Adventures in Incubating Shipped Eggs

[Zinjifrah]

Checked on my chicks in the outdoor brooder this morning. 50 degrees and as soon as I put out their food, they shot out from the EcoGlow and were running around the brooder like it was nothing. I can't imagine having them under a heat lamp 24/7 at 90 degrees.

Mine are still inside, since I don't have a setup to isolate them in the main coop and run that Tiny can't get out of yet. It wasn't intended for such a small chick! However, at this point I've removed the 'hide box' and put a shelf about six inches above the heat pad, so they still have a 'warm' spot to get into if they wanted. They're happily sleeping on top of the shelf, instead of under it, so the heat pad can come out entirely now.

On another note, this morning marked five days with my local mutt eggs. I candled last night, just to see if anything was happening. Since the Little Giant was an emergency buy when my previous incubator died, I didn't have time to get used to its quirks and I've been fighting with the heat constantly, trying to find a happy medium. The heat was much more steady in my previous incubator. Despite that, I've got 100% fertility and development on the eggs, as of last night. With the temperature fluctuations, I'd be surprised if they all make it, but already this is looking vastly different from my experience with shipped eggs. I'm using the same thermometers and hygrometers that I used in the previous incubator, though I did have to re-calibrate my hygrometer again. It was about 3% off. This is making me feel a bit better about my hatching methods, after the horrible development and hatch rates I've had with shipped eggs.

 

[Morrigan]

Fresh mutt eggs from your own backyard sure does take a lot of worry and stress out of hatching.

 

[Zinjifrah]

Fresh mutt eggs from your own backyard sure does take a lot of worry and stress out of hatching.

Well... these aren't from my backyard, but the same concept applies! They're from a local woman who keeps chickens and sells eggs for eating. I figured as long as she has a rooster, and produces good eggs, they should be fine to try and hatch. None of mine are laying yet! Though I did notice my Sebright rooster being very attentive to one of the EE ladies yesterday. She wanted none of it.

I still stress and worry about them, though! I think I've finally got the heat where I want it - without a fan to circulate air, I've got them arranged in a circle around the perimeter of where the heat source is above them. It's holding just over 100 at the top of the eggs, and just above 99 at the bottom of them. Since they're all getting equal heat, I just flip which end points 'in' about every third time I turn them. Manual turning, since nobody had an egg turner available. Now that I've confirmed there IS life, I just have to wait until the 16th to check for development... *Sigh.* Patience is hard.

 

[Morrigan]

*Sigh.* Patience is hard.

So true! I think time actually comes to a complete stop somewhere around Day 18.

 

[Zinjifrah]

So true! I think time actually comes to a complete stop somewhere around Day 18.

Exactly! Hatch day is the 27th, give or take... that's way too far away.

 

[Morrigan]

My babies are about 12 days old now. Here they are in their new brooder.

 

[chantels1]

Made it to lockdown. I candled and marked air cells. Many improed since day 7. I only have about 3 bad ones. All 3 are saddled, but one is still detached! .
Started with 26, culled all but 10 at day 7. There is another dead one in there. It has no movement and no veins. I left it for Hope's sake. So now I have 9 of 26 in lockdown. Crossing fingers and hoping for good results!!!! Temp 100.0 humidity 68%

Incubated in cartons at 25-30% humidity

 

[Morrigan]

Hoping you see pips in a couple of days.

 

[chantels1]

Hoping you see pips in a couple of days.

Thank you!!!

 

[Jayellebee]

I have 2 little babies so far! I had to assist with the one mentioned earlier. I’m not sure if it was malpositioned or what. As soon as I chipped a piece of egg off, it popped right out! I have one egg left I think is viable. It has an internal pip and Looks like it’s breathing. Fingers crossed!
Thanks for your help with my other one! This is my first hatch.... of course it couldn’t be easy