how many DSers are expecting chicks?

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how many DSers are expecting chicks?
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Becki

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 6293
Location: Devon

Posted: Tue Mar 08, 11 11:55 pm Post subject:
I have 5 ducklings and another 12 eggs in the incubator. I could do this all year round, they are sooooooooo cute

SandraR

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 2346
Location: Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:28 am Post subject:
CIG chicks???

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:32 am Post subject:

SandraR wrote:

CIG chicks???

10 out so far

1 cuckoo marans, 1 of Alvins welsummers and the rest barnevelders.

I'm now, as i always do, regretting mixing breeds as they clearly hatch at different rates, and the humidity changes could mess things up.....

SandraR

Joined: 22 Oct 2006
Posts: 2346
Location: Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:35 am Post subject:
Well done sounding good. How many to go? Barnevelders are doing well Your humidity should be fine.

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:38 am Post subject:
I'm really pleased with how quickly the barnevelders hatch - they seem to shoot out of the shells. They are being fed on the wheat-and-peas diet adlib and also free-ranging - it seems to be working.

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:40 am Post subject:
lemme see - i set 34, removed 8 blanks. 10 out leaves.. counts on fingers 16 left re marans - some of the eggs were so dark it ws impossible to candle them

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:41 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

I'm really pleased with how quickly the barnevelders hatch - they seem to shoot out of the shells. They are being fed on the wheat-and-peas diet adlib and also free-ranging - it seems to be working.

yes - they don't mess about do they?

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:41 am Post subject:
Were they Sue's? They are REALLY dark, aren't they? Lovely!

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:42 am Post subject:

Chez wrote:

Were they Sue's? They are REALLY dark, aren't they? Lovely!

yup
beeeeaautiful eggs. but i think i read somewhere they are harder to hatch..? so hope i have not messed things up by having those dang fast hatching barnies in with them

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35934
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 9:57 am Post subject:

Keep the humidity up.

I am SO smug about my hatching set-up ... I've revamped an old still air incy that had a broken thermostat as a hatcher and it's working really well. I take them out of the incy, that I am running at an average of 30%, on day 18. Then stick them in at humidity 45%. When they start to pip I up it to 65% and it is working really well. It takes about forty eight hours for them all to hatch; but there are very few who don't make it and actual hatching time per chick seems quite fast. My humidity settings are a bit random; but HIGH seems to be the main thing - and it's much easier to maintain it in the still air one.

I can't remember if I've said this before. Sicknote's advice, anyway.

Bodger

Joined: 23 May 2006
Posts: 13524

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 11:21 am Post subject:

Funnily enough, the consensus of opinion seems to be that humidity in the UK has altered so much, as to make some of the instructions that come with incubators out of date. Humidity has risen to such an extent that some folks i know, don't put water in their machines until right near the end. I don't put water in until around the eighteenth day. I haven't had the problem myself, but if your humidity is to high, then you get something called 'sticky chicks' which leads to poor hatching. Has anyone experienced this problem?

sicknote

Joined: 26 Oct 2009
Posts: 235
Location: Cornwall

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 11:49 am Post subject:

We had this problem last year, didn't use a Hygrometer and did what we have always done, 1 chamber upto 18 days and 2 chambers until all hatched. Some of the chicks looked like they were covered in jelly and some just drowned.

We have changed this year to the settings Chez has mentioned and bar the eggs that are clear or die early on our hatches have been very good, the chicks hatch quickly (which I think makes a big difference) and even though we were hatching in January the chicks are strong.

darkbrowneggs

Joined: 14 Jul 2010
Posts: 663
Location: Worcestershire

Posted: Wed Mar 09, 11 2:14 pm Post subject:

colour it green wrote:

Chez wrote:

Were they Sue's? They are REALLY dark, aren't they? Lovely!

yup
beeeeaautiful eggs. but i think i read somewhere they are harder to hatch..? so hope i have not messed things up by having those dang fast hatching barnies in with them

Pleased my girls are doing well for you

All the best
Sue

bibbster

Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 1233
Location: Just a bit inland from Aberaeron

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 12:29 pm Post subject:
I have pipping, and one cream legbar out already one more is pipping. Trouble is, I'm at work and daughter at home is reporting progress Dont know whether its a boy or a grl till I get home tonight. keeps fingers crossed

Nicky cigreen

Joined: 25 Jun 2007
Posts: 9714
Location: Devon, uk

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 11 3:02 pm Post subject:
we have 15 out. i think that might be it. i had t open up and take out the chicks this morning, bound to have messed up humidity etc. got a couple of eggs that started pipping yesterday, and have stayed at the same point every since the 15 are great though

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