Washingtonians

[ChickAudie]

Oh poor JennS!!! It sounds like hatching chicks is about as easy as being 42 weeks pregnant!

That was the worst waiting game of my life, so glad I haven't caught the hatching bug

 

[itsren]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww so cute !!!!!
My daughter was like that, so cute & quiet, then the screaming started & cholicky...and I asked the Doc to PLEEEEEEEEEASE put the baby back IN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Funny story... I had to take my mom to her cardiologist. I couldn't find a sitter and had kids in tow. The twins were 3, my oldest was 5. They were being complete pills. My mom was stressing out. So, I marched their tiny hineys out the door and we went for a walk. We walked from the cardiologist's office into the hospital. My oldest asked where we were going. I told him we were going to see the twin's perinatologist. He asked me why. I told him because that doctor took them out of me, and I wanted to ask him if he could put all three of them back in. It's amazing how quickly the little tikes shaped up!

When we did arrive at the perinatologist's office, they were sweet little dream children and the nurses were so excited to see the how much the twins had grown.

 

[JennS]

It should not have a dish either.
Chicks can drown, and really do not need feed nor water for a few days.

The dish is empty, and is just to keep the chick from knocking the eggs around when it stumbles around the incubator. It's been staying in it pretty well, sometimes sleeping and other times standing. It's even pooped in it. There is no water dish in the incubator, only a shallow saucer with a sponge.

I have been monitoring the humidity. For the first 18 days it was around 55-60% with both vents closed. I read the instructions for the incubator and it said to open the vents for the last 3 days, and now even with the sponge I just can't get the humidity over 55%. When I was reading up on humidity (yes, I did a lot of reading!) I couldn't find a straight answer on how much it needed, but general agreement to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer above all else. Well, LG has no number for humidity listed and tells me to keep the vents open. So, what else am I supposed to do?

Jennifer

 

[JennS]

I can't help but put my 2 cents worth in.
1. I'm to heavy to sit on eggs and hatch them, so I have never hatched an egg.
2. I'm half Polish (on my mothers side) which may or may not explain some of the things I've posted.
3. These are the truths I've learned from the school of hardknocks in my long life.
A. b4 trying something knew, with no knowledge of endeavor, Read a few articles on said endeavor. Re-read the articles again, you have missed valuable points.
B. buy a book on the skill/knowledge you wish to obtain.
C. follow the advice of people that have successfully achieved desired results.

In following the above truths that I have learned, I humbly offer the following; LEAVE THE BATOR ALONE.

If you are referring to me, I would like to state that before I even fired up the incubator, I read the articles here on BYC, I googled the subject and read instructions on hatching chickens as well as general poultry, watched a YouTube video on it, and read Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens. Guess what? They all have conflicting information! The general steps match, but if you look for the exact values for details (like how long it takes chicks to emerge), you either can't find them or they say different things. Even the people I have talked to say different things! I had one breeder tell me that if I reached day 21 and they weren't out I needed to take them all out. See why I am frustrated? I know I come up with dumb questions about things that others wouldn't even think of, but that's why I'm on here, to get answers.

Jennifer

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Does anyone else use alfalfa pellets? I bought some at Reber sunday and the chickens don't really like them at all unless i mix them in with oatmeal. I guess it would be a nice morning treat each day in the cold winter months if I do this though. How do y'all soak yours? It takes forever for the pellets to break down in the water

Mine weren't interested in them at first either, but I would mix them with oatmeal, or scratch, or scrambled eggs and now they will eat the soaked alfalfa on its own. I just toss the pellets in a pan and run water over them, enough to cover. If it's too dry add more.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

The one chick is at least staying contained and not jumping on the eggs anymore. At what point do I give up and help them? I don't want to let them die.

I have read that the first hatched chicks moving the other eggs around actually helps the rest hatch. With my Silkies, the first ones moved around the incubator and all over the other eggs, but hey, they all hatched and soon I had a bator full of little fluffernutters!

Hang in there, Jennifer!

 

[FirewifeJess]

Chickielady - I would live the cartons! I will share too how far is Raymond from Olympia? I'm going down there sometime this month to a pumpkin patch and might be able to pick them up. If not maybe I could just pay the shipping?

 

[FlyRobinFly]

If anyone wants more of the plastic hex egg cartons, FlyRobin gave me half a case last year and I used maybe 6 of them...my customers prefer 12 or 18 egg cartons, so I have ALOT left !!!
P.S. I have 4-5 pages of stickers for safe handling instructions to go with them.

FYI, these are different from the Ovotherm ones I have now and that Renee posted a picture of. The hexagon ones are a different plastic, less see-through as well.

 

[FlyRobinFly]

AND a bathroom sink (upside down)

Wow! Literally everything and a sink too!!!

 

[FlyRobinFly]

Quote: That would explain your love for crests.