~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[Arielle]

I moved 7 CdM turkey eggs from the incubator to a broody earlier this week.

OH, good luck!!!!!! My broodies do better than I do . . looking forward to seeing pults in another week!

 

[HEChicken]

OH, good luck!!!!!! My broodies do better than I do . . looking forward to seeing pults in another week!

I have all of my CdM eggs under 3 different broodies. They are doing great jobs but because I didn't want to risk trying to move them, and they did actually all choose safe places to brood this year, I have to keep a close eye on them. Chicken hens crawl in next to them to lay their eggs so they take their broody breaks during those times but when they get back, the chicken is sitting on some of the eggs so the turkeys sits down next to her but doesn't always gather ALL the other eggs back under her and I go down there to find 1-3 eggs sitting cold near her. I'm hoping they haven't been cold long enough to kill them but I do anticipate some will be a little late hatching.

I set eggs a few days late so mine aren't due until next Thursday.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Didn't some of you'll say that you do dry __HATCHES__?

The old incubator that I was hoping to use as a hatcher is NOT behaving, so all of my eggs are together in the same good and wonderful new incubator.

They are all different ages, and I am running it at about 34% humidity and spot on 99.5 to 99.6 forced air.

So....... I am not sure how to rotate some eggs and not others.  There isn't enough space to put the eggs in egg cartons, and since they are shipped, and I was short on space, they are all standing upright, not on their sides.

Dunno.

Some were supposed to hatch today, nothing happened....

Point is:

[COLOR=FF0000]Will any hatch at this humidity?  After they pip, can I wrap the pipped ones in a damp paper towel?  Should I compromise and just up the humidity to 50%???[/COLOR]

Staggered hatches are not difficult. Raise humidity the day before expected hatch. Lower humidity as soon as the last chick hatches. Don't use the troughs to control humidity. Ad wet towels or containers of water that can be easily removed.

My turkeys and chicken eggs were set a little late but today my chicks are starting to hatch!!! I have one partridge Silkie out so far, 2 more Silkie eggs pipped. I am still waiting on signs from the other 3 Silkie eggs, 2 Polish eggs, 2 duck and 5 turkey eggs. I can't wait!!!

I had to go out and buy another incubator last night. Darn!! My Narr Tom passed away so I am collecting every single turkey egg I can and am going to incubate all the eggs in hopes of getting some of his babies. So since I have this incubator I thought I would just pop some more duck eggs and chicken eggs in there too! Ha! My husband is so NOT happy. But then he turns around and asks me if I have any ducklings that are going to hatch because one of his buddies at work wants a few. Talk about mixed signals!

Precisely the reason I don't have a DH here to tell me what I can & can't do...lol

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THe chicken hens are persitent!! lol A well guarded nest will do nicely!! lol I too go thru the duck nests and pick out the extras, only they are all duck eggs. I hold the girl off while pecking my hand and do a quick count. If too many I start rolling, looking for an unmarked egg. I did remember to mark with a sharpie, and not a regualr colored marker. lol

Next week feels so far away!!

 

[Alaskan]

 
Didn't some of you'll say that you do dry __HATCHES__?

The old incubator that I was hoping to use as a hatcher is NOT behaving, so all of my eggs are together in the same good and wonderful new incubator.

They are all different ages, and I am running it at about 34% humidity and spot on 99.5 to 99.6 forced air.

So....... I am not sure how to rotate some eggs and not others.  There isn't enough space to put the eggs in egg cartons, and since they are shipped, and I was short on space, they are all standing upright, not on their sides.

Dunno.

Some were supposed to hatch today, nothing happened....

Point is:

[COLOR=FF0000]Will any hatch at this humidity?  After they pip, can I wrap the pipped ones in a damp paper towel?  Should I compromise and just up the humidity to 50%???[/COLOR]

The proper humidity is a matter of location location location.  THe key is to look at either the weight loss of hte eggs or at the air cell volume. Can you candle a few eggs and see if they are as large as they are supposed to be at hatch date. If the egg has not dried enough, there is too much moisture inside the egg and the chick or poult cannot hatch. THe moisture interferes with breathing and the baby is too swollen with fluids to  turn inside the egg. 

