Incubators Anonymous

[gladahmae]

These refrigerated eggs are kind of 'on a wing and a prayer' to hatch. Some of them have been in there for at least 2 weeks.

I'm pretty confident they're from my Wyandotte hens though, which is the only reason I'm attempting. My "ornamtental" Polish and Houdan hens are seriously out-laying everything else I have.

 

[Runawaylobster]

These refrigerated eggs are kind of 'on a wing and a prayer' to hatch. Some of them have been in there for at least 2 weeks.

I'm pretty confident they're from my Wyandotte hens though, which is the only reason I'm attempting. My "ornamtental" Polish and Houdan hens are seriously out-laying everything else I have.

I have successfully hatched refrigerated eggs... Good luck ,and i'm sorry about the dog

 

[ozexpat]

what's the temp at egg level?  that's what you need to pay attention to... 

personally I detest the still airs. never had any luck with them at all. cheap fix, get a computer fan with the same hole spacing (measured in mm), think it's 120 mm but my memory's faulty. find a 6 or 9 volt cell phone charger. cut the end off, wire to the fan and plug 'er in. (don't tape or solder the wires until you're sure you have it right. if it's backwards the fan simply won't turn. switch wires and try again.  then make sure when you put the fan in, that it's blowing UP not down. remove plugs from the bator and stabilize the temp again before adding eggs.

and personally, I DO NOT add water to the eggs until lockdown. and even then I still have wet hatches at times.

lately I've only been putting eggs in the hatcher once they've gone into draw down or internal pip. missed a couple that hatched in the incubator at less than 20% humidity too, without issues.  but the later 'lockdown' seems to be improving my hatchability. go figure.

I find that less than 9 volts is the lowest that will drive the fans I have purchased.

I stop turning on day 18 but don't add water and bump humidity until first pip.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

So the Serema eggs fertility aren't doing well... 4-5 have died so far... Have 3-4 left on 1 died either infertile or just within the first 1-2 days, 1 died with nothing but a few veins, a LF egg had a single vein, 2 developed (one had feet/beak, one not), and then 2 i think died within the first few days, no veins but just runny yolk. Also have 2 LF chick eggs, I think the bio mom is a brahma to both but not sure. Dark dark shells, can sorta see through 1 but other is complete mystery.
They started off in bator and then went under broody hens, so lets hope that one of these girls will be a good mom (I know for a fact one just likes hatching eggs - immediately goes un-broody when she realizes she has chicks, the other is a first time who has a strange obsession with wanting to be sat on by the other hen.... Keeps trying to go under her or stick her head under her wing)

 

[Runawaylobster]

Woohoo..... I candled my Ameraucana eggs last night... air cells maybe a tad misshapen but not bad, and guess what.. only 4 clears out of 18 eggs and they were shipped!!! now i know that i'm only on day 7 but i figure it's a good start. My own home grown Marans are not doing so well but the roo is very young, it may be he's not fertile yet even though he seems to be practicing on the pullets already LOL!!!
If I don't see improvement in the next batch going in tomorrow i will have to switch him for one of my other boys until he grows a bit. He's a cutie though. This pic was taken a few weeks ago so he's bigger now, isn't he handsome! He needs to grow into his long legs a bit still (not apparent on the photo) but i am really excited about him

I sure hope the fertility thing is just his age.

 

[Tncowgirl1903]

How old till a rooster is fertile?

 

[ozexpat]

How old till a rooster is fertile?

It really depends on the breed. I use the guide of a month after hens start laying. So for my RIR it would be 6 months. My wyandottes it would be 8 months.

 

[ChickSter99]

Stil not a sign of hatching...day 21! I'm impatient...I know it. I've always had at least a pip by day 19.

 

[gladahmae]

I think my 'refrigerated egg test' may already be a bust. Went out to check for eggs and she had all 6 eggs pushed almost all the way out in a circle around her body. Only 1 was *under* her.

 

[Runawaylobster]

How old till a rooster is fertile?

My Black Copper was fertile at 4 months, i don't know if this is unusual or not, i thought it was a bit precocius
but heck the eggs were hatching. The blue is a tad over 4 months now. I think usually people say that depends
on the rooster, and if he is actively mating the hens properly, which my blue is doing.