Advice on incubated egg - is it viable?

[VlkStinu]

The digital readout on the thermometer is usually wrong. You want to check with a separate calibrated thermometer. Sounds good! Good luck! Cemanis are awesome.

Just a question for you please - regarding the setting of eggs in a horizontal position on the 18th day - do you think it's needed or can I just leave the eggs in a vertical position in the tray as they are supposed to be?

And also - turning twice a day, is it enough? I always turned at 8 am and then again at 8 pm, that's what was recommended in the manual. I could potentially do 3 times a day if that would help, say every 8 hours (8 am, 4 pm and midnight).

And a very last question (I promise ) - is it ok when I am opening the incubator about twice a day during the lockdown period to refill the water and add humidity? If I wouldn't do that, the water would run out in a day (the water reservoir is quite small, unfortunately) and that would be a problem I imagine. It's a quick work really, just a matter of seconds I would say.

 

[MGG]

Just a question for you please - regarding the setting of eggs in a horizontal position on the 18th day - do you think it's needed or can I just leave the eggs in a vertical position in the tray as they are supposed to be?

And also - turning twice a day, is it enough? I always turned at 8 am and then again at 8 pm, that's what was recommended in the manual. I could potentially do 3 times a day if that would help, say every 8 hours (8 am, 4 pm and midnight).

And a very last question (I promise ) - is it ok when I am opening the incubator about twice a day during the lockdown period to refill the water and add humidity? If I wouldn't do that, the water would run out in a day (the water reservoir is quite small, unfortunately) and that would be a problem I imagine. It's a quick work really, just a matter of seconds I would say.

Well, first of all, you should definitely calibrate a thermometer to check temp with. It's best to lay the eggs on their sides, it's hard for them to get out of the eggs standing vertically.
Twice a day... is that what you did with the last batch? Twice a day is not enough, and eggs being turned manually should always be turned an odd number of times per day. Otherwise they'll sit all night on the same side night after night, and the embryo will adhere to the shell which will cause deaths. At least 3 times a day is required. The manual told you wrong unfortunately. I turn my eggs 5 times a day when turning manually, the more times (as long as it's an odd number at the end of the day) the better. My auto turning incubator turns once every hour though, like the hen would. Which is great.
Yes, it should be fine to open the incubator, as long as it's quick. I find a mist bottle often works best for adding humidity during lockdown. You should try to get a hydrometer to check the humidity with too, because otherwise you're flying totally blind.
No problem, feel free to ask any more questions. That's how we learn.

 

[VlkStinu]

Well, first of all, you should definitely calibrate a thermometer to check temp with. It's best to lay the eggs on their sides, it's hard for them to get out of the eggs standing vertically.
Twice a day... is that what you did with the last batch? Twice a day is not enough, and eggs being turned manually should always be turned an odd number of times per day. Otherwise they'll sit all night on the same side night after night, and the embryo will adhere to the shell which will cause deaths. At least 3 times a day is required. The manual told you wrong unfortunately. I turn my eggs 5 times a day when turning manually, the more times (as long as it's an odd number at the end of the day) the better. My auto turning incubator turns once every hour though, like the hen would. Which is great.
Yes, it should be fine to open the incubator, as long as it's quick. I find a mist bottle often works best for adding humidity during lockdown. You should try to get a hydrometer to check the humidity with too, because otherwise you're flying totally blind.
No problem, feel free to ask any more questions. That's how we learn.

So on day 18th, laying them on the side is best but keep them vertical up until then?

Unfortunately yes, it's what the manual said.

So 3 times and ideally say 5 times if I can manage? I don't suppose I have to keep the same number as long as it's at least 3 times and it's an odd number, right?

The turning itself - when they are upright in the tray, how do I go about it? I understood from the manual that I turn them around their axis and side to side at roughly 45 degree angle (it actually said you should swing them left and right 3-4 times slowly which seemed rather weird). So say I turn them around and then make them face away each other on one turning, then the next I will move them inward so they are facing each other and the next away and so on, while always turning them around their axis. That's at least how I understand it, so just wanted to check that up with you.

