Advice please, just locked down 26 FBCM eggs.

[SueMuffin]

well I just locked down my first ever batch of eggs! I have a few questions I hope you good folks can answer. I,m using a forced air incubator LG 10200, do I leave the red plugs in the top or take them out? I have had one out all 18 days so far. took out the auto turner and placed the eggs on paper towels as I have seen in other posts here. What else do I need to do but wait??? Thanks so much.

 

[sonjab314]

I personally leave the plugs in unless the temp or humidity gets too high. Some people take them out so there is a good source of fresh air. Now you just need to wait and make sure you do not open the bator.

 

[ilovechickens]

I JUST PUT MINE INTO LOCK DOWN LAST NIGHT, I HAVE ONLY 1 RED PLUG AND I LEFT IT IN. I DON'T HAVE A THING TO TELL ME HOW MUCH HUMIDITY I HAVE. I FILLED ALL CHAMBERS WITH WATER SO I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MOISTURE ON THE LID. EXCITING!!!! AND YES THE HARDEST PART IS WAITING,

MY BATOR IS RIGHT NEXT TO MY COMPUTER SO I AM ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE IF ANYTHING IS HAPPENING AS IF I COULD HURRY NATURE ALONG

KEEP US POSTED WHEN THEY HATCH!! I HAVE MY EGGS IN EGG CARTONS!! HAD GREAT HATCH WITH THEM LAST YEAR, WE WILL SEE!! AND WAIT

 

[SueMuffin]

I dont have mine in egg cartons just laying on the mesh in the bator. I did put one paper towel in there. I will leave the one plug out unless the humidity gets too high I guess. My humidity is at 72% so I guess I just have to wait now. Im hoping for at least half of the 26 to hatch. They are so dark all I am going by is the air space in the top of the egg! thanks for the input everyone!

 

[macdoogle]

Just set my BCMS yesterday so I have a ways to go. Good luck to both of you in lockdown. Would love to hear how it goes.

 

[SueMuffin]

I'll post the pictures in a few days I Hope!!

 

[SueMuffin]

Ok, only second day of lockdown and I cant keep the humidity above 55. What should I do? can I open it and put in a wet sponge? Please help if you are all knowing! thanks

 

[txhomegrown]

I was told by the man I am getting my Marans eggs from that they can stand to have a little lower humidity because the shells are so thick it is harder for the stuff inside the egg to evaporate, and the lower humidity helps the process. It made sense the way he explained it.

 

[1234duck]

I put my duck eggs in lock down yesterday about 3pm. I have LG Bator forced air. I had 1 plug in & 1 plug out till lock down. Now Both plugs are IN. I Did have Paper Towels under eggs(as I also read in a post) but then some one responded in a post to me saying, not good to use paper towels cuz they slippery or what ever/ ducks legs to weak. I couldn't get humidity up so also figured the paper towels had some thing to do with it. So I removed them & laid eggs in bator on the wire bottom. I have a small(not to small) container with a sponge & warm water in it, in bator. Another wet/rung out sponge laying in bator. I Filled the channels in bottom of incubator with warm water.I couldn't get humidity up enough(I needed 80-85 humidity) so I was told to add a damp wash cloth to the container of water but 1/2 of it hanging out of container. Put container UNDER a vent hole so if you need to add water you do it through the hole in to container. This worked good to get humidity up to 80-85 It actually made most of the water disappear from the container. But DON'T PUT Bator on a Good Table WITHOUT a Bunch of towels UNDER it. My bator has holes in the bottom & the wash cloth hanging out of the container/water acted as a siphon wick & the water went in to wash cloth & drained from wash cloth to the bottom of bator then out the holes on to the 2 beach towels which I have under the bator. I added warm water but it was more like on the hotter side not just warm. the temp jumped but only cuz the themometor was right by the water I just have to watch & monitor the heater a little bit some times. what ever you do just have every thing ready and prepared so when bator is opened it will be Quick. add small amounts of hot/warmish water at a time, give a little bit of time to let the humidity rise and temp. I hope this helps i know how it is when your asking questions & nobody seams to be responding. ~ Good luck, Julie

 

[SueMuffin]

thanks for the resposes Im gonna ride it out, the eggs didnt cost me anything but feed for the chickens so I can try again if nothing comes of this hatch.