Approaching first hatch---and super nervous!!

So... (deep breath) this all started with the idea to let the kids at my child's school hatch eggs for us in this year's poultry unit. I thought this would be super--the class would do the work and I'd get my chicks. Then I started studying breeds and incubating and shipping eggs and my head started to explode from the sheer volume of information coming at me. I cancelled two orders of hatching eggs from one of THOSE large hatcheries and began researching local options as well as better breeders of the kinds of chickens I wanted. After all that time studying up not to mention the generosity of the "chicken people" who I've communicated with, I have total anxiety as well as way more eggs than I ever intended on having. It's gotten so crazy that I've decided that I'm not even quite sure I can trust the children with my egg babies that are coming so I'm planning on setting some at home.

At this point I've borrowed an incubator (still air, foam thing that I'm trying to get temp right on) and am bracing myself for the eggs that will arrive and those that I'll pick up on this coming Monday. I'm spending a Saturday night trying to calibrate a thermometer, beating Amazon down for a candler and hygrometer, and generally panicking about the idea of killing some chicks.

So, here's my plan: hopefully successfully hatch these precious babies to be AND pray I get some support and advice because I sure need it!!

Good luck

Pre-setting panic level is not too high, thank goodness! I gave up on the still air incubator because it was really dirty and I was not sure how to deal with the caked egg shells and old, yucky stuff. I ordered a Brinsea Maxi II Advance from Stromberg's (lowest price even with expedited shipping) and it should be here tomorrow.

After an epic post office chase to find my first batch of eggs (a mix of golden lace, silver laced, buff laced and white crested black Polish bantams) I drove 40 miles to collect a mixture of Bielefelder, Cream Legbars and Swedish Isbar eggs. My loose concept at this point is to have a pretty nice group of rainbow layers along with the little Polish rockstars. There are also 6 Crele Polish eggs due from California tomorrow! I am hoping to use the outer circle on the Maxi for the largest eggs and then place some of the smallest bantam eggs on a couple of the inner egg slots. I talked that over with Brinsea because I've heard mixed thoughts on the size of the slots. Some people seem to feel the regular chicken egg spots are too big for the bantams, and I've also seen people write that the smaller spots are a tiny bit too small for the bantams. Well...we'll just take a run on our luck! If nothing else it will make a good "review in action" on the product.

So, to recap: I set 21 eggs at our preschool for their annual hatch today. I have an additional 10 eggs resting after their journey, but waiting on the incubator to arrive. AND there are still 6 more Crele Polish eggs expected to arrive tomorrow. Whew!!!

Sounds exciting. Good luck!

I will start you off with one piece of advice. Know and accept that not all the eggs are going to make it. Some might even make it to the very end and still die. It happens. But all the fluffy butts who do make it, make the whole experience worth it. Just do your best and you'll do okay.

Mylied said:

Sounds exciting. Good luck!

I will start you off with one piece of advice. Know and accept that not all the eggs are going to make it. Some might even make it to the very end and still die. It happens. But all the fluffy butts who do make it, make the whole experience worth it. Just do your best and you'll do okay.

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Thank you for the advice!! I'm so thankful for having had my son witness a bad hatch last year at school so we are prepared for loss---that's probably why I'm not totally freaked about having so many eggs going! It's a great labor of love and I'm already so grateful for all of the fun people I've met since I've just started planning my hatch and reading and obsessing!

Sounds like an adventure! Best of luck!

So the 6 eggs turned out to be 8 eggs...This will really test the Brinsea Maxi II Advance on the "small egg slot" capacity. Will post the unpacking of the incubator as soon as it comes. I am just as curious as all the other people out there who have been asking about how well it works. Count me in as a guinea pig!!

So I've made this video about my afternoon with the Brinsea Maxi II Advance and setting eggs for my first hatch!

Rounding out exciting day 2...

Really the most excitement was bringing home the school incubator for spring break down my dirt road...someone hold me!!! It is all set up and holding good temp. I moved the four bantam eggs that were in the Maxi over to the big one because they were simply too large to turn properly. I now have them marked, plan to candle all on day 10 and see what we have. I'm betting that I'll be pulling some eggs out and there will then be room in the maxi for all of mine. I've got 39 eggs and can't imagine I won't be losing some.

So far I am really dazzled by how well and how quickly the Maxi regulates temperature. It has needed just a little bit of water added to its well, and chirps every 45 minutes when it does its 7 second turn.

Nothing really to report except there is such a stark contrast between neurosis inducing nature of the Hova bator and the set it and forget it feeling of the Brinsea.