YYYAAAHHHOOO here we go a-hatchin for the first time!! Due 2/19

[mediazeal]

Quote:
My dividers are actually metal fences that came with the hatcher. It's an emu egg hatcher and there were 'compartments' fenced off for each egg. I cut out the center dividers splitting each half a tray into 4 egg sections. So I have fence around the whole thing and a fence across the middle half way back the long tray (cabinet hatcher).

But little fences do not have to be fancy, just sturdy enough for the floppy chicks. I think something plastic will not mess with your humidity like cardboard would. If it was me, I would use cardboard and hardware cloth with duct tape. Or little plastic fences from a kids toy set, etc and then secure it pretty well. Thats where cardboard and duct tape come in.

 

[aceschix]

Remember this is my first time, so suggest away.

I am planning to use the cartons for lockdown. I have made a few "fences" with craft cross-stich plastic to keep my breeds separate until I can mark them. (thanks Mediazeal for the suggestions

)

I am hoping I can fit it all in tonight when I do lockdown.

What do you guys do with the eggs while you are arranging everything for lockdown. I think it will take a few minutes...

What does your process of lockdown look like?

 

[mediazeal]

Quote:
Sounds great

FENCES: I just leave the eggs in the cartons (I hatch in cartons and the brinsea rocks the whole thing, so they are in cartons the whole time)
so you might want to set them in the cartons, lay in your fences, and put them in their own little corrals. I have at times cut my cartons to be 4 or 6 cells depending on how many eggs go in that section if you are cramped. Give the chicks space away from the cartons and make the fences high enough that they won't flop over.
Hope you take pics. It will be fun to see what you came up with.
have you tested the plastic stuff in any heat? does it give off fumes?
just turn your hot hair dryer on it and see if anything melty or toxic happens before you put it in with the chicks.

HOW LONG: I think you can take up to 10-15 minutes like you were candling. But you might want to not candle this time so they eggs can just get to the warm again.

LOCKDOWN: Take the eggs out of the rocker. If you are going to hatch in cartons, make sure you have a hole in the bottom of the cell/carton as well for ventilation. The egg is breathing. You will want to up the humidity. In my brinsea that means I add strips of towel under the tray dipped into the water wells to add more evaporation area. Fill all water wells. If you have a vent or water 'add' hole, have straws handy to drip water in with. I like to put a small piece of terrycloth under that to get as much water in as I can when I have space. I dont' want to drip right onto any cartons or eggs.
Close bator... do not open, do not open, do not open, do not open til all the chicks have hatched. If you have hatched dry chicks that have been in there for 24 hours and you have to take them out, wait til there are NO PIPS or you will dry out the membrane and kill the chick. Do a quick grab and spray warm water into the incubator as you close it to quickly bring the humidity back up.
There are great debates on what humidity level to maintain. I try for 65%. I incubate at 40-50% depending on how dry it is here.
that is all I know
best of luck

Hoping for a great hatch!

 

[aceschix]

Thank you so much for that specific advice. I will be refering to it in the next couple of days.

 

[1mommahen]

 

[sonew123]

 

[aceschix]

SONEW123 need an opinion...I am "doing" my lockdown arrangment tonight. I would like your input on how or if I should seperate your eggs to be able to tell them apart after hatch? How identifiable do you think they will be? I still have: 4 Olives 2 blue EEs 2 LF/EE 1 silkie(may have quit - looks funny)

I already have 3 other sections.

1 - 12 my mixes
2 - 5 blu/blk aracaunas from - FLF
3 - 8 poss. pure / split lav. ameraucana - Chicken Stalker

Trying to decide if yours all go in one section or Olives alone????

 

[aceschix]

Hey SONEW...did you wonder off to more eggciting threads...?

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Nope sorry had to clean up after dinner eww...anyway I would take different colored sharpie markers like red and green or black and as the EE's hatch or olive eggers hatch color their toes underneath? Or you can do it to their heads-like a dot when they are dried off? I boo-bood when it came to my hatch and didnt mark my EE's from my Olive eggers and after a day or two they all looked alike! I want to try leg band next time-I have 2 olive eggs and 4 EE's in bator now and I totally plan to do the sharpie permanent marker thing when they hatch. At least it will give me a few extra days to plan on other marks that will help me.. Do you have sharpies?

 

[aceschix]

I could find some...remember I have not done this before. So if this sounds dumb forgive me. How will I keep them straight until I am "allowed" to take them out to the brooder?