2015 HALLOWEEN Hatch-a-Long, Join us IF YOU DARE!

[WalnutHill]

Got my eggs today. Wow. They are beautiful! And she sent me 34. All EE, so she says, but I'm seeing some F1's in there! Soo pretty. I just have one worry. There were numbers written on the eggs...I am hoping that they aren't the dates! They go back into Sept.! I asked her about it, waiting for a reply.

I've successfully hatched eggs that were set three weeks after lay. I'd set them anyhow!

 

[WalnutHill]

Testing. These eggs are questionable, but still have a chance. I figure they're good test subjects. There are three pot lids under the grate filled with water. The coldest part of the bator is running 95 but the area the eggs are has been steady at 100-102 so far. The thermostat arrives tomorrow so I'll continue to fiddle with it. Humidity is confusing. I ordered another hygrometer. This one reads 42% but I have a lot of water in there. I do have it covered with a piece of wood but wonder if a different cover would work better. Maybe plastic?

Unfinished wood absorbs water. Old redwood incubators used this principle to buffer humidity. New plastic incubators do not, so you can be too dry or have too much condensation. Monitor the air cells rather than the humidity of the air in the incubator. Also, sponges or plastic storage container lids have more surface area and raise humidity more quickly than bowls do.

 

[Cynthia12]

I've successfully hatched eggs that were set three weeks after lay. I'd set them anyhow!

Oh thank you for responding! I was getting ready to go look up how others have done with some a few weeks old.

 

[chicapee]

I hope I am not late for the hatching party.
I just received these gorgeous eggs from @Cowgirl75446

 

[sonshine15]

I've successfully hatched eggs that were set three weeks after lay. I'd set them anyhow!

Do you keep them in the fridge? I decided to do a large batch vs all the little ones and there's no place in the house under 65 degree.

 

[Lynn Manes]

I have 30 quail eggs ready to set this evening. Will wait til days end to get a few more, then the hatch-along begins here

 

[TJChickens]

OMG OMG... So I finally heard the eggs peeping!!! Sitting here at the computer desk, and heard them peep! I have my phone text alert set as some peeping i recorded a few months ago, thought it was my phone... Go hover over the bator and "peep peep peep!!" so excited! Someone get some rope and tie me to the chair so I can't hover!!

 

[TJChickens]

Oh thank you for responding! I was getting ready to go look up how others have done with some a few weeks old.

Do the air cells look bigger in the older ones? Usually you can tell how old they are by the moisture they have lost compared to other eggs kept in the same environment. If I am setting older eggs that have larger air cells, I give them more humidity, accordingly. But if I were you, I would incubate them all according to how the best/freshest ones look since they will have the best chance.

Soooo- Get a good look at all air cells for comparison and shipping damage and go from there.

 

[WalnutHill]

Do you keep them in the fridge? I decided to do a large batch vs all the little ones and there's no place in the house under 65 degree.

I have incubated refrigerated eggs, but those stored in the pump room in the basement in a ziplock bag do better.

 

[sonshine15]

I have incubated refrigerated eggs, but those stored in the pump room in the basement in a ziplock bag do better.

Thank you for the idea! Under the house lol! Pump house gets a bit too warm yet this time of year