Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[CluckNDoodle]

I am hatching some Buff Orphingtons and reds also right now. I’m on the same day as you and I can see veins similar to the pictures that were posted for an example. I can also see the chick move. Are you using the light on the incubator? I find it really hard to see with it. I use an egg candler I bought on Amazon and can see much better with it. If I use the incubator light with these eggs I can’t make much out other than a dark area.

Others have had success taping a piece of heavy black cardstock around the incubator light or I've also seen just using a bunch of electrical tape, lol. This will help to cut down on the amount of light coming through the white plastic and making it more difficult to see. I too prefer my high lumen flashlight though.

 

[Willow2253]

I'd agree exposure is key for successful integration. Since you won't have safety in numbers to rely on. We have an old rabbit hutch we put them in once they're off heat. It's crowded but it's also only a week or so. Once the initial excitement is over we let them out.

If you have any bullies maybe sperate them temporarily. I have a Barred rock hen who is terrible to new birds of all ages. Second worst bird I've had in 10 years of chicken keeping. First prize goes to a rooster who killed my favorite hen. Anyways I haven't had much opportunity to sort it out thoroughly but that's my plan for this year. Put the chicks in the rabbit hutch as usual. When it's time for them to come out with the flock I'll put her in it for a few days. Then play it by ear.

My lone barred rock is a bully too. I call her Mean Moe. A with her it’s just a sharp peck here and there, besides the the time she almost killed my week old ameraucana cockerel.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

My lone barred rock is a bully too. I call her Mean Moe. A with her it’s just a sharp peck here and there, besides the the time she almost killed my week old ameraucana cockerel.

My barred hen is a Cuckoo Marans, we named her Veruca Salt because she was a grumpy pullet but as soon as she matured she completely calmed down so she got to stay, lol, she was close to getting kicked out though.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I am hatching some Buff Orphingtons and reds also right now. I’m on the same day as you and I can see veins similar to the pictures that were posted for an example. I can also see the chick move. Are you using the light on the incubator? I find it really hard to see with it. I use an egg candler I bought on Amazon and can see much better with it. If I use the incubator light with these eggs I can’t make much out other than a dark area.

I am using a Magicfly handheld candler in a dark room. I used the candler on the NR 360 on Day 7 and couldn't see hardly anything. When I candled again on Day 10, I used the Magicfly candler and it was much better...so that is what I used yesterday (Day 14). I'm going to try to get pictures tonight. If I still can't see much with my Magicfly candler, then I will try with a high lumen flashlight. How many lumens is the one you are using?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Yep, I hatched them on 8/1/2020 and these pictures were taken on 10/9/2020 BUT this wasn't the day I integrated, it was a week or so after actually. I have integrated chicks much younger without issue as well. I just wasn't in a rush to move these chicks out. In the below picture you'll see an assortment of ages that I integrated, almost always in threes. The 3 youngest are with a broody hen, there are also some 5 week olds and 8-10 week olds...I hatch a lot of chicks and therefor I can't keep them in the transition pen for very long if I have new ones coming it. Silkies are the exception to the rule, I DID have problems integrating them too early, they're not smart enough to get out of the way so it's better to plan on raising them side by side until they're much older. Again, your flock dynamic will make a difference, how this will work out for each flock will always vary but I don't tolerate bullies so I don't have any in my flock.

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Thanks!
Yes, I sold two of my bullies as well earlier this year for the same reason.
They were a beautiful ameraucana and a marans but they had to go!
My chicks are one 5 1/2 week old, and two 2 1/2 weeks olds that all get along fine together. Thinking of having them out during the day when the littles are a bit bigger. The older one could move out now, but I want to keep them together.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Keep in mind that I use a high lumen flashlight to candle my eggs so you may be able to see more than with a typical candler. Also some shells are just thicker and harder to see through even when they're lighter in color.

As far as integrating just 3 chicks, that's usually what I do! I tend to sell most of my chicks and will just keep a few at a time. After 2-3 weeks indoors I then move the chicks to brood outdoors, side by side with my adult flock where they can see each other but can't touch. I also put their feeders right next to each other on opposite sides of the hardware cloth because I feel like around the feeders is where a lot of the bickering can happen.

You can see the size I integrated these 3 after homing them side by side for some weeks. There were almost no issues with integration but I do have a very docile flock.
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I will be brooding the babies indoors for at least 2-3 weeks until they are fully feathered because it gets down in the 20s at night here and will be too cold to put them in the coop or outside. But once I reach that point:

I just built a new coop in October. I had INTENDED to build a brooder inside of it that would allow new chicks to "grow up" side by side with the adults. Unfortunately, either hubby or I got the measurements off and instead of having 24" x 96" of space...I have more like 16" x 96" of space. I also have chickens roosting above that space so if i still try to put in the brooder, I will need to make sure to put a poop board above it to keep the poor babies from being @#%* on. Sooo......I can do that OR:

Option 2 -

I have a 6' x 8' dog kennel that is currently NOT being used. I had INTENDED to use this kennel with the INTENDED brooder in the new coop to allow babies access to a protected outdoor area in the chicken run. I can still do that and/or I can set it up to provide the babies their own separate run that is not even connected to the coop. This would mean I'd have to figure out how to set up a temporary coop and add heat to it so they would stay warm. I would also need to add a tarp or something over the top to predator proof it.

 

[BenlynFarm]

I am using a Magicfly handheld candler in a dark room. I used the candler on the NR 360 on Day 7 and couldn't see hardly anything. When I candled again on Day 10, I used the Magicfly candler and it was much better...so that is what I used yesterday (Day 14). I'm going to try to get pictures tonight. If I still can't see much with my Magicfly candler, then I will try with a high lumen flashlight. How many lumens is the one you are using?

That is the same egg candler I’m using. I’ll add a picture so you can compare to yours.

 

[TJAnonymous]

OK... As promised. Here are my eggs on Day 15. I started with 7 eggs. I candled at Day 7 and removed 2 eggs that were clear. These are the 5 that were left.

Picture 1:

Picture 2:

Picture 3:

Picture 4:

Picture 5:

I'm pretty sure Picture 1 & 4 are quitters. The other 3 look viable to me but since this is my first time ever incubating I could be wrong. Cautiously optimistic....

 

[CluckNDoodle]

OK... As promised. Here are my eggs on Day 15. I started with 7 eggs. I candled at Day 7 and removed 2 eggs that were clear. These are the 5 that were left.

Picture 1:
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Picture 2:
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Picture 3:
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Picture 4:
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Picture 5:
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I'm pretty sure Picture 1 & 4 are quitters. The other 3 look viable to me but since this is my first time ever incubating I could be wrong. Cautiously optimistic....

Yes, 1 and 4 are early quitters. Fingers crossed for the other 3!

 

[TJAnonymous]

6 days feels like forever right now....