Who is with me?

[countrybum]

riqui1, welcome. As for silkies, I would think they are the same as banties. By the way, I just traded some birds for a silkie roo and a silkie hen. They are cute, just have not decided what I am going to do with them.

I incubate at temps that range from 99.5 to no more than 101, with successful hatches. When I incubate at 102 to 104, it usually screws everything up.

So those temps are No Nos. For the first 18 days you want the humidity between 50 and 60, no lower than 45. When you do like me and get the humidity up to 70 and 80,

it causes complications for the chicks, another NO NO.

Then after you get you temp and humidity right, put your eggs in and wait, turning 3 to 4 times a day and checking the humidity and temp every hour, your banties should hatch between 19 days and 21 days. When your temp is to high, do not hesitate pulling your hair out as you lift the lid to cool the eggs and try to get it back where it should be.

Then after all that, jump on the computer and we are all good shoulders to cry on, because your better half does not really care and your friends all think you should be committed.

Then on the last 3 days, try not to open the incubator very much. If they are the only eggs and you are not staggering hatches like the rest of us, don't open it at all. BUT you can still check the temp and humidity (humidity should be raised to 60 and 70) every hour and listen for chirps and watch for pips. Then while your not sleeping because the babies are on the way, you can hang out on the computer with the rest of us.

Now if you stagger hatches and you have 3 days left for 1 group, move the hatching group to the back part of the incubator and the ones needing turning to the front. This makes it easy to turn the eggs needed and will not harm the ones getting ready to hatch.

Did you get it all? Good luck with your hatch. Also, after the babies are out, make sure you add marbles or rocks to the water so they do not find a way to pick themselves off.

If you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask, we are here for you.

Welcome again.

 

[riqui1]

I did get it all, believe it or not. And I think I am going to be able to handle it...the physical part, that is. The mental part...that remains to be seen! lol

My eggs are due within the next few days (Saturday or so). Am I correct in my understanding that I should let them settle on the counter for 8 hours or so, before putting them in the incubator? Heck, that alone will drive me nuts! I want to get started now!

I feel like a little kid at Christmas! lol

I don't think that I should continue to read posts and threads, as it just seems that I find more and more that I stress over! I dealt with wry neck 24 hours after getting my first batch of chicks and lost one, but thankfully all of you wonderfully helpful people on here helped me to save the second chick! I am a worrier though - I would rather know and be prepared than let something sneak up on me! I guess I should have been a boy scout!

Thank you for your help and all of the future answers you have to give!

 

[countrybum]

I would let them sit point up for 24 hours. That means if you get them at noon, you can put them in the incubator at noon on the next day.

Now if you do as I have many times, you will get them and place in the incubator about 12 hours later and then

when they do not hatch due to the air sac not getting back in place.

 

[walkswithdog]

Quote:
CB dear POINTY END DOWN while resting...

Otherwise you risk setting the air cell in the small end - and that's a "don't do that" thing. Makes for a very rough hatch if at all.

 

[riqui1]

So would placing them in an egg carton, small/pointy end down, work? I really have to wait a whole 24 hours after I get them before I put them in!?! lol

Actually, that's okay. I would like to get my incubator learned and under control and get down to the store and get a hygrometer (?), so that I don't mess anything up! The extra 24 hours will be helpful...

 

[walkswithdog]

Yes, in an egg carton pointed end down is how they should rest. 24 hours is a good guideline - if your bator is stable then fine and good but it wouldn't be wrong to continue to rest them for longer while you make CERTAIN things are stable.

Adding eggs will always destablize initially - it has to, because the eggs will draw heat from the interior and so temps will swing while the eggs come up to temperature - don't freak.
Do use a hygrometer and water wigglerwith a digital thermometer. Water wiggler temps are your real key to seeing how the eggs are effected. Air temps can swing quite a bit and the wiggler temps remain stable.

Don't adjust often, don't adjust large and try not to freak totally while it all comes around.

 

[countrybum]

Quote:
Didn't I saying Point down? No wonder I have been having problems. (just joking, I must have been asleep when I posted that.)

Good thing for friends that will correct your absent minded mistakes.

Walkswithdog, what is a water wiggler? Where do you get one? And where do you put it in the incubator?

If you can, post a picture, I think I need to use one of them. This morning my incubator was up to 104 again, I have no clue what is going on. I moved them to the spare room because the bathroom was getting to hot and causing fluctuations, now it seems over night it is doing it again.

3 day count down

Now to keep the temp under control.

 

[walkswithdog]

You can usually find one at dollar stores - they're little tubes with water in them sold as novelty toys for kids.

If not you can make one with water in a double bagged ziplock, roll it up snug, tape it as a tube and insert the sensor from one of the accurites with a cord into the middle. Gives you an idea of what the egg interior temp is. I found it really helpful.

You can also use a big egg sized ball of playdough - wrapped to keep it from hardening and insert a medical thermometer. Silly putty works that way too. Medical thermometers are "contact" so they need to be IN something to get it right. But they're very accurate and a good way to know an "actual" temp.

 

[riqui1]

Oh wow - a water wiggler! I never, ever would have thought of using something like that! Those are those balloon things that are full of water and slide out of your hand when you play with them! What a neat idea!!

I have a TON of playdough here, so I think that I will be trying that idea.

I am having a tough time getting the temperature in my incubator to stabilize at 99. I can do 97 and I can do 102 successfully; I can't seem to find a happy medium! It's a good thing I have some more time to get this under control! I will go down and get a hygrometer tomorrow morning. Hopefully I will have the temp down today and then I can get the humidity figured out tomorrow!

Again, thank you to all of you for your help. It makes things easier know I am not alone and that I have some place to turn for questions!

 

[walkswithdog]

When I started here last year I was nothing but questions. There have been a lot of good and bad hatches, good and bad rearing happenings, good wonderful and awful, since nature tends to hand out all of that in some variety.

Try to remember an egg is only potential or it would be making chickens (chickening?) - not hatching. Like fishing is fishing, not catching.

Broodies make mistakes, accidents happen, temps spike and power goes out. Persistence and learning are all part of the game.