Styrofoam Incubators Club

[BertandMary]

That view just shared is why we were all sorts of in the bator during the hatch. A few posters shared as much. We figured the hen isn't doing rocket science so as long as we weren't just leaving it open we would be good. Had a great hatch. This time we even candled on day 4. Stay close to 100 and have modest humidity at the begining and higher towards the end was our final assessment of the process. It also starts with good eggs from healthy birds.

 

[raisingdaisies]

I agree^

No babies yet, but we didn't really expect until tomorrow. We've got a few I can see rocking a bit in there

 

[raisingdaisies]

We have 4 pips! I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight!

 

[BertandMary]

We have 4 pips!   I don't think I'll be sleeping tonight!  

awesome

 

[beetandsteet]

That view just shared is why we were all sorts of in the bator during the hatch. A few posters shared as much. We figured the hen isn't doing rocket science so as long as we weren't just leaving it open we would be good. Had a great hatch. This time we even candled on day 4. Stay close to 100 and have modest humidity at the begining and higher towards the end was our final assessment of the process. It also starts with good eggs from healthy birds.

I think this is highly under-appreciated. I had 2 sets of eggs, several from my own flock and several from a neighbors. I did not know his flock diet, or how he had stored the eggs prior to incubation. My eggs had a 100% success rate; his had 33%.
I candle all the way up to external pip

 

[kimalulu]

I went into lockdown last night. I added a sponge this morning to help bring up the humidity.

This is my first time doing this. When I set the eggs I didn't realize there was a "lockdown" so 3 days later I set another dozen in the same incubator. Oops!

So I have eggs on day 19 and some on day 16. Hope I didn't mess things up too bad.

It's really cool to see the eggs rock around! I'm very excited to see what happens!

 

[BertandMary]

I went into lockdown last night. I added a sponge this morning to help bring up the humidity.

This is my first time doing this. When I set the eggs I didn't realize there was a "lockdown" so 3 days later I set another dozen in the same incubator. Oops!

So I have eggs on day 19 and some on day 16. Hope I didn't mess things up too bad.

It's really cool to see the eggs rock around! I'm very excited to see what happens!

you should be fine. The air sacks have probably already developed enough by day 16 so higher humidity should not have an impact. Best of luck

 

[BertandMary]

I think this is highly under-appreciated. I had 2 sets of eggs, several from my own flock and several from a neighbors. I did not know his flock diet, or how he had stored the eggs prior to incubation. My eggs had a 100% success rate; his had 33%. 
I candle all the way up to external pip 
[/quote] we discovered that we like to get our hatching eggs locally so we can visit the parent stock. Luckily we have a great local hatchery but have driven an hour and a half one way to visit a flock. Ended up purchasing 3 Jubilees from them. We had read an article about it all starting with the egg and totally bought into it. If the parent stock has good living cobditions and diet, there are going to be less failures.

 

[raisingdaisies]

2 babies and counting! Here's a pic of the first one as he hobbled over to the 2nd egg as it was hatching! lol

 

[MeepBeep]

This new view on "lockdown" has been really eye opening for me. MeepBeep have you written an article about this? I think this alternative view is something people ought to hear about because sitting there for 3 days and being terrified to even touch the incubator because it's "lockdown" is nerve-wracking at best

I repeat it as often as I can, but when you have most 'big' chicken websites & forums, numerous incubation articles, many other blogs and many other individuals as well as most if not all incubator manufactures promoting instructions for a hands off lockdown as gospel any alternative voice stating otherwise is silenced or rarely heard...

This is true in many aspects of chicken keeping, there are a bunch of proclaimed other black and white 'rules' that have become nothing short of gospel even though they are far from the black and white gospel that is preached...