YO GEORGIANS! :)

Okay. Down to 55 from 58 eggs. ALL 55 show development! 55.....Hopefully I get a second bator for my birthday next week. I'm eyeball in some English BBS and split lav Orpington.
Wow, not bad! What day are you on?

Edit: and WHERE do you KEEP all these chickens!? I'm so jealous!! I reeeeally don't wanna get rid of my old coop now, Im praying hubby will just turn a blind eye & let me hide it somewhere. ;)
 
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WHERE DOES IT END?? Lol

Pulled the last one that was due on the 8th out of the incubator when I woke up. Today is the 8th, and all four hatched yesterday (I just let the last one spend the night there). But when I pulled him out, I saw one dated for the 10th had an external pip! He's going to be two full days early! All of these guys are coming early, and I don't know why! I know the other incubator got cranked up to 104 for a bit, but I'm well beyond the ones that were even IN the other incubator at the time! Those finished hatching on the 1st of February.

Maybe the temp is spiking for a short while at night or something. I don't know. But not a single one has actually hatched on or after it's due date yet.
 
Wow, not bad! What day are you on?

Edit: and WHERE do you KEEP all these chickens!? I'm so jealous!! I reeeeally don't wanna get rid of my old coop now, Im praying hubby will just turn a blind eye & let me hide it somewhere. ;)

On day 5. So far as where to put them, most will not be staying. Any cockerals will head to freezer camp, as well as some of my older birds that have stopped laying. Plus we're building 4 new pens so I can get pure bred chickens and keep them and my mutts seperate.
 
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Incubator arrived today! I have it plugged in and am working on the temp. It's currently 115 degrees and 16% humidity. I don't think that's gonna work... Getting eggs next week!

Is there a tip sheet for the Hovabator anywhere? I'm researching dry hatching tonight, while hubby is at a daddy/daughter banquet with the girl...
Just remember, dry hatching for some still means the humidity in the incubator is at least 30-35%. Those people who "dry" incubate may be living in a place or home that has natural humidity. If you don't have at least 30-35%, the egg will lose too much moisture and will pull in air. The air sack will become too big and the chick has no room to develop. Too much humidity causes the egg to retain too much liquid and too little air space and the chick can drown. It's all real tricky. Getting the right humidity is a personal thing. You can't do what someone else does because they may not have the same environment you do. Even from room to room in your home, the environment changes and you will have to make adjustments. With the Hovabator, I never put water in the "wells" because there was no control that way. I went and got those little plastic baby food containers. They fit just right between the turner and the wall of the incubator. I cut a square in the lid and filled it/them with water. If the humidity was too high, I just took a little piece of tape and taped off part of the hole. I just kept adjusting the tape. The water in the containers last for days. Really easy to adjust to whatever you want that way. In the winter, (same place in the house), I would have to use two containers just to get the humidity right because of the heater in the house making the air so dry. So, you will just need to experiment before you put your eggs in to see what is right for THIS season, THIS room, THIS house, etc. Good luck! Oh yea, there is a section on BYC that is in the learning center that is called hatching 101 or something like that that is very helpful.
 
How do chickens feel about free-hanging roost bars? Does it bother them? I'm sure they're different (chickens' preferences that is)

NEVERMIND. I thought about it for a moment. ;)
 
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Just remember, dry hatching for some still means the humidity in the incubator is at least 30-35%. Those people who "dry" incubate may be living in a place or home that has natural humidity. If you don't have at least 30-35%, the egg will lose too much moisture and will pull in air. The air sack will become too big and the chick has no room to develop. Too much humidity causes the egg to retain too much liquid and too little air space and the chick can drown. It's all real tricky. Getting the right humidity is a personal thing. You can't do what someone else does because they may not have the same environment you do. Even from room to room in your home, the environment changes and you will have to make adjustments. With the Hovabator, I never put water in the "wells" because there was no control that way. I went and got those little plastic baby food containers. They fit just right between the turner and the wall of the incubator. I cut a square in the lid and filled it/them with water. If the humidity was too high, I just took a little piece of tape and taped off part of the hole. I just kept adjusting the tape. The water in the containers last for days. Really easy to adjust to whatever you want that way. In the winter, (same place in the house), I would have to use two containers just to get the humidity right because of the heater in the house making the air so dry. So, you will just need to experiment before you put your eggs in to see what is right for THIS season, THIS room, THIS house, etc. Good luck! Oh yea, there is a section on BYC that is in the learning center that is called hatching 101 or something like that that is very helpful.

Thanks! The house is running around 32% humidity, according to the hygrometer. I'm attempting to calibrate it right now though and it's only showing 66% instead of 75%. Will check again in a couple of hours. Temp in incubator is almost right at 100 now. We unplugged it and started over last night :)
 
Decided to put a bar in the corner of the run. I wanted one specifically for this little girl, and look who's the first one using it. ;)
400
 
So when abmaddox was visiting here yesterday, she got to touch a Frizzle for the first time....

Chickie Momma, ask her what I meant about them being deceivingly soft! LOL!
 

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