Incubating eggs to hatch about August 8th

[Chicksahoyfarm]

I candle at all hours of the day if it is bright out I hide under a blanket to see better.

 

[MeepBeep]

I candle at all hours of the day if it is bright out I hide under a blanket to see better.

My main incubator is in the basement, old farm house so the windows are small and limited, easy enough to cover one window and get it plenty dark during the day... When I candle out of the upstairs 'hatcher' I just step in a closet and close the door behind me, black as night...

 

[darkbluespace]

So I candled the eggs under my broody and I am so confused. I had tried to incubate her eggs in my incubator and a bunch died after day 10. I had made a few changes to my incubator and I thought that was what killed the eggs... all except one. So I had put that one under the broody with the one egg she had and they were both looking good around day 6 or 7. Today when I looked at them, they both look clear but I know they had already started to develop. So I guess there really is something wrong with my hen's eggs. I have not had her long and she was broody on infertile eggs when I got her. I have no idea how long she had been broody before and then she went broody about a month after I got her. Could her eggs all be quitting because she is nutrient deficient? Now that she is broody again and her eggs are not developing I am not sure what to do.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Dsarkblue, those are tough questions I don't know the answe to. There is an Incubators Anonnomous thread with folks who are more experienced. You might ask there.

Good luck!

 

[calichicken]

Is anyone going to do early morning candling on "Candle Day"? Or is everyone waiting until evening?

Well...since I just woke up now and it is already light out...gotta what til tonight

LOL..I seriously did think about candling super early in the morning since I am on the west coast and ALWAYS last

But didn't happen..LOL!! candle day....candle day...WOOHOO!!!

 

[calichicken]

I candle at all hours of the day if it is bright out I hide under a blanket to see better.

LOL...may have to try that but my entire house is windows and pretty light

I am not the most graceful person either so I try to keep the process simple..totally paranoid about dropping an egg!

My main incubator is in the basement, old farm house so the windows are small and limited, easy enough to cover one window and get it plenty dark during the day... When I candle out of the upstairs 'hatcher' I just step in a closet and close the door behind me, black as night...

LUCKY!!!! I am jealous

Large bay windows to enjoy the beautiful California sunshine here...doesn't work well for candling during the day...LOL!!!!

 

[duluthralphie]

I will be candling tonight, not that I will see anything through those dark shells.

I wish I was braver when I comes to throwing out "questionable" eggs.

 

[calichicken]

I will be candling tonight, not that I will see anything through those dark shells.

I wish I was braver when I comes to throwing out "questionable" eggs.

X2 but it is just so hard because you don't want to chance throwing away and developing chick

I am not too experience at it yet either so that adds to my hesitation! Good luck with your candling!!!!!!

 

[Alaskan]

So I candled the eggs under my broody and I am so confused.  I had tried to incubate her eggs in my incubator and a bunch died after day 10.  I had made a few changes  to my incubator and I thought that was what killed the eggs... all except one.  So I had put that one under the broody with the one egg she had and they were both looking good around day 6 or 7.  Today when I looked at them, they both look clear but I know they had already started to develop.  So I guess there really is something wrong with my hen's eggs.  I have not had her long and she was broody on infertile eggs when I got her.  I have no idea how long she had been broody before and then she went broody about a month after I got her.  Could her eggs all be quitting because she is nutrient deficient?   Now that she is broody again and her eggs are not developing I am not sure what to do.  

So sorry!

But yes, the next thing to consider is nutrition. I think many breeders who want a good hatch rate, feed some extra stuff to increase the nutrition of the hens. What the extra stuff is varies ENORMOUSLY from one breeder to the next. Some add fish food, or vitamins in the water, or brewers yeast, or calf manna, or a billion other things.

 

[darkbluespace]

So sorry!

But yes, the next thing to consider is nutrition. I think many breeders who want a good hatch rate, feed some extra stuff to increase the nutrition of the hens. What the extra stuff is varies ENORMOUSLY from one breeder to the next. Some add fish food, or vitamins in the water, or brewers yeast, or calf manna, or a billion other things.

Thanks, I put vitamins in the water and can supplement feed, it is just that she isn't eating much right now. Maybe I can break her broodiness... it worked when I brought her home, maybe I just need to take her for a car ride?! It is not super important that I breed her but I want all my birds to be healthy and clearly something is wrong. I am glad that my incubator is alright, I was really concerned that it killed her eggs and I had just ordered some expensive eggs. So I guess I'm out of the August 8th hatch, but I hope all of you have super hatches!!!