I don't increase the humidity if they eggs are not dry enough . . . .

TO day is not over!! GIve them a few more days. . . . .and read up on assisting at hatch . . . 

I have been weighing and candling. It is a bit difficult for me to see if the aircells are perfect since sone of them are wonky (shipped eggs). However, I think that they LOOK the right size, and they are pretty good weight wise too.

This morning one was perfectly hatched, already fluffed and all perfect looking. So....I am hoping that the rest will be able to make it too. I am going to leave him in the incubator for a few more hours, he still looks tired even though he is dry.

 

[lsmith]

Don't worry abut getting a RH right now, just go for getting the humidity up when the first one exteranlly pips. THAT is when the white membrane starts to dry if the chick is slow to hatch. 

I went to bed last night with one internal pip( cheeping) and woke up 7 hours later to 3 hatched and fluffed. THAT was fast. Not always that fast . . . you can open the incubator and add moisture . .

For turkes I can get RH to 80% by putting in 4+ baby food jars with a sponge poking out. THe more sponge surface are above the water, the more moisture released.

THe desert is very drying . . . you may need to add more water than others doing the dry hatching methods. THis is where monitoring the weight loss of eggs or the air cell method is important and works for all situations . . . .

Fingers crossed!!! 

Thanks! I need to buy a scale. I have so much going in its crazy. I'm student teaching but I got a job at another school. So I'm leaving one place to go to another and I'm terrified. But being a new teacher means lots of stuff to buy. Grrr!

 

[HEChicken]

Thanks! I need to buy a scale. I have so much going in its crazy. I'm student teaching but I got a job at another school. So I'm leaving one place to go to another and I'm terrified. But being a new teacher means lots of stuff to buy. Grrr!

I looked on eBay and got one for only a few dollars. It was shipped from China but the service was outstanding and the little scale weighs in tiny increments so is really good for tracking egg weights.

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Quote:
I wish you were too! I want to keep them pure Narr but I won't be able to do that for a while

 

[winteree]

Didn't some of you'll say that you do dry __HATCHES__?

The old incubator that I was hoping to use as a hatcher is NOT behaving, so all of my eggs are together in the same good and wonderful new incubator.

They are all different ages, and I am running it at about 34% humidity and spot on 99.5 to 99.6 forced air.

So....... I am not sure how to rotate some eggs and not others. There isn't enough space to put the eggs in egg cartons, and since they are shipped, and I was short on space, they are all standing upright, not on their sides.

Dunno.

Some were supposed to hatch today, nothing happened....

Point is:

Will any hatch at this humidity? After they pip, can I wrap the pipped ones in a damp paper towel? Should I compromise and just up the humidity to 50%???

wow that is a dilemma i know some people have had chicks hatch around this humid but it is more rare. The chicks that didn't hatch most likely got shrink wrapped etc if you can check to see if any have internally pipped yet. But the humidity needs to be around 65-70% when hatching. Can you make a cooler bator for the other egg's until the others have hatched? They are't expenive to make and are better then nothing

 

[Arielle]

Quote: I have been weighing and candling. It is a bit difficult for me to see if the aircells are perfect since sone of them are wonky (shipped eggs). However, I think that they LOOK the right size, and they are pretty good weight wise too.

This morning one was perfectly hatched, already fluffed and all perfect looking. So....I am hoping that the rest will be able to make it too. I am going to leave him in the incubator for a few more hours, he still looks tired even though he is dry.
With shipped eggs weighing is more accurate--- we all do the best we can and then PRAY!!!

Quote: I'm glad you have a job-- be the best teacher you can be!

I bought a good scale from Walmart-- reads oz and g, small and easy to tare. As in put a small basket of dish on the top plate, then set eggs in to weigh ( won't roll away and off the scale and . . . you get the pic)

Quote:
I wish you were too! I want to keep them pure Narr but I won't be able to do that for a while
THat's ok.. IT is an opportunity to learn. THere are more and more sources to get replacements when you want them eventually.