Update on hatch

[bwmichaud]

Here is an update on my post below. The 1st chick poked a hole in the 1st egg when I woke up this morning. As of now, 6 eggs have started with small holes and I can hear cheep cheep coming from inside. It's pretty exciting and I can't wait to see how it turns out. How long does it usually take for them to hatch completely from the first small hole?


I picked up a cheap styrofoam incubator with an egg turner and I converted an old PC fan to move the air around in the incubator. I figured that I would pick up some hatching eggs to give it a test run. I found a fairly local guy that sold me a dozen fertile eggs of god knows what since his chickens all run together. The temps have been pretty close to where they should be, within a degree or so. It's now day 19 and the eggs went into lockdown yesterday afternoon. I removed them from the turner and I read somewhere that they put them in an old egg carton to keep the eggs from getting kicked around by hatched chicks so I put them in an old egg carton, upright, like you'd buy them in the store. (Yeah, I know, a run on sentence) Of course after I did this, I read somewhere else that they should be on their side. So here are my questions...1) Do I just leave them alone and hope for the best since this is called "lockdown"? 2) Do I open it up and turn the eggs on their side somehow leaving them in the egg carton? 3) Do I open it up and remove the egg carton and lay the eggs on their side on the screen. 4) Try eating them as Balut?

I only have 4 bucks into the eggs so I'm obviously not financially devastated if they don't hatch. It would just be cool if they did. I haven't put a lot of effort into this whole thing. I just check them daily to make sure the temps are good and there is water in the bottom. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

 

[Muggsmagee]

Remove the egg carton and lay the eggs on their side.

 

[bwmichaud]

MuggsMagee, cool name and thanks for the fast response. I'm heading in to do it now.

Brian

 

[TaLani]

IMHO, your option #1 is your best bet. You don't want to open the bator and let our precious humidity. One trick to hatching in a carton is it's kinda nice for the chick if you cut down the sides a bit - makes it a little easier for it to get out once it has pipped and zipped.

 

[eggseroneous]

It is all in what works for you. I lay mine on their sides, but some people like the egg carton method. You would need to cut the sides down a bit. I like the on the side method because I really think the first chicks encourage the slower ones to hatch by knocking the others around---giving them a little jump start. I've never had an egg harmed by an already hatched chick.
If you already have them in the carton,I'd leave them.... I wouldn't open the 'bator again because that will release the precious humidity. You don't want shrink wrapped chicks!
Try one way this time and for your next hatch (and there WILL be a next hatch, believe me...it's addictive!) try the other way. Than decide what works for you. There is no right or wrong, all personal preference.

Also, did you raise the humidity upon lockdown? Keep your water troughs in the bottom filled, and throw in a couple of soaking wet sponges in (clean, new ones of course) and that'll raise it. It would be a good idea to get a hygrometer to measure your humidity if you don't already have one--for your next batch of course.

 

[bwmichaud]

I closed off a vent and then water droplets started forming on the window so I opened it back up.

 

[mzfancichicks]

Just my opinion but in the styrofoam bator's I had the best hatch with the eggs in an egg flat. I do cut a whole in the bottom of each for air circulation though. This is just what's worked for me.

 

[bwmichaud]

One more has a little hole.

 

[bwmichaud]

There is a little wet chick running around the incubator. Pretty nifty. Thanks for the advice.