Oh yes, I was both filling the tank and misting the walls of the lid to keep the humidity high.

 

[VlkStinu]

That is one good looking dog in your picture !

Hehe, thanks!

 

[VlkStinu]

I just read that the temperature for ventilated incubators should be around 99 - 99,5 F -, so about 37,2-37,5 C - is that true? I thought it's always 38C, no matter what and 37,5 is only for the last 3 lockdown days. That's what the manual says as well.

In any case, the eggs arrived about an hour ago and they are already in the incubator, starting their day 1! They look very nice and are much bigger and has more conical shape than the previous egg, which was smaller and more round. They are looking really healthy! So fingers crossed! I will be turning 5 times a day this time.

 

[VlkStinu]

Just a little update - I was candling last night and 3 out of the 4 are showing signs of life! I've removed the 4th from the incubator as there was no sign of a single vein (and I had a good comparison with the other 3) - looks like it was infertile.

 

[VlkStinu]

Well, first of all, you should definitely calibrate a thermometer to check temp with. It's best to lay the eggs on their sides, it's hard for them to get out of the eggs standing vertically.
Twice a day... is that what you did with the last batch? Twice a day is not enough, and eggs being turned manually should always be turned an odd number of times per day. Otherwise they'll sit all night on the same side night after night, and the embryo will adhere to the shell which will cause deaths. At least 3 times a day is required. The manual told you wrong unfortunately. I turn my eggs 5 times a day when turning manually, the more times (as long as it's an odd number at the end of the day) the better. My auto turning incubator turns once every hour though, like the hen would. Which is great.
Yes, it should be fine to open the incubator, as long as it's quick. I find a mist bottle often works best for adding humidity during lockdown. You should try to get a hydrometer to check the humidity with too, because otherwise you're flying totally blind.
No problem, feel free to ask any more questions. That's how we learn.

Hi there, may I ask you for advice on two eggs later on today? I was candling yesterday and found out that one egg is cracked (don't really know how that happened, must have been something during candling, it's really odd - in any case, I removed it from the incubator). And the last two are rather strange. I haven't seen any movement at all, which is weird. One of them has no veins whatsoever and looks rather lifeless, the other one might be alive (there seems to be more going on - a large portion of the egg is darker and reddish), but there was also no movement (do you always see movement on the 10-12th day?), although there has been visible growth or change since the last candling on 7th day. There is a large vein or line on the circumference of the eggshell which I am afraid might be a blood ring. I will candle the eggs later today real quick when it's dark and post photos.

 

[MGG]

I lost this thread, so sorry! I'll catch up and reply in a bit.

 

[VlkStinu]

I lost this thread, so sorry! I'll catch up and reply in a bit.

No problem at all!

So I candled the eggs again and here are the pictures of the egg I am not sure about. I don't think I see any movement, but I can't say for sure.

The other one's insides move very freely when I turn the egg and the air bubble actually moves around - I don't suppose that's a good sign right?

 

[MGG]

So on day 18th, laying them on the side is best but keep them vertical up until then?

Unfortunately yes, it's what the manual said.

So 3 times and ideally say 5 times if I can manage? I don't suppose I have to keep the same number as long as it's at least 3 times and it's an odd number, right?

The turning itself - when they are upright in the tray, how do I go about it? I understood from the manual that I turn them around their axis and side to side at roughly 45 degree angle (it actually said you should swing them left and right 3-4 times slowly which seemed rather weird). So say I turn them around and then make them face away each other on one turning, then the next I will move them inward so they are facing each other and the next away and so on, while always turning them around their axis. That's at least how I understand it, so just wanted to check that up with you.

Oh yes, I was both filling the tank and misting the walls of the lid to keep the humidity high.

Well, if they're upright, I would turn them the same way. So the fat end on all of them tipping to the left as much as possible, then the fat end tipping to the right, etc. 3/5 times a day. Swinging...never heard of that. Don't do it, sounds bad.