Jan. 2022 Hatch-a-long

[CrazyCochin]

8/10 hatched so far. One was DIS, did not even internally pip. One left in the incubator, has not internally pipped yet, but I do see some movement.
Here are the chicks:


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Next batch due on the 31st.

I love the one on the far left in the last photo.
I can relate to that face, because school starts on the 31st as well.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I got shipped Quail eggs from Texas to Iowa. I bought 18, she sent extras and I had 17 hatch. Which is amazing.
What I've noticed is that anything that goes through the Kansas City, MO post office is trashed. So, I try to get eggs from Minnesota and Texas because they totally bypass that post office and come straight to Des Moines.
Very few eggs east of me will hatch, and I haven't tried west of me...

That's an amazing hatch!

I'm leery of ordering shipped eggs from FL (not contiguous but nearby) because of shipments I received that looked like they'd been used in a football game. Ordering from continguous states has been hit-or-miss for me, though, too. Even eggs shipped from locations that would be no more than 4 hours' drive time have arrived with significant, sometimes catastrophic, internal damage.

I've experienced more misrouting with shipments, too, which is definitely not helpful.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I guess what my point is, you'll have to find which post offices are rough on eggs. Maybe you could make a thread?

 

[Bananer86]

Out of 16 only 7 made it to lockdown. these 7 babies make it.

I’ve been having trouble with humidity this week. No matter what I’ve done I cannot get it stable. For lockdown should I add extra water & let it run high until some evaporates?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

Out of 16 only 7 made it to lockdown. these 7 babies make it.

I’ve been having trouble with humidity this week. No matter what I’ve done I cannot get it stable. For lockdown should I add extra water & let it run high until some evaporates?

Sorry only 7 left.
What is your humidity now? How do the air cells look here at lockdown?

 

[CrazyCochin]

Out of 16 only 7 made it to lockdown. these 7 babies make it.

I’ve been having trouble with humidity this week. No matter what I’ve done I cannot get it stable. For lockdown should I add extra water & let it run high until some evaporates?

I hope they pull through!

 

[Bananer86]

Sorry only 7 left.
What is your humidity now? How do the air cells look here at lockdown?

So far it’s maintained 65% today. The air cells looked a little large so I added a little more water this morning. Before it was 30%. Days 1-13 we maintained 35-40% dry it was day 14 where we started having humidity issues. It would drop to 20% I would add a folded damp paper towel & it would spike to 60% I tried folding it smaller & less damp but it still spiked. Adding any to the reservoir spiked it up to 65-70%. I ended up using a bottle cap full & keeping it around 30%-35% until this morning

 

[LadiesAndJane]

So far it’s maintained 65% today. The air cells looked a little large so I added a little more water this morning. Before it was 30%. Days 1-13 we maintained 35-40% dry it was day 14 where we started having humidity issues. It would drop to 20% I would add a folded damp paper towel & it would spike to 60% I tried folding it smaller & less damp but it still spiked. Adding any to the reservoir spiked it up to 65-70%. I ended up using a bottle cap full & keeping it around 30%-35% until this morning

So much trouble with your humidity! I don’t recall what brand of incubator you have, the less expensive ones often have this problem.
Sounds like you’re doing what you can. Maintaining 65% at this point would be best. Fingers crossed it goes well!

 

[Bananer86]

So much trouble with your humidity! I don’t recall what brand of incubator you have, the less expensive ones often have this problem.
Sounds like you’re doing what you can. Maintaining 65% at this point would be best. Fingers crossed it goes well!

Thank you. It is. Mini chick brand. It was kind of an emergency purchase. 8 of our chickens were killed by a neighbor’s dog. A couple days after we decided to hatch the eggs we had from them. Being right after Christmas our misc budget was a little low. I’m just hoping we get a few of their offspring. I knew the hatch rate wouldn’t have the best odds. It’s my first hatch, the eggs were a week old, it’s winter, we have naturally high humidity & a less than ideal incubator but it’s worth a try to at least have some of their off spring

 

[GottaChicken452]

I ordered some black copper maran eggs today. How do you all candle them, or do you?

Here is a BCM at day 15.. a really bright LED but watch it doesn't get hot and keep it short. I also used a vinyl tape to make the "egg cup". Seems to work. I was able to easily pick out the non starters from the good ones. Though I do wait as long as possible just to be sure.