WE ARE IN LOCKDOWN!!

[rnchick74]

I've got 7 eggs in my new Brinsea Mini Adv: 6 Tolbunt Polish & 1 Isbar (bonus egg from breeder). I've had a lot of problems deciding whether the Isbar is alive or not - can barely see through the shell - it's darn thick & dark in there! And I'm using a Brisnea ovaview candler too!

But today, I think I see movement!

The Tolbunts have been quite active from early on - lots of movement. 1 of them was either really resting hard, or has recently expired - time will tell, but there was no movement at all in 1 of the eggs & there had been a couple of days ago.

2 eggs were chirping - so that means they have internally pipped...correct? I used to hatch parrots a long time ago, but it has been ages & I have slept since then. The mechanics are the same & theories are similar but there are significant differences as well...

So, I filled both chambers; put some non-skid rubber drawer liner down for hatching; and now we wait. I guess I better get the brooder out & set up too!

 

[nab58]

I too, have a new mini advance. I'm on my 2nd hatch with it now. I have 5 easter Eggers on day 10. The other two were dead and I removed them.

Did you use water before lockdown? I did on my first hatch but found they were not losing enough weight so I let the water dry up and only filled both wells at lockdown.

Best of luck with your chicks. It should be any time now!

 

[WhatRooster]

How exciting!

I hope you have a great hatch!

 

[rnchick74]

I too, have a new mini advance. I'm on my 2nd hatch with it now. I have 5 easter Eggers on day 10. The other two were dead and I removed them.

Did you use water before lockdown? I did on my first hatch but found they were not losing enough weight so I let the water dry up and only filled both wells at lockdown.

Best of luck with your chicks. It should be any time now!

I did use water before lockdown. The 1st few days I used the amount as directed in the manual, but when I did my 7 day candling, I found that the air cells were not where they needed to be, so I ran it mostly dry until day 12 (just a barely damp paper towel square - 1 inch x 1 inch)...then the air cells were spot on. I then reduced the surface area by 1/2 until today. Right now I've got both wells filled. I wish there was a way to do a humidity/temp probe without sacrificing space inside.

 

[nab58]

I agree. Otherwise I really like the incubator.

Have you noticed yours getting louder when it rotates or am I just imagining it?

 

[rnchick74]

I agree. Otherwise I really like the incubator.

Have you noticed yours getting louder when it rotates or am I just imagining it?

I think mine is only loudest when I am on the phone, or trying to sleep & can't!

 

[rnchick74]

UPDATE!!

This morning there were 4 pips...

Around 10:00 ET, 1 zipped quite quickly and withing 1 hr of zipping, a tolbunt was hatched!!! This little cutie is now walking all over everything in the incubator trying to encourage his/her hatchmates to COME ON OUT AND PLAY!!!

It looks like 1 other tolbunt is working on a slow zip now...

Let the fun continue!

 

[JulesFlock]

That's so exciting. I'm about 3 weeks from getting my eggs and I can barely wait.
Hope the rest of your hatch goes well.

 

[rnchick74]

Well, I've now got 2 out and 1 more on the way!

For those with small incubators like my Brinsea...when you have a couple of chicks out wreaking havok among the eggs what do you do? I hate to break lockdown & risk shrink wrapping any chicks that have pipped, but these 2 are like wrecking balls in there! Do I wait until they are at least 12-18 hrs old, fully fluffed/dry, and quickly grab them out with the biggest shell pieces?

What's the grand advice from BYC?