So this was my very first time incubating eggs. I got three lovely little barnevelders out of the deal. SO I suppose for a first timer maybe I should feel like "I did it" but there were at least 10 to 13 other eggs in there that I was pretty certain (even as a novice candler) had a baby in them. Yesterday was day 22 for the barnevelder eggs. Today is day 21 for the buff eggs. I felt pretty good about my temp and my humidity until the first baby hatched. I felt pretty competent about the whole thing until the first baby hatched - I had three hygrometers - one of which was digital and place throughout the incubator (A little giant still air) - they were all within 5 points of each other and I filled wells based on the reading of the nearest hygrometer. I only had one thermometer. It is the accurite from walmart and I placed the probe inside the incubator at the top of the eggs near the heat source. I had all of the eggs close to the heat source but not over the wells. The last three days I kept the humidity between 60% & 70% (Less on the first two days - more on the third and fourth days) my reasoning behind this is was that the eggs were placed in the incubator about 36 hours apart. My temp was always between 99.5 and 100.8 then Zippie hatched. When Zippie hatched the humidity went up to about 80% and I didn't add any more water until he dried and the humidity went back down to around 60%. Zippie rolled, pushed, walked on, pecked and rearranged eggs for about 18 hours until the next one hatched, 7 to 10 hours later the third one hatched (sometime after midnight last night). Since then it has been a merry game of egg rolling and chase in there. I came home at lunch to day and tried to rearrange the thermometer probe back to the egg top level without opening the incubator. I was still happy with the temp after that. I came home tonight about 8 p.m. and the probe was laying on the grate and close to the edge of the incubator and it was 98.8. I pushed it more to the center and at the egg tops and it was 102.9. I have no idea how long it was that way. The three chicks are looking just fine and aren't behaving in anyway that makes me nervous but I am accutely aware that Zippy needs to come out of there tomorrow (although he does seem happy eating eggshells). I see absolutely no signs of life in the remaining eggs. What do I do? Take the babies out and candle the eggs? Wait until tomorrow and do the same? I have no idea how long it was at 102.9 - these two sets of eggs were with the post office for about 6 and 7 days a piece - but I'm not sure how much that matters given when I candled I saw chicks. I didn't count on feeling this wishy washy at the end of this but I am needing some experienced hatcher opinions here. Please help!
Thank you!
Jenny
Thank you!
Jenny
