Who's Hatching eggs this week? 9-9

[Nancygardens]

I got a doz. eggs today at church from friends w/ a roo.
Full sized leghorn roo mostly and mix of hens mostly white so they will be a surprize!

Have eggs in a basket w/ straw and heat lamp on in the shop.

So excited I've not done this before!

I put a 1 & 2 on the eggs for turning.

Hoping for lots of hens!

Now waiting

!
Need to get chick feed.
Who's joining me?

 

[phoenix912]

Are you keeping track of the temp and humidity? What do you plan on doing for lockdown?

 

[Nancygardens]

What is lock down?

Humidity will be if it rains! In the west it's dry here.
Dry hatch method old fashioned method.

Trying it like they did in old timey days.

I need a temp. gage the light is on a chain so I'm adjusting it trying to find what distance works best. Yesterday it was a bit too close and too warm, then it was a bit far and not quite warm enough for over night in the shed. I'm not giving up.

{I can get another doz.eggs if this doesn't work from the same folks they said they just had a hen that hatched out 9 so I know these are good eggs to work with.}

I would also like to try some from the store free range eggs after warming them up of course.
Did some research on this site about that.

Also some blue green EE eggs I called a gal that raises them locally.
I know a gal w/ someone w/ BR hoping to get some eggs of those too maybe for the next batch. I do have two heat lamps lights!

Reading on here thinking what will be easier to clean up than a basket after the hatch!

 

[Nancygardens]

I have a cabinet thing that might be used for a bator later no heat source in it now but it could
have a light bulb installed.

 

[Cotton42]

I've never heard of anyone hatching eggs this way. Good luck!

 

[tadpole98]

I set my eggs on saturday. I am using a brinsea octagon 20 )
I have never heard of anyone using this method before. just make sure they stay at 100 F and 40-50 % humidity!!

 

[phoenix912]

Do a search on incubating without an incubator. You should be able to find some good info. If you plan on hatching that many eggs you might want to invest in a incubator. Lockdown is the last 3 days of incubation. You need you're humidity up to atleast 65 for the eggs to hatch. If the humidity is to low they will dry out and get stuck in the egg. Good luck and hope it works out for you. You can also do a search for home made incubator. Lots of good plans on this site to build you're own.

 

[Nancygardens]

I read if humidity is too high chicks can drown.
Here it's too hot to hatch out side in the summer so fall is supposed to be a great time for chick hatching I guess we will find out.
Nobody can keep hens / chicks in stock they are going like hot cakes.
I could not find any in the breed I wanted to just decided to try this.
Grannies used to do it like this way back when.
Read about some similar stories in the old timers thread so I just had to give it a go.
How many times a day does one turn eggs, I thought it was 2 but read 3-5 so I upped that.
So I'm considering a buck of water in the shop for some adtl. humidity. It was 48% out today.

 

[Cotton42]

I read if humidity is too high chicks can drown.
Here it's too hot to hatch out side in the summer so fall is supposed to be a great time for chick hatching I guess we will find out.
Nobody can keep hens / chicks in stock they are going like hot cakes.
I could not find any in the breed I wanted to just decided to try this.
Grannies used to do it like this way back when.
Read about some similar stories in the old timers thread so I just had to give it a go.
How many times a day does one turn eggs, I thought it was 2 but read 3-5 so I upped that.
So I'm considering a buck of water in the shop for some adtl. humidity. It was 48% out today.

You'll want to turn them at least 3 times a day, and you don't really need the extra humidity until lock down. And as for it being to hot to hatch in the summer, I had two broodies hatch out some chicks in the middle of a 16 day 100+ degree heat wave! They were a day early but otherwise perfect.

 

[Nancygardens]

Way to go every one!

Thanks for all the input.

Yes we've been turning them only two times a day at first was all I thought they needed but have increased that now.

I got a couple thermometers at the store today and have one in the basket and on beside it to tell room temp. & temp. in the basket.

Checked on places I can get eggs & hens for later.
So far so good no smelly ones keeping my fingers crossed.