Monday, February 23, 2015

Hatch 5 Produced a Bucket of Chicks

Brrr! This bucket is cold!
 
Hatch 5 is complete with a 41% hatch rate.  48 eggs to start with had 17 clears at day 11.  This tells me I was working against the winter days and not collecting eggs on a timely manner throughout the day.  Once the hatch started 20 chicks are healthy, 11 didn't hatch and they were fully developed.  This is a continuing problem I'm dealing with and I haven't figured out the cause.
 
Hatch number 6 has started and ole man winter is definitely working against me.  I lowered the humidity alarm setting to 27% and my goal is to run the humidity 30-40% in the incubator through day 18.  A seasoned Dry Incubation follower thought my humidity levels were too high the first 18 days and I probably was drowning my chicks when they pipped the air sac drowning themselves from condensated water within the air sac.    I found several good articles by googling Dry Incubation Hatch.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Marsh RX-NAS Incubator Does Well

Wake up call this morning!
 

Resting in brooder.

Incubator cleaned and re-stocked for a second round.
 
The first round incubation for the Marsh Automatic has a 77% hatch rate and may I say that's awesome.  I started with 66 eggs and 51 chicks were taken to the brooder. 
 
I had to add a 1/2 cup of water twice daily during this 21 day period.  On the 20th day I increased the water to 1 cup twice and as the chicks began hatching I ended up placing 1 1/2 cups of water.  The water did dry out within an 8 hour period.  The fan circulating the air from the Marsh somewhat bothered the chicks while they were drying off.  Once the chicks were removed from the incubator they were greatly relaxed in the brooder.  Overall I am pleased with this hatch.
 
Using the plastic half eggs as holders for the small bantam eggs worked very nicely.
 

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Hatch # 4 Complete

 
Hatch number 4 had a 50% hatch rate and I am happy with this hatch.  These eggs were gathered daily during cold temperature's with several day's having 40 degree or less weather.  Several eggs felt cold when gathered, but I was willing to take a chance and a few did hatch as I placed an X on the cold egg. 
 
Among the 48 eggs; 7 were clear, 8 had embryos, and 9 appeared to be fully developed but didn't hatch.  Disappointing to see those fully developed chicks and not hatch. 
 
  I have the thermostat adjusted to 99.5° F and the hatch began on the 20th day and continued into the 21st day.  Most of the bantams hatched on the 20th day and this happens while I use sitting hens on bantam eggs. 
 
This batch of chicks consist of Black, Gold, Red, and White Phoenix, Blue Sumatra, Blue Orpington, and Speckled Sussex.
 
The incubator was cleaned and hatch # 5 began this afternoon.  I am still dealing with the cold weather and I know a few of these eggs became chilled.