Who is getting eggs?

[casportpony]

We take our incubator completely apart and clean every last part that can be cleaned.

-Kathy

 

[DylansMom]

We take our incubator completely apart and clean every last part that can be cleaned.

-Kathy

What do you use to clean it with? We did a big utility sink full of bleach/water solution and then soaked everything that didn't have electronics attached. I am a bleach nut during hatching, ruined a lot of clothing last year.

 

[margaret8]

What do you use to clean it with? We did a big utility sink full of bleach/water solution and then soaked everything that didn't have electronics attached. I am a bleach nut during hatching, ruined a lot of clothing last year.

I used bleach to clean the hatcher before I put the newly hatched chicks in it. I will clean it again before I out the chick in it that is hatching now. I put the others in the brooder.

 

[casportpony]

 
We take our incubator completely apart and clean every last part that can be cleaned.

-Kathy

What do you use to clean it with? We did a big utility sink full of bleach/water solution and then soaked everything that didn't have electronics attached. I am a bleach nut during hatching, ruined a lot of clothing last year.

We don't have a big sink, so I do mine in the kitchen sink with hot water and chlorhexadine scrub on all parts without electronics. Parts with electronics we vacuum as we carefully brush them off. Been think about using activated oxine next time, but need to look into that more. Glad you mentioned the big sink, made me realize that the bathtub would probably be easier, and that I could just put som bleach in!

-Kathy

 

[margaret8]

We don't have a big sink, so I do mine in the kitchen sink with hot water and chlorhexadine scrub on all parts without electronics. Parts with electronics we vacuum as we carefully brush them off. Been think about using activated oxine next time, but need to look into that more. Glad you mentioned the big sink, made me realize that the bathtub would probably be easier, and that I could just put som bleach in!

-Kathy

Thank you! I hadn't thought of the bathtub. I will do that!

 

[margaret8]

Since I have switched to the big incubator I am 4 out 4 hatched. The only thing I use the smaller one for is to keep the chicks warm after they hatch before I out then in the brooder.

 

[margaret8]

We have birth! Boy is this one big!

 

[margaret8]

Here are my babies sleeping safe and sound? See the one in the middle ? He is the biggest one, and he hatched about 5 hours ago!

 

[autumnmfisher]

Awww, beautiful babies!!!

So this is our first year hatching eggs - Candled them last night, 4-5 of 7 are growing (I say 4-5 because four were dark and when I turned them I saw the chicks, the 5th was dark but I was getting worried about the temp so I put them all back in.) anyways one of them moved in the egg - WOW - was not expecting that!!! it was like a c then curled up more. the others moved a little, but i thought it was because of me turning the egg? This is 10 days in btw. I'm just so happy they're doing good. now hopefully they hatch. I havn't removed the two that were not dark yet, I know I should but I'm having a hard time giving up on them... I know suck it up! just not happy about it.

 

[autumnmfisher]

I've been trying to keep the humidity between 55-65%, I've had it swing up to 70 and down to 40 a couple times, last night when I candled them it dropped to 30!!! but since the candling went good, I'm hoping its ok. every time it goes above or below I've corrected it very quickly. yesterday it went unnoticed for a while because we were busy all day.... that's why it dropped so low.

this is the first time I've incubated anything. we have a old old old foam incubator, it has windows in the top to see in, and circles in the bottom for water with a metal mesh to hold up eggs. we put in a temp and humidity detector and the eggs are in the top of an egg carton to keep them tipped a little up. turn them 3 times a day 180 degrees. I put 6 in one night and the 7th the next night, the oldest egg was 10 days, the next was 8 days old I believe, the oldest two are the ones that did not develop. in holding they were turned 2x per day kept in our basement at a very steady 50 degrees.

anything else we should do to help hatch rate?

btw our hens are still laying, but its slowing down already, were getting 1 egg a day, back to 1 every two days. but we had a heat lamp when it was cold, now that its above freezing we turned it off. I think the lack of constant light affected their laying... it certainly affected the chickens. do you think they'll start laying more in april? - when they should be laying. oh ya its april now... oh boy.