Any last minute advice?

[aran]

Ok guys and gals Im getting fertile silkie eggs on Tues/wed next week and this is the first try at incubating for me and my 6 year old son William. We have the incubator set up and running with temps between 99 and 101F and humidity at 47-55%

The breeder tells me the eggs have had awesome hatch rates in the past so I am hopeful although realistic about our chances. ( i had changes typed here before--> typo i just noticed so i fixed it!)

Any advice anyone can give at this stage would be great.

I will be keeping both an electronic ( on the forum here) and a paper record of everything that happens during the ensuing 21 days. I will be doing the pencil marking, turning 3-4x daily, and keeping records of the temp and humidity changes. I will candle at day 5, 10 and 14 as I have read is common for ppl to do.

Other than that, any information on the infamous exploding rotten egg and how to avoid it would be REALLY appreciated since the incubator is in my son's room!

 

[Kristina]

Well Aran I don't have to much info to help you out...but about that infamous exploding rotten egg I can tell you that you WILL smell it! LOL In my last batch that hatched there was a rotten one and when I opened the incubator I got the wiff of it. I just went and smelled each egg till I got to the rotten one and believe me mine was obvious! I took two or three out the other day and put them in a ziploc (good idea to keep in mind) well when I brouhgt them outside and gently put the bag down they exploded like firecrackers in the bag! So yeah keep a nose out for that! But it sounds like you have everything else going pretty good! Good luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

Your plan sounds good. I suggest only one thing, when you turn them, move the edge ones to the center and the centers to the edge to keep the development across the eggs more even since no incubator is perfect temps all across.

I've actually had 100% hatches on 3 separate times where I just plopped in silkie eggs in the bator at some rediciously high humidity for 14 days and then let it dry up for the last week. Didn't even candle them till day 14.

That being said, let them develop and be patient, the less you touch the bator the better off they will be.

 

[aran]

thanks very much for that info guys. I have just checked with a medical grade thermometer--> its at 99.3 F inside the water weasel in the incubator right now. One hygrometer says 47% and one says 55% humidity. I can cover a couple of the ventilation holes up ( i made plenty of them) to bring the humidity up higher if you think it needs it. What do you think? aim for a higher humidity?

 

[aran]

oh heck I just thought of a question--> when i put the eggs in the bater are they supposed to lie on their sides or with the big end up?

 

[birdlover]

Hi Aran! Sounds like you've done your homework!!! Turning them 3 times a day is the normal practice and, remember, you let out some humidity every time you open the incubator to turn them. Also, be sure to wash your hands BEFORE you handle them! Well, I've read that you should put the big end tilted up but a hen doesn't do that so I'm not sure that's a big deal. I know they're end up when you use a turner. Maybe somebody else can answer this since I seem to be no help at all!!

Hope you get a great hatch!!!!!

Ellen

 

[wren]

Air sac (big end) up.

 

[lurky]

Hi Aran......I have two eggs in an incubator right now. A farmer brought them to me because he knew i wanted to hatch some on my own. I am expecting them to be EE chickys since the eggs are light blue. Good luck to us both.....we will be hatching about the same time if it works. Mine went in tues night.If mine hatch, yours will because i can tell you are prepared. I was not, i had no idea he was going to bring them, i did not even have an incubator. I probably already ruined them.

 

[aran]

thanks for the good wishes guys...so one further question...how the heck am i going to maintain the eggs with the big end up in the incubator? Should I use common egg containers from the supermarket? I had planned on just laying them on their sides (inside a small furry hair tie to stop em rolling around)

 

[lurky]

I dont think you need to worry about it. But if you want to the egg carton sounds ok. Like someone said, the hen does not do it that way. Do you know how many you are getting?