Any first timer want to start with me? Eggs go in 4/1. ;)

[warmfuzzies]

I'm here! I don't know if I'm a newbie, it's my third time, but I sure feel like one! My first two hatches were not great, I had about 50% both times, but I think I know why.

Now this will be my first time with shipped eggs.

I am getting 12 Blue/Black/Splash Orpingtons and 6+ EEs from Halo, they are shipping out today from Florida.

I am also getting 12 mixed Bantam eggs, they shipped out yesterday from Texas.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Oh, I forgot, I also have a forced air LG, with a turner.

 

[Teresaann24]

Quote:
What was it you thought went wrong? My 1st hatch wasn't the best either 2/6 silkie eggs from my own backyard.

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
i have the same thing and my last hatch was a 90% hatch. dont ask how. beginners luck i suppose. i turned my eggs 3x a day. and added an extra water bowl for humidity. its a parfait dish. anywho, let me know if you have any questions since we are working with the same incubator

 

[xpButtercup]

This is what I meant by the carton placement:

It's not the most stable situation, but they can't just roll around.

 

[xpButtercup]

Aw darn, my eggs haven't been turned since they got here Friday, until I unpacked them today. (I'm sure they got plenty of "turning" in transit.) Hope that didn't cause too much trouble. The three eggs I just rescued from the fridge didn't get turned, either.

I'll be sure to remember which of my EEs was fresh from the coop today and which came out of the refrigerator.

Going to check the coop again to see if my Polish decided to lay today, although the one other time we tried to hatch one of hers, it wasn't fertile ... the roos avoid her.

 

[xpButtercup]

I'm trying to fight the urge to put the eggs in tonight before bed ... temp seems stable in the LG at 100 and humidity is at 40-45% ... the thermometer that came with the 'bator was WAY OFF, both high and low, compared to the ACU RITE thermometer/hydrometer my dear sweet hubby picked up on the way home.

I got rid of the cartons and just using shelf liner on the wire like I've seen in several pics. Picked out one more egg from the home coop to try; total of 15 eggs ready at room temp to put in ... in the morning ...

 

[Kim_NC]

I'm getting ready to test a new Hovabator. I'll be a couple days behind....setting on Fri, 04/03 or Sat 04/04.

I just won 12 RIR eggs and 12 Speckled Sussex eggs on Eggbid tonight. While I'm waiting on those to arrive, I'll be collecting Black Sexlink eggs (RIR roo x BR hens) from one of my own breeding pens. I should end up with at least 12 -15 of them. Will be my first hatch from this pen with a new roo. (They hatched 100% with previous roo.)

In the meantime. I'm retrofitting a pc fan to make the Hovabator forced air. And setting it up to stabalize for a couple days. It has an automatic turner.

Edit: Oooppsss...I had typed red sexlink when I meant black sexlink.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Quote:
What was it you thought went wrong? My 1st hatch wasn't the best either 2/6 silkie eggs from my own backyard.

On my first batch, I was using the thermometers that came with the bator. When I got a Springfield, it showed that I was keeping it at 103-104 deg! And I read that eggs dying at around ten days development is often from high temps early on, and that is when mine died.

On the second batch, they were my friends, and she kept the eggs for two weeks before we set them. That, along with the fact that her birds were eating only layer mash, and she had lower fertility.

 

[Suess hens]

I was hoping to get them in tonight, but having a hard time stabilizing. Got new thermostat and trying to get it settled...so I will probably be starting with you. my first hatch failed...which I have figured out why...new homemade incubator, and hoping for a good hatch this time!!!