Setting eggs today 4/1/12 Anyone else? - Page 4

  I admit that I am guilty of the same things!  I peek through the windows 10 times a day and want to candle all the time!  I am going to have to sit on my hands all three days of lockdown...  These are the times when having no patience really kicks me in the bum!  I am hoping to have a goat baby soon to distract me from my (future) bird babies!  Otherwise I will just have to continue dancing around in front of the bator and acting like a looney

Hello there!   I am quite new to BYC, just registered tonight!  I haven't had chickens very long, but my brother in law got me started since he is quite the veteran.  Anyways, he gave me an old incubator that he doesn't use anymore, so I fixed it up and I placed my first batch of eggs ever on April 1st too!  I only have 4 Minorca eggs and 1 egg from a barred rock roo/production red hen mix.  I'm super anxious to learn, but I am reminding myself that I don't know a lot about what I am doing, so I don't have high hopes for this batch.  It sure is a learning experience though!!!

  Glad to have you join us!  What is your temp/humidity set at?  Are you hand turning or using an auto turner?  Wishing you the best for your first hatch!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevearino 

Hello there!   I am quite new to BYC, just registered tonight!  I haven't had chickens very long, but my brother in law got me started since he is quite the veteran.  Anyways, he gave me an old incubator that he doesn't use anymore, so I fixed it up and I placed my first batch of eggs ever on April 1st too!  I only have 4 Minorca eggs and 1 egg from a barred rock roo/production red hen mix.  I'm super anxious to learn, but I am reminding myself that I don't know a lot about what I am doing, so I don't have high hopes for this batch.  It sure is a learning experience though!!!

Hello there!  I have an old still air styrofoam incubator, and I have it set at 102.5 usually.  I haven't been able to get a humidity measurement yet, but I am buying a digital thermometer that has humidity on it tomorrow.  I did notice once when my temperature started to raise that the water in my troughs had dried out.  I put some water back in them and the temp came back down to 102, so I'm hoping humidity is okay.  

I just got an email that the new digital thermometer/hydrometer I ordered has arrived!  My tempature guage on  the incubator and my glass thermometer are almost a full 10 degrees off.  I trust the glass thermometer more, but I am excited to be able to get a more clear and accurate reading.  I am aiming for keeping the temp between 99.5 and 100.5  I have not added any extra water since the first day, but the incubators hydrometer stays between 30-40%.  But things are humid here as its almost always raining!  Depending on what reigon you live in and the weather there you may not need to worry about humidity till lockdown.

I tried a quick candling of one of my eggs last night, just to see what it looks like.  I've never done it before so I was curious.  I made it quick though, so as not to keep the egg out.  I figured I'd wait to do candle them all with my brother in law this weekend so he can show me what to look for.

Grats Skye on getting that thermometer!  I'm hoping to get one of those today as well.  Hope it works well for you!

I set eggs on the 2nd....My first attempt at hatching....6 are from our little flock of silkies and 1 frizzle and I bought 6 eggs from a gal...she has silkies frizzles polish sultans cochin bantams...so we will have some mongruls!!!!    I too check them frequently and candled at 3 days and day 5 candled one egg and there were veins and now today day 6 candled all 12 and have veins on most....one looks really dark and real different than than the rest....How long does it take an unfertilized egg to explode in the bator!!!!   Want to get the bad out before they are real ripe!!!  I bought a thermometer/hydrometer at Walmart for $12...temp is on with the 2 glass thermometers in the bator...