Anybody setting today (3-25) or tomorrow (3-26)??

[mebberry4]

Thank you!

I decided to lay the 'upside down' egg on its side with the air bubble up and the large end of the egg slightly tilted down. It is still in the eggs turner with a tin foil ring to try to keep it from rolling away.
I hope your incubator eggs are doing well, too!!

When are you going to be checking them next?

I definitely do not qualify as an experienced person on the matter, but I do hope to someday have a broody hen or two. Mother nature knows best, after all!
My plan was to make the hen a separate nesting box in a wire crate to keep her in and the other hens out. She could have a her own food and water and enough room to stretch her legs if she wanted to. I personally think I would put the whole broody "cage" in the coop with the rest of the flock, so the broody hen does not feel completely isolated from her flock. If she seems like she might want more privacy than this, you could put her in a corner with a partial fabric curtain on one of the side of the cage. You would have to go into the coop to let her out of the cage for bathroom breaks, but it would only be for 21 days and well worth it for the cute fluffy butts running around! This would potentially also help integrate the new chicks into the flock more easily, as the rest of the chickens could see and hear them but not reach them unless you were there supervising when letting them out of the cage.

Maybe you could try something like this and put some more eggs under her while she is still broody? Good luck!! I can't wait to hear how things go!

 

[mychookschick]

Hey Meberry!

I will be checking my incubator eggs for the first time on Wednesday or Thursday.

Yea, that is kind of what I was thinking. I already have a cage in my coop for some extra roos that I had (but just got rid of) so I was think of using that, and adding a cardboard box in one corner for her nest box. I think that she would take it, but IDK. If her eggs don't show improvement by Thursday night, I will throw them out and put her in the cage with fresh eggs, I guess. I hope that she stays broody long enough to sit out another three weeks!!

 

[Starryneedsmorebators]

I have 2 difffernt hydrometers in the bator and one reads 101 one reads 99.8 what the heck I felt the eggs I am leaning towards the 99 temp as they do not feel that warm so I realy do not think they are 101 candles can see them moving all around . My humidity keeps dropping anyone having this???

 

[mychookschick]

Good Morning all!

@ Starryneedsmorebators- Do you have a still air incubator or a forced air? (Sorry if you already posted what you are using, hard to keep everyone straight) If you are using still air, 101 degrees is perfect! If you are using a forced air, 99.5 is where you should be (99.8 is OK too). My humidity is staying right around 40% and I haven't added water for awhile! I am attempting the "dry incubation" method this hatch. So it should be 30-40% for the first 18 days, never dropping below 25%. And on days 18-21 you are supposed to spike it to 50% and above.


And I candled my eggs last night, I think that they are developing nicely! I don't know exact numbers because I didn't want to leave the incubator open long enough to candle all 36 of them, so I did a few and then flipped them and shut the bator. When I get a few minutes later, I will post pics of my incubator and set up. Talk to y'all later!

 

[kelly52862]

My turner holds 42, but had 47 eggs. I hand turned 5 of them off to the side. After candling last night there looks like 43 doing well. We are half way there!!!

 

[mychookschick]

NICE!! That is really good!!

 

[Aumlet]

We are half way there!!!

It's exciting! This is my first attempt at hatching. I have 3 that look good. I saw one kicking its feet the other day.

 

[mychookschick]

It's exciting! This is my first attempt at hatching. I have 3 that look good. I saw one kicking its feet the other day.

Awww!!

That would have been so amazing to see!!

 

[DraigAthar]

Here's a fluff ball from my Easter hatch, just to get you excited. Sophie's still out on her nest, one more week to go for her!

 

[newchickinflock]

This might sound dumb but can i candle my eggs on day 21??? I heard chirping on day 19 and now nothing for 2 days. They are in a dry air incubator and i have kept the temp between 98-101 but i dont have anything to measure humidity. Although I have kept the water reservoir full. Any thoughts?????