12 Silkie eggs in the bator

[LuLuBelle]

OK, I'm new at this. We have bantam chickens that we bought when they were babies but I've never done the incubator thing. So last weekend we bought 12 fertile Silkie eggs. I borrowed an incubator from a friend of Sunday and set it up and on Monday I put the 12 eggs in the bator and we put x's and o's on each side and we flip them ever morning and every evening.

So what do I need to know?? I think I heard that the last 4 days that I do not turn the eggs is that correct? And when they hatch I do what I would normally do with a 1 or 2 day old and put them under a warm light.

Oh and the dad is a buff silkie and the mom is a white silkie, any thoughts what the children are going to look like?

Thanks for your input!!

 

[Chef]

On day 18 you stop turning. You need to keep your temp around 99-100 degrees and on day 18 you should up the humidity to at least 60 percent. Then leave it to the babies! Have fun and good luck!

Sending hatching vibes

Chef

 

[ginbart]

And you should be turning them an odd number of times a day like 3 or 5. Three is good. I do mine when I get up, around 4pm, and when I go to bed.

 

[Emilys3guppies]

I turn my eggs everytime I pass the 'bator on my way to the washroom. As long as you can maintain temp and humidity, you really can't turn them too much! A mama hen will turn her eggies every 20 minutes so I figure it's got to be important, right?

I do try to remember which side spent the long night up so that I can alternate the next night.

I do hope you'll post pictures when your babies are born! Silkies are soooo beautiful and I know I wouldn't be the only one wanting to see them!

All the best,
Emily

 

[LuLuBelle]

Thank you for all your tips and good vibes!!

 

[ginbart]

OH I forgot to tell you. I will be putting silkie eggs in the bator today. So we will be hatching about the same time. Well you will be a amost week ahead of me.

 

[matthew1985]

i put 6 in yesterday also i have 38silki eggs due on 8-27-09

 

[Kelso]

Yes, thanks for all of the good info. That's why I like this forum. Good luck.