# Buckeye eggs on the bator



## Buckeye209

Hey so I found a local farmers who breeds and sells chickens and eggs locally so got a dozen.
I'm now on day 4 I use a air flowed Hova-bator and manually turn eggs 3/5 times per day temp is 100.4F humidity is 47/51% I'm not so new at this but can always learn a thing or 2 my bator is well broken in. Anyone feel free to join in.


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## Buckeye209




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## Buckeye209




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## robin416

What is that on the bottom? That looks so much better than the plain wire.

I used my Hoba for years, for the price they are about the best going out there.


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## zamora

I don't know nuthin' 'bout 'bating no chickens Miss Scarlett so I'll just watch this thread!


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## Buckeye209

Hey thanks for following along, oh on the bottom is a sink match that I cut to size then used a paper hole punched for holes I heard doing this is much better for the baby chicks feet since it has a descent grip, yeah I like the Hova it's like old faithful but might have to try something new with auto egg Turner, oh it's day 5 and I candles I fed have 7 chicks maybe more will recandle on day 7 in case I got some late bloomers these Buckeye are from the ALBC line well something like that it's a mixture of old lines put together I believe


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## robin416

Good idea on the sink mat. I didn't leave mine in the bator long after hatching but I did have a couple get their legs caught at the edge of the wire. Never did like that wire but it does provide a good base for the mat.


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## Buckeye209

Well day 7 is here times been going by fast I will candle tonight


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## robin416

If we didn't know you were on the West Coast, those of us more East sure know it now since it's been tonight for a couple of hours now.


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## Buckeye209

Oh yeah haha California I been to the east coast but it's been a while,so I candles eggs tonight and 1 eggs appear to have baby chicks growing and 1 egg seemed like just a yolk because I could only see a light shadowing of what I think is the yolk will recandle and toss in 3 days if no growth also finally got the supplies to make a brooder it was 105F here yesterday


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## Buckeye209

11 eggs are growing I meant lol


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## brock86ozzy

11/12 that's awesome. The last lot I did it was 5/12 and the eggs cost $4 each


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## Buckeye209

Oh thanks, wow that's expensive I paid 6.00 for the dozen, I wasn't sure how these were gonna do but was glad I didn't have to get shipped since the farmer was local


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## robin416

Even though I hadn't had my first cup of coffee I knew something was wrong with those first numbers. Congrats on the good showing so far. 

I just heard on the news it isn't over on your side of the country yet, that it's going to be too hot yet again.


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## Buckeye209

My incubator is being fussy temperature been up and down all day nothing g dangerous but still unstable and t's day 12


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## robin416

Is it following what the house AC is doing? And there can be a five degree difference between the time it clicks off and clicks back on.


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## Buckeye209

It was up n down had hit 101.2f think no cus the inside was nice and cool would chicks growth effect that I'm thinking, well it seems steady tonight but was a pain to keep adjusting yesterday lol


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## robin416

When was the last time you changed the wafer? And it is possible to get a bad one, I did. Ended up sticking the old one back in since it was easier to control until I got a new one.

And one year I cheated. I stuck mine out in the chicken coop on a shelf. Since we were in the mid 90's it barely ran at all, mostly in the cooler air at night.


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## Buckeye209

Since I got it 3 years ago might need a new one for next hatch but right now everything is back to being spot on


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## robin416

It says to change them every year. I'm not sure how I missed that bit of information but it was three or four years before I changed mine and of course that's when I got the bad one.


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## Buckeye209

I'm well overdue, it's day 15 and candling showed 3 clear eggs so I'm guessing those were never fertile and 9 growing eggs airsacks seems kinda small so will raise humidity? On 1 egg airsack seems wanked oblong so I'm kinda on the fence about this one so can only cross my fingers that it hatches.


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## robin416

No, don't raise humidity. Air cells should be growing in size. What do you show for humidity now? It should be in the 35/45% range.


