Styrofoam Incubators Club

[SpinningJenny]

Guys! I didn't fry all the eggs! Today is day four so I did an early candle last night and tonight and not only do at least the ones I looked at have veins, but I noticed CHANGES and GROWTH in just those 2 candlings! I'm excited, and reassured that we might have a chance at getting some chicks.

Also holy moly they grow fast. Literally overnight the dark little speck of embryo (I'm pretty sure that's what it was) gained mass.

Question: I couldn't make out the air sac. Any tips for being able to see it better, or is that something that will be more obvious on/around day 7?

Yay! But still crossing fingers they don't quit.

 

[MeepBeep]

You should be able to see the air cell clearly if you candle that end of the egg directly...

 

[SpinningJenny]

Meepbeep, you mean put the light on the big end and try to see the sac right by the light? OK, I'll look closer next time!

 

[BertandMary]

Meepbeep, you mean put the light on the big end and try to see the sac right by the light? OK, I'll look closer next time!

Always candle from the big end. The light goes thru the air sack and illuminates everything better. If you have trouble seeing the sack just move the light a little to the side of that end. Candeling thru the air sack end is more important towards the end of incubation when the embryo is filling the egg.

 

[BertandMary]

So glad we added a fan to our LG9300. After changing it to blow up instead of down, the temps got stable and have held between 99.1 and 99.9 over the last 12 hours or so. We start day two this afternoon but our confidence in the fan is growing.

 

[feedman77]

Did you use the port for the fan on the incubator or did you wire one up from a wall convertor?

Did you use the fan kit or just a computer fan?

 

[BertandMary]

Did you use the port for the fan on the incubator or did you wire one up from a wall convertor?

Did you use the fan kit or just a computer fan?

got the fan kit off of ebay. It cost 15.99 with free shipping. Temps are holding great now that it is blowing in the right direction. The highest we've gotten was 100.7 for a few seconds.

 

[SpinningJenny]

Always candle from the big end. The light goes thru the air sack and illuminates everything better. If you have trouble seeing the sack just move the light a little to the side of that end. Candeling thru the air sack end is more important towards the end of incubation when the embryo is filling the egg.

Ok, I get it now, I can see the air sacs now! Thanks for the tip, all I had to do was tilt it a bit and there it was, plain as day. And here's a photo I took, too. I'm SO impressed with how much is actually detectable with just a flashlight! (But I'm not going to candle excessively - Promise!)

Another inquiry: I have an oblong, cream coloured egg that seems to be a pretty opaque shell like the Easter Egger blue ones I have; I can't make out any details with just the flashlight, but I see a darkish area that moves slightly, the yolk I presume. This mass looks darker than when I candled on Day 1. Is that any indicator of development? A darkening mass? I know I have to wait to know for sure with the dark eggs, but I was just wondering if I could take that as maybe a good sign, or if maybe it means the egg is a dud.

 

[SpinningJenny]

Another bit of advice needed:

I've read a lot about the humidity levels not being too high, and dry incubating, which I'm basically doing, and they aren't old enough to really start marking air sacs (I start that in a couple days, at 7d), BUT I'm getting a 30% read on one hygrometer (analog) and on the other digital one I have (which I think I trust more) the humidity isn't reading, indicating the humidity is below 20%. Is that too low? Should I try the damp cloth trick? I'm using the Hova-Bator 1620 and the temps are very stable with two different thermometers reading the same consistently.

Gratuitous egg picture

 

[BertandMary]

We are fairly new to this too and simply followed things we read about incubation. 90% hatch rate in a LG9300 still air our first try. This time we added a fan and set FBCM and Blue Americauna eggs so we'll be having the same issues you are with having a difficult time seeing. However, if the mass is moving without you manipulating the egg, it is alive in there. Humidity is really about what works for each individual in their own climates. Our aim was to stay between 25 and 35 %. We had to put a damp to wet paper towel in the corner nearly each morning to maintain that range. What we have learned is to keep temp in a safe range, 99 to 100.5, and go low on humidity for the first week and then adjust as needed by monitoring air sacks will usually get you to a decent hatch. Best of luck. We hope to see chick photos in a couple of weeks.