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

[FortCluck]

I have 4 chicks so far. I think I had 10 eggs I forget I'll count them when I go back.

Most have feathered legs

 

[LilyD]

I am so sorry you have had a bad experience! One reason I love THIS particular thread so much is that most of the hatchers give caveats when giving advice - there are people here who have had great hatch rates with dry hatching, but they are usually very quick to remind everyone that it may not be the same for anybody else and that everyone should do what works for them in their climate. I am trying a truly dry hatch on some chicken eggs from my flock, but am going in with my eyes wide open and accepting that it may not work out well.

I am glad you're going to try again and I hope you have a more successful hatch this time ❤ I believe every hatch is unique and we need to constantly be assessing and reassessing to ensure success.

For me here it really depends on the season what kind of hatch I get with everything melting right now and the ground covered in water from all the snow we had I'm staying right around mid thirties. I do have to watch it though because if we get a super cold day and things freeze again humidity will drop like a rock. For me I am thinking that keeping things right around mid 30's works best. When they pip and start hatching then they increase the humidity on their own up to between 40-50% and then it gradually will drop until the next one hatches.

The only time I go dry is the first 18 days and that is with a lot of candling of the eggs to keep an eye on how they are doing and a lot of watching the weather if I know we're scheduled for 4 days of rain I don't add anything my humidity will go up on it's own but if we've been dry for a bit I might add a little just to get it to that 30% range.

 

[LilyD]

I'm sorry for your difficult hatching experience!
I don't dry hatch either and I actually do live in an extremely humid area and it still doesn't work for me. This is one of the huge differences I always try to explain to those that are using styrofoam vs plastic incubators. While location does play a role it really only makes a difference when you don't have the incubator inside a home with central air (or a pellet stove) drying everything out. I had a hygrometer outside of my incubators in the hatching room and it was usually around 45% humidity in the room, which would be great for early incubation if the heating elements weren't drying out the interior of the incubators even more. Note that in the same room under the same conditions I was able to run styrofoam incubators about 10% lower humidity at all times and had great hatches, so I'm convinced the material makes a difference.
(this is what it looks like inside my incubators with and without water when it's 45% ambient humidity in the room)
View attachment 2059769
Type of incubator, where you're keeping your incubator, and how porous your eggs are, I really do believe are going to make the biggest determining factors for your humidity. Shrink wrapping isn't really a concern until after lockdown. During hatch I do always increase humidity to around 65%. You may find this works better for you.

Every hatch is a learning experience and it will get easier as you learn more about your personal set up. I'm glad it hasn't scared you off of hatching. I hope your next hatch goes better and that you're able to find the sweet spot for your incubator!

That makes sense. I have always run a styrobator and the humidity is pretty stable where I have it sitting in the corner of the kitchen. It's near a forced hot water heat register on the other side of the house from my pellet stove but if the weather is damp and my humidity goes up so does the styrobator. If it's super cold and no rain then it will go way down to 12-16% so I have to watch it and watch the weather so I can plan to add water if I'm going to be gone and it's going to be cold out.

 

[LilyD]

Exactly. I am trying a dry hatch for my eggs due 3/31. I am using them for meat chickens, and honestly I have like 20+ chicks right now so if it doesn't work out it will be ok. I'm hoping to figure out exactly what works for my incubators in my climate/home. I will be candling and weighing tonight and reassessing.

I was hoping to sell some of the chicks I have accumulated, but my state just went on lockdown. Guess my freezer might be real full this year!

Same up here our poultry swaps start next month and we have one each month all the way through October. They are talking about canceling the first few. I currently have 29 in the brooder and 4 more in the hatcher and another 40+ in the incubator worse case I end up processing more boys than I originally intended. Win win either way.

 

[FortCluck]

Up to 4 chicks now... All are black and yellow. Most have feathered legs too

 

[Spudsnsalsa]

Looking for advice from those of you who have been able to get to the point of sending cockerels you hatched to Camp Freezer. This is my first time hatching my own and out of my first 7 I can already identify at least 3 males. I only need one as my flock is very small and will be less than 10 hens in total once the current girls grow out and join the rescue hens out in the yard. That means at least two will need to go one way or the other....and did I mention I have another 6 going into lock down tonight??

Techniques or advice on how not to bond?? Intellectually I know what will need to be done but wondering how many times before it isn't an emotional event? If ever?

On more exciting HAL news all 6 of my Barnevelder eggs are making it to lock down!

 

[FortCluck]

Looking for advice from those of you who have been able to get to the point of sending cockerels you hatched to Camp Freezer. This is my first time hatching my own and out of my first 7 I can already identify at least 3 males. I only need one as my flock is very small and will be less than 10 hens in total once the current girls grow out and join the rescue hens out in the yard. That means at least two will need to go one way or the other....and did I mention I have another 6 going into lock down tonight??

Techniques or advice on how not to bond?? Intellectually I know what will need to be done but wondering how many times before it isn't an emotional event? If ever?

On more exciting HAL news all 6 of my Barnevelder eggs are making it to lock down!

I don't name mine so I don't get attached. I treat them the same as all my others except most of the meat ones I don't hold or anything like that. They get scraps just like my other chickens.

 

[FortCluck]

Up to 5 now... Only 4 left to hatch. 2 have external pips and the other 2 I'm not sure.

 

[Floydie]

4 or 5 pips now. Maybe in the morning

 

[FortCluck]

4 or 5 pips now. Maybe in the morning

I'm naming a chick TP I also used the Quarantina name someone suggested