Incubating 2020

[Colleen Kinzie]

Are you going to do it again Kim Chick?
I loaded up mine again tonight
3rd batch
My husband thinks I’m crazy!!!

[KimChick]

No, I will not be setting anymore eggs this year. I already have 24 laying hens and a rooster.
We will be getting 20 meat chickens and 10 turkeys, all as day olds, at the end of the month. Not to mention the 2 eggs under the broody hen that is in the barn.
We just do not have the capacity to house anymore hens.
This old farm that we are on was not built for that. It has what was a small dairy barn and a small horse barn.
Will you be keeping all your chicks, or selling some?

[Shnookie]

One thing I have found that makes shrink wrapping worse is if the air is moving when you open the incubator. I turn off the fan and wait a minute or so until the air stops moving before opening it. I feel the air at the vent holes near the bottom to see when it stops moving (I have a Hovabator). The moving air creates a vacuum when you open the incubator.

[Colleen Kinzie]

I have been selling chicks. Probably about 1/2 of each hatch
I keep the hens to replace the hens that are laying now
Usually in the fall I sell last years hen once the hens start laying
I only have a small coop. But they are only locked in there over night
Not sure how that’s going to work out this year
We might be eating roosters. Lol

[Penny]

Just when you think you've got things figured out...along comes summer and rainstorms! Cant get my humidity under 50 and having trouble keeping the temp under 100F. Ugh....Friday is lockdown, wish me luck!

(I think I should get Hubby to install central air and then my temp/humidity fluctuations should be taken care of, right? lol)

[Jaye]

Good luck! If it's any comfort, I'm sure there are broody hens hatching out clutches too, in the same temp/humidity conditions. I'd be curious to know how broody hen hatch rates are going for those out there with broody hens on the job at the moment.

[Jenny d]

I have a little broody silkie in my coop sitting on 5 large fowl eggs, I've noticed the last couple of days that she lets the eggs poke halfway out from under her. I'm not sure if she is losing it from heat exhaustion, or if she knows what she is doing.
I'll know for sure in 8 more days.

[Killerbunny]

My turkey girls are doing the same thing! Be interesting to see what happens.

[Jaye]

I think she knows what she is doing. With the ambient heat being so warm/hot, she's likely trying to regulate the egg temps by not covering them completely. Just make sure she has plenty of cool water and that the coop is well ventilated and the air isn't stifling.

[KimChick]

One thing I have found that makes shrink wrapping worse is if the air is moving when you open the incubator. I turn off the fan and wait a minute or so until the air stops moving before opening it. I feel the air at the vent holes near the bottom to see when it stops moving (I have a Hovabator). The moving air creates a vacuum when you open the incubator.

Thanks; I will make a note for myself because I think that is what happened.