Hatching bantam eggs

[stephanie1992]

r they the same as standard eggs? same heating? and 21 days to hatch?

 

[stephanie1992]

anyone?

 

[Godiva]

They are exactly the same except that I have found that our bantam eggs usually hatch earlier than standard size eggs. We have done almost all of our bantam eggs under broodies so it isn't temperature related. I have even had some hatch on day 19! Had me counting fingers and toes to check my dates first time round

but we had it often enough that we were surprised if the bantam eggs went the full 21 days... not everyone has this experience though, many go the full 21 days. I wonder if it has anything to do with how small the egg is? We have d'Uccles and d'Uccle crosses that lay a pretty small egg... I have just set some bantam ameraucana eggs that seem generally bigger than the d'Uccle eggs and we'll see if that makes any difference in how long they go. Of course this time it is also different in that I am incubating them versus a broody doing it for me. So much easier having a momma hen to do all the work for you...

 

[stephanie1992]

mine are bantam cochins and silkies, should i put them on a earlyer lockdown or the normal 18th day lockdown

 

[Godiva]

I am not sure - still trying to figure out what I am going to do too. I think I am going to lock down a day earlier and up the humidity then too... we'll see if someone else comes along with different info but I don't want to have any chicks getting stuck because the humidity is too low. But I am not expert - as I said most of our hatching has been with broodies...

 

[stephanie1992]

my incubator doesnt read humidity, the instructions just say to make sure all channels have water in them, ill prob put them on lockdown one day early, i dnt think it will hurt, but hopfully someone can give us more ideas

 

[silkie_sue]

You lock down on day 18 at the same time of day or night you set them. ****unless you happen to see a very early pip.

Most times day 18 is perfect. I incubate and all of my hatches have started late on day 20.

Happy Hatching!

 

[Gypsy07]

Lots of people with bantams find that they hatch out on day 19, so they like to put them in lockdown on day 16 or 17. If you know what you're looking at, you could probably tell by candling on day 16 whether or not they were far enough along in development for lockdown.

 

[HHandbasket]

I have hatched several batches of bantams, and I agree, they have a tendency to hatch between days 19 and 20. I still don't do lockdown until day 17, though. Temp and humidity are the same as for standard chicken eggs.

I just set half a dozen porcelain d'uccle eggs yesterday. We had PLANNED to eat the eggs, but our rooster died earlier this week & I know Portia's eggs are fertile, so I popped them in the incubator and am hoping for the best.

 

[ozark_chickies]

Quote:
I've had they same thing happen to me. I have incubated in the bator, and under two broody hens this summer, and my bantam eggs have started hatching earlier.I have had chicks out of the egg on day 18, and it is usually over by day 21.