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## Buckeye209

I have 49% so ima let it drop to about 45% then


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## robin416

A tad high but not awful. Awful is when you read someone has had theirs up to 60% and want to raise it to 80 the last three days. 

Sounds like you're going to have a good hatch with that much development.


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## seminole wind

What is it with Buckeyes? They are popular , I guess I'd like to know why.


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## Buckeye209

I think because of their history In the part of California I'm at not many raise them,.

Oh ok so is 70% or 65% good for lockdown iyo?


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## robin416

I stayed around 65% but I doubt that 70% would ruin anything for three days.


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## brock86ozzy

So what day are you up to now


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## Buckeye209

At 6:00 tonight it will be day 18 Lockdown! I been waiting for this day forever


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## robin416

We'll be watching with you. And pulling for a 100% hatch.


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## Buckeye209

Thanks, I'm excited looking forward to seeing how this goes, I did have a Q? I been having the eggs on Thierry sides so I can turn them but was wondering if I should put them in a egg carton big side up for lockdown, what's your opinion?


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## robin416

I wouldn't. To me if the eggs are laying down the peep has an easier time zipping the egg open.


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## Alaskan

There is actually a scientific study I read (not kidding), it said that hatching with the fat end up was best/fastest.

Hatching on the side was slightly slower (but no decrease in hatch success), hatching upside down WAS much slower, and did have a decreased success rate

-duh-

Though actually the decreased success rate with the upside down hatch wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.


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## pinkmartin

Good luck!!!


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## Buckeye209

They are set! I've heard big side up lockdown is good for small airsacks, I left mine on Thierry sides


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## pinkmartin

I guess I need to read up on hatching. I don't have a bator. I can see one in my future. What is the purpose of lockdown? It obviously doesn't happen and isn't a requirement when a hen broods her own eggs. Also, if exact temp and humidity and turning are so important, how does a hen ever have a successful hatch? I haven't seen either of my broody's read instructions.


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## Buckeye209

Lockdown is when you stop turning the eggs and opening the incubator,there are many ways to incubate so many techniques these days that no one is the only way, the best incubator imo is a broody hen


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## brock86ozzy

You will start hearing them soon


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## pinkmartin

Ok. Thanks for the explanation. Makes more sense now.


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## Buckeye209

Your welcome, oh I'm in anticipation just waiting for them it being day 19 humidity is at 68% good enough I think, I made thier brooder a week ago and got some chick growing gel for the first three days


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## Buckeye209

On day 20 1 egg hatched and now almost being day 21 another egg started to crack open


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## brock86ozzy

I bet your at the incubator every 5 minutes looking in haha


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## Buckeye209

Haha naw but I do like listening to them trying to get out, my first hatch I was looking as much as possible like a little kid Waiting for the Easter bunny lol


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## robin416

Already? It seems like you just fired the thing up.


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## Buckeye209

Yeah seriously it's gone by pretty steady, I got one lonely chick waiting for for the others


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## pinkmartin

Congrats! Anxiously awaiting pics...


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## Buckeye209

There is 4 now and waiting for more


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## robin416

I was getting concerned there for a bit. You do know if you hear one screaming in distress you can help it? Carefully.


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## Buckeye209

I've helped onced when first incubating and killed a chick so I'm hoping nature does good for this bunch, I got 5 now took pictures


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## pinkmartin

They're so cute!


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## Buckeye209

Yeah super @ ti y, well I said I wasn't but I did it... I helped one chicken hatching that had got overturned by the other chicks by gently removing the hard outter shell and peeling back the soft membrane then it chirped and pushed it's way out


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## robin416

Congratulations on a decent hatch. 

That helping thing is all about timing. I even had to help one that was under a hen once.


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## Buckeye209

Thanks I was hoping for more but 6 isn't bad I give it 2 more days just in case, under a hen that had to be interesting? I'm already wanting to incubate more lol


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## Buckeye209

I did check the remaining and they were yolks so the total is 6/12


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## Buckeye209

I did end up giving them mareks vaccinations


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