3rd Attempt at hatching eggs...Incubator in lockdown!

[mkhenderson17]

OK so this is my 3rd attempt at hatching eggs. I ditched the egg turner and I have been hand turning the eggs 2x a day. Started with 40 and I'm down to 25. Most all the ones I threw out were not fertile. Now i am holding strong at 25. I candled them one last time last night and still saw some veins! Lets see what I get this time!!! I will keep you all posted!

 

[SamJacobbe]

I would suggest turning them more than two times a day. Hens usually turn theirs constantly, with their movement, and inability to keep track of which ones they have already turned. Most say that they should be turned at least four times a day, every six hours or so. Though if you turn them when you wake up, ( lets say 8) then again at noon, then again at 4, and then finally right before you go to bed. That should be fine.

 

[wsonphan80]

I have eggs on day 7 in the incubator Good luck! Crossing my fingers for a good hatch! Oh, what kind/breed are you hatching?

 

[mkhenderson17]

I would suggest turning them more than two times a day. Hens usually turn theirs constantly, with their movement, and inability to keep track of which ones they have already turned. Most say that they should be turned at least four times a day, every six hours or so. Though if you turn them when you wake up, ( lets say 8) then again at noon, then again at 4, and then finally right before you go to bed. That should be fine.

Thx for the suggestion. I have heard many many things but to be honest, This is the most I have had make it to 7-14 & 18 days than ever b4. I agree the more turns the better but I know a lot of people that swear by only 2x a day. I'm finishing up on my internships so this hatch i was only ever able to turn them 2x a day. In my research I think hens mainly turn their eggs so much to rotate them from the outer edges to inward. Who knows. hens don't talk lol, its just another experiment lol. I was also thinking, the more handling the higher chance for bacteria, the higher the loss of heat & humidity...IDK. Next time I try I should be able to turn them much more often. I would like to try the egg turners again but idk.

The biggest thing I am batteling right now is keeping the humidity up. I cant get it over 58%-64% I put in a small jar with a sponge so hopefully this will work!!!

 

[mkhenderson17]

I have eggs on day 7 in the incubator Good luck! Crossing my fingers for a good hatch! Oh, what kind/breed are you hatching?

A little bit of everything lol. I a bunch of bantam eggs witch the roo is a Millie Flure D'uccle. the hens are mostly the same but I have a sebright and a few EE bantam hens too. (Hence my biggest problem=not fertile eggs. too many hens/roo lol)

Then I have some standard eggs in that are redsexlinked cross's, EE's and my roos are a RIR and 2 bantam roo mixes so who knows what I will get!. I have my standard eggs and bantam eggs seperated by a small piece of hardware cloth so the standard chicks dont hurt the bantam chicks (if any hatch that is...)

If this hatch fails I'm 100% convinced it will be lack of turning (since I only turned them 2x a day). Like Samjacobbe said, they probably should really b turned more....

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR HATCH!!!!!

 

[SamJacobbe]

The best way to increase humidity is just to increase surface area. If the jar doesn't work, try putting in a small long Tupperware dish or something. It allows more area for the water to evaporate from.

 

[mkhenderson17]

I changed to a larger Tupperware container that is wider, did it last night and so far so good...

 

[rahul2299]

Add a water sucker sponge in ur bator.... used for car washing... it will increase humidity up to 70%.

 

[mkhenderson17]

so thanks to Ohio weather, we had a beautiful cold snap. My family started up the wood burner yesterday while I was at work and came home and my humidity was shot! I had to help 3 out of their shells because they pipped but their membranes were like leather. lost one because it struggled to long, and I still have one that is trying to decide if it wants to live or die

BUT On a better note, In my Brooder I have 10 baby peeps that I FINALLY HATCHED OUT MYSELF !!! Very very exciting lol. 10 eggs still in the incubator just chillin so Im not sure wether they will try to hatch or not. Wither way, out of 28 eggs, Im very happy with 10 healthy babies!
1 RIR/EE cross (standard)
2 Millie Flure D'Uccles
4 EE/Millie Cross's
3 possible pure Millie/ and that I'm unsure of. I think my poorly marked Sebright is actually crossed with an OEG because the 2 roosters that came from the same place are Silver duckwing cross's. I have 3 peeps that came from cream shells that are not a millie, or full sebright cross...lol. their cute though!