Tis Time for a March 2020 Hatch-a-long!

[gmjarvi]

I think he’s on strike cuz I penned him up going on two weeks now and he’s used to free ranging. After this month’s incubation they will be going back to free ranging.

Not sure if birds work the same as mammals (Pigs are mammals right ). Is their sense of smell strong? Or are they more eyesight and taste type animals?

Most birds have terrible senses of smell and taste. Not sure if they have pheromones or not, though!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have heard of people avoiding shrink wrapping by misting the inside of the bator when they have to open it for whatever reason. Thoughts from more experienced hatchers?

I wouldn't mist the inside of the incubator because the water that gets directly on the eggs can actually chill the chicks. I have a friend that uses that method but I just don't like to take the chance.

Warming some water and dripping it into the water port will increase humidity fairly rapidly by taking the work out for the heating element when adding water. It really doesn't take much warm water and you don't want it hot to where it fiddles with the temperature. This is much like the method where people take the incubator into the bathroom with a steamy shower, but easier and only creates enough additional humidity to make up for temporarily opening the incubator. This is what I do if I absolutely feel I need to open the incubator while there are external pips.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Technically you can get away with opening the incubator most of the time. More so with some incubators than others. But I have had enough examples where even though the humidity says it returns to normal, literally within seconds, it's just not quite the same overall inside the incubator once it has been opened. So I do my best to wait until after all of the hatching activity and external pips are done before opening.

Another trick is to wait until right after a chick hatches and is still really wet and open the incubator to take out the dry chicks at that moment. The wet chick works better than just about anything to hike the humidity back up, lol.

 

[gmjarvi]

Another trick is to wait until right after a chick hatches and is still really wet and open the incubator to take out the dry chicks at that moment. The wet chick works better than just about anything to hike the humidity back up, lol.

A warm drip does sound better than the mist!

And waiting for a wet chick is a good tip. The humidity in my Brinsea sky rocketed to 90% when one of the chicks hatched

 

[Mylied]

I am.

Yay! When are yours hatching?

 

[FortCluck]

A breeder told me recently that she separated the rooster for a while and when she put him back it increased the fertility rate. I guess distance really does make the heart grow fonder. lol

Or just only have one thing on their minds when there's distance

 

[julskinka]

Here is a representative sampling of teh babies.

CCL x Bresse

BCM & Lavender marans

Mystery chick from a blue egg (EE cross? Anyone have any ideas? The guy who sold me the egg seemed mystified) and male Opal Legbar

Female Rhodebars

Last, but not least, the Partridge Opringtons. I want to ask about the one on the left, because I have no familiarity with this breed at all, but I thought they were clean-shanked and this one has leg feathering. I didn't take a picture of the back, but it actually has a pale chimpunk striped back, with blueish undertone, kind of like the male opal legbar I have (no head dot tho). No pictures I've looked up of orpingtons have chipmunk pattern. The egg it came out of was medium, and a sort of creamy/pinky/tan with the breeder's code for partridge orp on it. The chick on the right came out of a large pink egg with the same code. I'll probably ask the breeder but was wondering if any of you have any thoughts?

 

[FortCluck]

I have heard of people avoiding shrink wrapping by misting the inside of the bator when they have to open it for whatever reason. Thoughts from more experienced hatchers?

I've never had shrink wrapping. My humidity barely drops if I open the lid so I'm unsure how someone leaves the lid off long enough for enough humidity to escape.

 

[FortCluck]

One of my TSC chicks isn't looking good is this ever going to end

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Last, but not least, the Partridge Opringtons. I want to ask about the one on the left, because I have no familiarity with this breed at all, but I thought they were clean-shanked and this one has leg feathering. I didn't take a picture of the back, but it actually has a pale chimpunk striped back, with blueish undertone, kind of like the male opal legbar I have (no head dot tho). No pictures I've looked up of orpingtons have chipmunk pattern. The egg it came out of was medium, and a sort of creamy/pinky/tan with the breeder's code for partridge orp on it. The chick on the right came out of a large pink egg with the same code. I'll probably ask the breeder but was wondering if any of you have any thoughts?

I haven't hatched any Partridge Orpingtons but the chipmunk pattern is common in other breeds I've hatched with Partridge coloring. Feathered legs aren't desirable according to English Orpington breeders near me and they wouldn't add that particular bird to their breeding programs but I've heard of it happening before. I believe it was @LilyD that hatched some Orpingtons last year and some had feathered feet.