HI MGG, as this is my first time and didn't have time to buy an incubator I rented one. They gave me a hydrometer and instructions on what to do and when to add water. I have a second thermometer and used that to set the temperature right in the incubator, but didn't find about the humidity salt test until two days ago, when I started stressing about the size of my air cells and realized it seems off by at least 10%.
I've removed all the water from the incubator and it's reading 32% now which should really be a 40% or so.
As tomorrow will be day 17 I'll candle my eggs again to prepare them for lock down and hope that the air cell has grown enough.
Oh, ok. It looks like a Janoel 12, that's what I used to have. I know the temp and humidity is usually terribly off in them though. What is the little wire looking thing in the tray in your pic? Just wondered. Good luck! Fingers crossed for you and your babies!
 
Oh, ok. It looks like a Janoel 12, that's what I used to have. I know the temp and humidity is usually terribly off in them though. What is the little wire looking thing in the tray in your pic? Just wondered. Good luck! Fingers crossed for you and your babies!

Yes, that's what it is. The temperature was shocking the first two days, I had to check on it 3 or 4 times a day, and was using multiple thermometers until I managed to get it to stabilize.
But the humidity is shocking too. It says its on 30%, I add water and it spikes to 80%! Shocking...
I hope I get some babies out of this but I'm not liking my chances... I just checked the air cells and they pretty much look the same way they did 3 days ago.
The wire you see is from a second thermometer that I bought as the one that I was given was reading way off too.
Such a bummer this were the only eggs I had from a cockerel that I had to give away as we are not allowed to have roosters in my area.
 
Yes, that's what it is. The temperature was shocking the first two days, I had to check on it 3 or 4 times a day, and was using multiple thermometers until I managed to get it to stabilize.
But the humidity is shocking too. It says its on 30%, I add water and it spikes to 80%! Shocking...
I hope I get some babies out of this but I'm not liking my chances... I just checked the air cells and they pretty much look the same way they did 3 days ago.
The wire you see is from a second thermometer that I bought as the one that I was given was reading way off too.
Such a bummer this were the only eggs I had from a cockerel that I had to give away as we are not allowed to have roosters in my area.
How are you adding water? Don't follow the instruction booklet. First, dry out the bottom. Then (make sure only the tray the eggs are on is in, otherwise you won't have room) get some small little medicine cups. 2 or 3. Fill them with filtered or bottled water, and set them in the bottom, spaced out evenly, under the tray. That will keep your humidity much more stable.
Fingers crossed for your babies.
 
How are you adding water? Don't follow the instruction booklet. First, dry out the bottom. Then (make sure only the tray the eggs are on is in, otherwise you won't have room) get some small little medicine cups. 2 or 3. Fill them with filtered or bottled water, and set them in the bottom, spaced out evenly, under the tray. That will keep your humidity much more stable.
Fingers crossed for your babies.

Thanks, I should have done this as I was told to just add the water in the tray. So i had a huge surface and lots of humidity. I read about this method once my eggs were already inside the incubator and didn't think of getting them out. At that stage I was going with what they told me was right by a person who said she had 11/11 hatch like this.
I know for the next time, if there is a next time. :(
 
Thanks, I should have done this as I was told to just add the water in the tray. So i had a huge surface and lots of humidity. I read about this method once my eggs were already inside the incubator and didn't think of getting them out. At that stage I was going with what they told me was right by a person who said she had 11/11 hatch like this.
I know for the next time, if there is a next time. :(
Aw, I'm sorry. It's not too late to do it. Even though it's almost lockdown, you still should switch over. Then, just put the water cups on top of the hatching tray. Misting is great during lockdown too. Good luck. Hopefully you get some babies! Candle on day 18. Look for any veins and/or movement. Mark any eggs with veins/movement with check marks. Any other eggs put a question mark on. Fingers crossed.
 
Aw, I'm sorry. It's not too late to do it. Even though it's almost lockdown, you still should switch over. Then, just put the water cups on top of the hatching tray. Misting is great during lockdown too. Good luck. Hopefully you get some babies! Candle on day 18. Look for any veins and/or movement. Mark any eggs with veins/movement with check marks. Any other eggs put a question mark on. Fingers crossed.

It is quite hard to be at the point where we are now. We candled the eggs on day 1r and we could see lots of veins and even movement so my kids are super excited and they even tell the eggs that they love them. :(
I have 9 eggs in the incubator 5 of those are mixed of my araucana girl with our (now gone) brown Leghorn so they are really happy with the prospect of having his babies with us.
I've taken all the water out if the incubator and it's now reading 27%, so I'm going to leave it like that until tomorrow that is our day 18 and I guess I'll raise the humidity level then, and keep my fingers crossed. I've been reading about assisted hatching and if the air cells stay as small I will analiza if I should do a safety hole once they have pipped. I don't want to fiddle around with the eggs if I can avoid it as this is my first time but I'm also not too keen to explain why we have no babies after this happens.
I am also considering buying a couple old 18 days old eggs from a farmer who should hatch on the same day as my eggs. There should be enough space for 3 more eggs in there even more if my babies don't end up hatching...
 
It is quite hard to be at the point where we are now. We candled the eggs on day 1r and we could see lots of veins and even movement so my kids are super excited and they even tell the eggs that they love them. :(
I have 9 eggs in the incubator 5 of those are mixed of my araucana girl with our (now gone) brown Leghorn so they are really happy with the prospect of having his babies with us.
I've taken all the water out if the incubator and it's now reading 27%, so I'm going to leave it like that until tomorrow that is our day 18 and I guess I'll raise the humidity level then, and keep my fingers crossed. I've been reading about assisted hatching and if the air cells stay as small I will analiza if I should do a safety hole once they have pipped. I don't want to fiddle around with the eggs if I can avoid it as this is my first time but I'm also not too keen to explain why we have no babies after this happens.
I am also considering buying a couple old 18 days old eggs from a farmer who should hatch on the same day as my eggs. There should be enough space for 3 more eggs in there even more if my babies don't end up hatching...
Aw. I hope some make it. Definitely candle tomorrow, and let me know what you see. Be sure to do it in a totally dark room. How close is this farmer? Transporting day 18 eggs sounds difficult. Good luck. Keep me posted, and let me know if you have any questions.
 
Aw. I hope some make it. Definitely candle tomorrow, and let me know what you see. Be sure to do it in a totally dark room. How close is this farmer? Transporting day 18 eggs sounds difficult. Good luck. Keep me posted, and let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, I will candle them tomorrow and see where we are at.
This farmer I'm talking about is 20 minutes away from us, so not too bad I guess.
We will see how things look tomorrow and we'll go from there.
 
HI MGG!
I had a quick look at a couple of my eggs today and the air cell seems to be growing, it's still not where I would like it to be but it's definitely moving in the right direction.
I am in Australia so it is the night of day 17 for me. I set the eggs in the incubator after midday on Monday 10th, so I still have all night tonight and a few hours tomorrow before it is day 18.
I will wait until after its dark to put them in lock down so I can give them as much time as possible with this low humidity and to have a better look to see it the eis movement. I have a couple of brown eggs and I always see movenye in those but my Araucanía eggs are really hard to candle and see what's going on in there. There's definitely veins, so let's just hope for the best. :fl
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom