wait till all are out of their shells

My problem is the eggs are all several days apart. When the first eggs hatched, I had to take them out because the next one's wouldn't hatch until 4 days later.
Out of 31 total eggs, 5 we're rotten, 11 hatched and 1 died during hatching. The remaining eggs had a hatch date of yesterday and only one hatched, but the humidity was all over the place, so I'm not feeling good about it. I'll give it a couple more days.
I'm assuming some of the ones left weren't ever fertilized. I'll crack them open and let you all know our %. All in all, I'm happy with 11!
Crazy looking at these sweet little birds knowing they were going to get thrown away.

 

[Grampascarlett]

Try to set eggs at least a week apart I did the same thing this time I set on Sunday Tuesday and Thursday but I've got 3 incubators running right now I will try to stick to setting all my eggs on Sundays from now on but I'm sure I'll do it again.

 

[Amer]

Have you gotten any more? I know nothing about using an incubator but reading all these posts about “lock down” and temp and humidity makes me not want to!

It's actually pretty easy. I actually failed on chicken eggs twice because of a bad incubator, and felt like giving up, but I bought an expensive used Brinsea Octagon and followed the instructions religiously. Basically all you have to do (for chicken eggs and duck eggs at least) is to start the incubator ahead of time at a temperature between 99.2 and 99.6. I've found that 99.4 works best for me. Let the incubator sit for a while, the temperatures will regulate. It says to wait overnight, but I've actually found it only takes about an hour if you're really impatient. Add water to a trough in the bottom, or if the instructions are different follow them instructions. The water should stay at a humdity between 40 and 50 percent I believe. You may have to set the incubator in a turner, Set the eggs in a tray or turner, if you must turn them manually, do it three times a day. I've read you have to turn duck eggs manually, but don't know if this is true, though I've hatched with turner, I wasn't hatching enough to know if it was different from the previous hatches. Plug the turner in if necessary, follow additional instructions. Turn and add water every day until the eighteenth day (for chickens), you can candle if you want, but it isn't necessary. Stop turning, increase humidity, and sit impatiently for the eggs to hatch. At day 20 and 21 they begin, and for me stop at day 23. Don't remove any unless you have that extra-early already dry chick being lonely and nobody has even pipped yet. Opening the incubator reduces humidity. With ducks do lockdown at day 26, though I've found Calls often hatch this day, so for them you can do day 24 or 25. Ducks generally hatch on day 28. Duck eggs require a light misting of water each day (or so I'm told, so I've always done it this way.) So you can remember all this or you can just trust a broody to this, though that way is always a path you must put poor faith in.