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

[CluckNDoodle]

I've gotten all kinds of weird advice about marans eggs including using sandpaper to scratch some of the brown coating off

Noooo! I'm so glad nobody told me to do that when I was a newbie!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I have some brewer's yeast and molasses but not chick vitamins specifically. I had considered mixing him up some special water.

That will give a little bit of extra, I suppose you could put the brewers yeast on the food. Molasses is in one of my preferred poultry vitamins, Nutridrench, just be cautious about how much you use because it can give them diarrhea.

 

[FortCluck]

Broody Judy update!

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She seems to be a good mama so far, but I'm keeping a close eye on them. Still no pip on the last egg.

Good job broody Judy

 

[gmjarvi]

They all look different! The last baby is so, so pretty.

Bonus pic:

 

[CluckNDoodle]

They all look different! The last baby is so, so pretty.
View attachment 2059945
Bonus pic:
View attachment 2059947

I don't have an emoji for how much I love this!

 

[FortCluck]

Hello all I believe I hurt the chick when making a breathing hole but I fully believe it was going to die anyway so I’m upset but more upset about another factor.
I feel I need to warn new hatchers.
I opened a few of my eggs I did not want to but I had to know. ALL of these babies were shrink wrapped.
I live in New York State the climate and my home are dry right now. I have a pellet stove I know this is a factor even though I was told it was not. I was told by many many people on here dry hatch is best. I posted many times on different forums about my humidity and was told to keep it low. Now that may be true for people who live in places with a higher humidity but if you are in my area or somewhere that is very dry now. PLEASE do not keep your humidity as dry as me. I should’ve kept it at about 50 and if I saw the air cells were small I would’ve just let the humidity drop which would’ve been very simple as it was such a chore to keep it up.
I didn’t follow my instincts and a bunch of innocent babies died because of it.
Right now I can not prove for sure that it was the humidity, but this next hatch I will be starting today I will keep higher and I have a very good feeling my results will be better.
I appreciate all the advice I have gotten and it is no fault but my own to have when against what I felt was right but among so many people who are saying low humidity is best I want to please say take your area into consideration please.
I’m happy I have some healthy babies I am praying this next hatch will go better.

Most of the people in this group have told everyone that they need to figure out their own humidity. No one pressured anyone to do dry hatch, I just want to make that clear. everyone in here advises people to be familiar with their incubators and to know when to add water or not. There is never a twisting of arms telling people they need to dry hatch...

I would like to see pictures of the chicks in the eggs to see if it was actually shrink wrapping. sometimes chicks just pass away in the egg and it has nothing to do with shrink wrapping or not usually most of the time it has to do with the breeding stock.

I'm sorry you had to deal with this

Hatching chicks is never easy and it's never a complete happy moment because we all experience losses. There is never a 100% hatch guarantee and usually anything over 60% is considered a good hatch.

Again sorry you had to deal with losses

 

[FortCluck]

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.

I know every time I speak about dry hatching I tell people not to do it unless they are familiar with their incubators and their climate. You do not want to be a first-timer doing a dry hatch or inexperienced with what the air cells should look like.

 

[FortCluck]

Great info. I started using weight loss instead of marking the air cells. I can't have a rooster, so I always hatch shipped eggs with wonky air cells. The weight loss % is a much easier indicator for me, and my hatch rates are now better.

Humidity is never a set number and I learned that right from the beginning. I always pay attention to the air cell because that is the key indicator on what you need to do.

 

[gmjarvi]

View attachment 2059948 I don't have an emoji for how much I love this!

And you're the emoji queen!!

 

[gmjarvi]

I know every time I speak about dry hatching I tell people not to do it unless they are familiar with their incubators and their climate. You do not want to be a first-timer doing a dry hatch or inexperienced with what the air cells should look like.

Humidity is never a set number and I learned that right from the beginning. I always pay attention to the air cell because that is the key indicator on what you need to do.

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!