Setting eggs on July 9th, anyone want to join me? - Page 2

Do yourself a favor. Run that incubator and monitor temps for an extra day and make sure it's steady. Too many excited people toss in eggs the second the have a bator. Sometimes that's a problem and temps skyrocket and cook eggs. Double check your run for 24 hours, the sanity you save will be your own.

 

I'll be setting a second incubator of eggs later this week...so we may match up for hatch date, and lots of peoples eggs hatch days later than expected. Last time I had three that hatched at day 24.

I don't think anyone would mind if you started with us late. Better to let the eggs settle and get your new incubator adjusted and steady.

I am setting another incubator of eggs later this week too... Along with the ones I set on the 9th.
 

ok all!! Got my eggs in the mail tonight, so will set first thing in the morning!! I am so nervous and excited to start my first hatch... Have some question for my "hatching buddies" that have done this a few times...

 

1. I candled the eggs when I got them and there was a "bubble" that floated to the top no matter which way I turned it... is that a bad thing?

 

2. Should I do anything different because of question 1?

 

3. I am letting them set on the counter untill tomorrow morning, should I start them with the egg turner off for a period of time?

 

4. if the answer to 3 is yes, how long?

 

5. What should the humidity be?? I did research and everything I have read says 34% to 42% till day 18... is that right?

 

6. Will tomorrow be day 1 or like a preday 1?? because I don't wanna put em in lockdown too soon.... so will the 29th be day 18 or the 30th?

 

7. Last, but not least... What the heck was I thinking getting myself into this!?!

 

I am sorry for all the question but I feel like I am going crazy!! Who knew I would be this crazy nervous over chickens....

OH right, my DH!!! LOL

I set a dozen Silkie eggs last night, and I set 11 barnyard mixes the night before. Not sure about any of the latter....my friend said they didn't know how old they were, and some just don't look right. All but one Silkie seemed to be OK, and I set all just in case the one's air cell stabilized.

I have a LG with fan and turner. It's been doing well. I ran it for a week before setting any eggs, and I haven't had the temperature fluctuations everyone talks about.

May have a lousy hatch though...eggs were in the mail in extreme heat for 4 days. It took them that long to traverse a mere 200 miles. Thank you USPS.

I am expecting at least a dozen SFH eggs by the end of the week, coming from Florida.

I'm going to have to buy or make a second incubator as I'll have staggered hatches, which I wasn't planning on doing. Chicken math:lol:

OH please! Someone help me with my questions!! Please!!

What kind of incubator do you have shelbear?

 

I have a Hova Bator 1588. I keep my humidity at 50% until the last three days and then I boost it to about 70%. I let my eggs rest fat end up in an egg carton in the cabinet for 24 hours before starting them in the incubator. I have heard some people say they only rest for 12 hours and some wait 48 hours. If you set them in the evening..the next morning begins day one. If you set them in the morning..that is day one. I turn my turner on when I place them in the incubator. I am fairly new to hatching..so maybe some others will chip in.

 

Also...here is a link you might want to read.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-incubate-hatch-eggs-just-21-days-from-egg-to-chicken

Edited by DeannaOR - 7/10/12 at 9:08pm

If you are worried about air cells, you can sit them in the turner and leave it off for a couple/ few days. Or set that one aside and let it rest in a ring made of a toilet paper roll cut down, and roll the normal eggs. Air cells like that can stabilize and hatch.

Staggering makes it harder. I usually just keep em rolling til I get a pip. I hand turn though. But since I tend to stagger hatch, I run a dry incubator, turn regularly and no. I don't lock down. But I've been at it long enough to have a feel for it. I stop rolling pipping eggs, tap em to say hi and roll the next unpipped egg. Humidy rises naturally as chicks hatch. In my new incubator the air circulation rate is high. I may have to add a bit of dampness at the end. We'll see.

Hatching isn't a science, it's an art. If it were possible to be perfect they'd call it chickening, not hatching and you could count your chickens before they hatch... Just like its fishing, not catching.

When you stagger you create and require more art and less science. You learn more but the stakes are higher. It's why they tell newbies not to do that. The more consistent the hatch, the generally more predictable positive outcome (still no guarantee just better odds).

Less than 24 hour staggers aren't that big a deal. Watch for dead or oozing eggs, bad smells in the incubator. With unknown eggs you can get surprised and get vastly early hatchers, set up a drying box/ brooder early so your not panicking when it happens.

Best of luck.