New here but been watching and enjoying

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solstice

solstice

In the Brooder
Jan 2, 2016
14
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New birds, trying it with a granddaughter, now I'm an eggahollic. Hatched 16 courtnix no problem, already trash a dozen bob eggs with a variety of about 100 incubating, only about half candling at all. I'm enjoying reading and trying to get it right. I would like to have about 10 breeding pairs of about 3 species. Are fertility rates much lower on purchased eggs in winter?
 
Hi :welcome

Glad you could join us here! Have you checked out the incubating section of the learning centre? Lots of great articles on hatching eggs, here is the link ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks
I personally believe eggs are of a better quality in the spring and summer when the parent birds not under any stress form weather conditions or moult. But saying that I have successfully hatched in the winter from my own eggs but not shipped or bought ones.

Wishing you the very best of luck in the future and enjoy BYC :frow
 
Thank you very much, I have read and rereading to catch a few mistakes, enjoying all the way, though. It appears from 18th day candling I had a lot start 1/4 inch dark spot, then quit.
One question I would like to pose, just days before last hatch incubator had a gamy kinda smell, not like rotten and it seems to have returned in the incubator I have on lockdown is this normal?
I'm in central Oklahoma btw.
 
Bad smell would lead me to believe it's a leaky egg. After each incubation do you thoroughly clean your bator? Are the eggs you are setting clean? If they are dirty or have poop on them this can cause an unpleasant smell. Also dirty eggs can cause Bactria to enter the egg and kill off the embryo.
 
I did clean incubator, most eggs clean some not, I read somewhere not to clean them.
Lots of information and theory's I have found.
 
There sure is and sometimes it can be mind boggling. You may just have a stinky egg so if we're you I would just have a look and see if you can see one.

This is my bible on incubating ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101
Many people have different methods for me I don't wash eggs but I don't set dirty ones. I just pick the cleanest that I can. In the above article there is a piece on washing eggs, it may work for you.
 
Thank you! Well it's kinda re up day for me, did a lot more reading, see where I made some errors. Threw a lot of eggs away.
I have 2 styrofoam still air incubators. Turned by hand. I think hand turning might have contributed to the problem.
One question about existing eggs, I have one incubator locked down with about 10 snow flake eggs past due and 20 butler bobs due in a couple, may or may not hatch. If the snow flake were to hatch would they damage the due in a couple day eggs in lockdown?
 
welcome-byc.gif



You might find it helpful to post your hatching questions on this forum, you'll find a lot of people with experience incubating there:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/5/incubating-hatching-eggs

Good luck, hope it all works out for you!
 

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