Ooooops..It's not day 18 its day 20! Updated Pics page 4

[BamaChicken]

Jay, I agree with you on the low humidity in the first days. I was having great hatches when I was adding just a little water for the first 18 days and really got better hatches when I moved them on day 19. I had a bunch hatch in the turner and never have a problem. I think I will try the eggs carton thing on a group I have in the bator put in on the 24th. If it works good I will try it on the ones I am loading the bator up with on this Sunday. Thanks for sharing your experience.

 

[ZuniBee]

OMG! I got home from work and out of the 36 eggs in the incubator I have 33 chicks!!!!!!

There are three eggs left and one has pipped and I think I hear chirping in another. This is by far the best hatch I have ever achieved. I am convinced that my theory as to why my eggs were dying after day 18 is correct. The first to hatch are rolling the eggs and the chicks are drowning. Think about it..... the hen sits on the eggs and they don't roll around like that. By keeping them in the egg carton 33 of 36 have hatched... That is a 92% hatch rate so far!

Fingers crossed for the last three!

 

[tberggren]

Congratulations!! So nice to hear that a high percentage hatch rate is attainable. I was getting worried about my first hatch coming up here in March, I will print out your list and try to follow it.

 

[BamaChicken]

Great. I am looking fo rward to the experiment . That is a great hatch. Can't wait to see pics. BTW, I will be emailing to morrow nite when I finish with the Website. My DIL is coming over to help finish. It was a delay with my two hospital stays.

 

[mergmet]

you go Jay!!

 

[ZuniBee]

I plan to document everything real good and post it on my website. However, keep in mind that one good result doesn't make it automatically the way to go. Luck could be involved as well.......

I feel real good about the process since I actually intended to do something to increase my hatch rate and it succeeded. I am going to have to follow the exact same process again to see if I can duplicate the results. (Eggs are sitting here ready to go in as soon as I clean the bator) After a few successful trials THEN I will say it is the best thing since sliced bread!

Glad to hear your website is coming along BamaChicken.

 

[BamaChicken]

One question Jay. On the egg carton. Was it styrofoam or cardboard? Did you cut holes in the bottom or as you said just ripped the top off?

 

[KKluckers]

I have had the same problems before with chicks drowning. I decreases my humdity to about 40% first 18 days and 65-70% last 3 days. Im going to set my own eggs in a few weeks and try your method. I never thought to keep them in egg cartons. Is it tougher for them to get out?

 

[ZuniBee]

What kind of incubator are you using?

It's a Hova Bator with turner and fan

So are you removing them soon after they hatch....do they just kind of "fall out" of the carton?

After these last three eggs are finished I will open up the bator and take a picture of how it was. Every one of the eggs zipped just above the middle of the egg. The bottom half of the egg stayed in the carton and the top half came off just like the lid. I thought they would have trouble getting out but they popped right out and were walking on top of the other eggs and the carton.

On the egg carton. Was it styrofoam or cardboard? Did you cut holes in the bottom or as you said just ripped the top off?

I used cardboard cartons and just ripped off the top of the carton. I did not put any holes in the carton.....just set the eggs in like they would come from the grocery store.

I never thought to keep them in egg cartons. Is it tougher for them to get out?

Not at all. I thought it would be difficult for them but every time I came to check the bator there were more chicks. Only one out of the 33 had trouble and that was the last one I just took out. He was a little sticky and couldn't get out of the shell. I think it was because I kept opening up the bator and quickly grabbing chicks to put in the brooder...

Also, Margeret (mergmet) and I were talking about my hatch rate a few days ago. She told me that she reduces the heat for hatch..... I did that as well. Dropped it to 98,5.​

 

[BantyChickMom]

Jay, that is excellent! I am so happy for you.

Too bad I'm chick overloaded right now or I would do a little experimenting of my own.