Do I leave the heating plate on permanently?

[Sandrine]

Hi all,

Well it's been a very long while since I have posted or visited the forum... I have had a hell of 2019, on many levels, including family bereavement and the sad loss of a lot of my ménagerie. As I am intended on making 2020 a better year (despite the crazy times we live in), I have given the incubator another go, with 6 of my girls eggs.
Anyway getting more to the point, so far 3 have hatched. They are in a brooder box a joiner friend has built for me, and under a heating plate. I just wondered, am I supposed to leave it on all day and night? They don't seem interested in getting food or water at the minute, and more interested in staying under the plate, in the nice cosy heat... Just don't want them to go hungry or thirsty.
I've attached a photo of the set up and of the first 2 to hatch as they were all dry and fluffed up...

 

[Trappapapa]

Hi Sandrine, In my limited experience I have always left the heating plate/light on all the time. I just make sure they have plenty of room to get away from the heat source if they get too hot. Hope you are enjoying looking after them! Marc

 

[Sandrine]

Hi Marc!
Thank you for that!
Yes very much so... I love it every time I have a batch of chicks to look after. As it turns out now the first 2 hatched are feeding on their own (they hatched in early morning of 5th May). The 3rd one, that hatched in evening of 5th May, watches them (learning I guess lol ). The 4th one that hatched last night is more interested in sleeping for now ? the two in photos are the last 2 hatched. The multicoloured one, I had to hatch him myself as he was struggling... I really wasn't he was going to make it but he did!
I have one last one still not hatched still not pipping even, but seems alive.... I'm in two minds whether to intervene as it's day 22 for this one now.

 

[Trappapapa]

Well done! Patience is a virtue.....but having just finished lambing my 6 ewes I was tested with patience and I gave in with one of them and helped (but not much!). I am now waiting for my duck eggs to hatch....still a long way to go but exciting nevertheless. How do you add the pictures to your post....always nice to see pictures!

 

[Marigold]

Go to Full Editor and Preview (under the text box.)
Click Attachments under the text box. Click on Add Files and find your photo in your own files. If necessary adjust the file size - it needs to be 400 X 600 for Portrait photos or 600 X 400 for Landscape. Place the cursor in the text box where you want the photo to go and go back to the attachments section and click on Place Inline. Use Preview to check that its all OK. (Preview appears above the actual message.)
As you say- we all like photos!

 

[Trappapapa]

Thank you Marigold, much appreciated!

 

[Sandrine]

Aww wow 6 ewes? How lovely well nature needs a little helping hand sometimes ?
I didn't help the last one in the end as at the last candling it wasn't moving anymore. I did open the shell though and the chick was fully formed, looks like the yolk was absorbed as well, just somehow didn't make it out. I almost wish I'd butt in now but hey! It's the way it goes.
Now one of our hens - Peep, it's always Peep! The only one one to ever get broody twice a year lol - is sat in 6 eggs, about halfway through now, so we'll have a nice little bunch of new chicks soon

 

[Sandrine]

Here are the 4 little musketeers on their 1 week birthday... They have changed a little more since these photos were taken... More feathers mainly They've started with the "scratch scratch peck peck" dance now and a few "face offs" too but nothing too dramatic. They already have their own little personality.
If it looks like they're stood on carpet on the photos... It's because they are! The easiest place to take photos lol my daughter has taken charge of them as their nanny for now, with Thier brooder box being kept in her room. She loves it, especially as they get to go to school with her everyday ? whilst she's homeschooling and they are kept safe away from our puppy...

 

[Marigold]

Lovely photos, Sandrine - and very well-trained chicks, to pose so beautifully! The one with the eye stripe looks a determined character.

 

[Sandrine]

The one on the bottom left is the only one that wouldn't stop moving... A proper wriggly bum lol The stripy eye one is the most adventurous one (as well as the youngest having hatch a day late with my help - and the others just follow lol

 

[Sandrine]

Here's the 2-week birthday photo taken on Thursday ??