So I bought my first incubator, a still air little giant from TSC with egg turner and set my 12 eggs in it at noon on day 0, watched rhe eggs turn for days 0-7, then went to work on call at hospital for 8 days straight Candled day 15-16 and 11 were definitely fertile with chicks inside and appropriate air cell. Dark shells and I didn't see any actually moving. But I'm a first timer at incubating and hatching, candling. Locked down, increased humidity by adding warm water on day 18 and pulled out second vent plug per instructions. Lots of wiggling and rolling were happening.
First pip late on day 20, hatched at noon on day 21. Perfect little baby. Good deal, no problems so far. Had a pip and rocking, and 1st baby played soccer and a bit of shell fell off the pipped egg and membrane was white and intact. Then, I had to leave the babies in the hands of husband and adult-ish son. And back on call for 48hrs! So, today was day 22, one hatched overnight and another had pipped and then hatched at 5pm.
But, the pipped egg from last night was still hanging out, but with a hole thru membrane and her little beak moving and breathing at 7am. Via facetime, I saw her...and told them, leave her and be patient at noon. Tragically, she died in the Shell, dear son checked on her at 7pm, wasn't moving. He tapped and no cheep or moving. He looked up the assisted hatch thread, and gently worked some of the shell away. Via facetime, I watched and cried a little too. Her membrane was dry and hard, and she was gone already.
What could we have done differently for this one?
Temps were consistent at 99.5-100, humidity stayed 40-50% for first 18 days, then stayed about 60-65 since hatch. I don't have a separate temp/hunidity monitor or a forced air fan.
There are still 7 eggs left unhatched and unpipped at last update from my son. How long do I let them hang out? Will it hurt them bc the other chicks are running around and bumping a lot? He opened the bator twice today, once to take out the oldest chick who was pecking everyone rather meanly (she dove into food and water once in brooder), and once to try to assist the poor little stuck dead one. So temp has fluctuated a little. I'm still learning, and open to suggestions.
First pip late on day 20, hatched at noon on day 21. Perfect little baby. Good deal, no problems so far. Had a pip and rocking, and 1st baby played soccer and a bit of shell fell off the pipped egg and membrane was white and intact. Then, I had to leave the babies in the hands of husband and adult-ish son. And back on call for 48hrs! So, today was day 22, one hatched overnight and another had pipped and then hatched at 5pm.
But, the pipped egg from last night was still hanging out, but with a hole thru membrane and her little beak moving and breathing at 7am. Via facetime, I saw her...and told them, leave her and be patient at noon. Tragically, she died in the Shell, dear son checked on her at 7pm, wasn't moving. He tapped and no cheep or moving. He looked up the assisted hatch thread, and gently worked some of the shell away. Via facetime, I watched and cried a little too. Her membrane was dry and hard, and she was gone already.
What could we have done differently for this one?
Temps were consistent at 99.5-100, humidity stayed 40-50% for first 18 days, then stayed about 60-65 since hatch. I don't have a separate temp/hunidity monitor or a forced air fan.
There are still 7 eggs left unhatched and unpipped at last update from my son. How long do I let them hang out? Will it hurt them bc the other chicks are running around and bumping a lot? He opened the bator twice today, once to take out the oldest chick who was pecking everyone rather meanly (she dove into food and water once in brooder), and once to try to assist the poor little stuck dead one. So temp has fluctuated a little. I'm still learning, and open to suggestions.
) My thermometer on this device is 1/2 deg. approx off, so I make adjustments accordingly. The thermometer on my incubator is a full 1 deg too low.
I decided to calibrate in my incubator and its a good thing I did, both humidity and temperature are both wrong. Hopefully I'll have a lot better hatch rate than the last one!
