Anybody setting today 9-20-09? Or close to it? Newbie Hatcher here!

[faerielady]

I set my first batch of eggs today... 12 pyncheon bantams and 10 silver laced cochins.

I don't have high hopes for this batch because I'm still having some issues with my thermostat.... however, if I didn't set them today, I might as well throw them out. Figured I might as well take a chance.

 

[the4heathernsmom]

I am with ya we set ours couple days ago in the incubator and got some pipping under our broody game hen today.

 

[Laurieks]

I set 10 Cream Brabanter eggs on Wednesday, so due October 7. They had a temp spike to 104, so I'm worried about them, but will press on.
Candling tonite!

 

[Olive Hill]

I'm hoping/planning to set 12 welsummers on Thursday.

Good luck with your clutch, let us know how it goes.

 

[faerielady]

I've been having some issues with the thermostat... it's the one that the chick bator directions called for, but I was literally unable to get it to hold between 99.5-100.5.

I was so frustrated today that I literally called my dad (he was raised on a farm with chickens/guineas/etc) crying because I couldn't get a fix on it. He's the one who told me to go ahead and put the eggs in the bator because soon it'd be a moot point anyway. As he says, it's better to try & fail and learn from it than to never try at all.

Right now I'm closer to temp than I have been in the past week that I've been trying to set the temp, currently 99.3. It goes down to about 95-96, then goes back up to 99.3-100, then drops again.

It's a chick bator type, with a fan. No egg turner... Walmart doesn't sell the big styrofoam ice chests anymore, so I had to go with the funky small one. Couldn't get a turner contraption to fit. Right now it's crammed full... I know I'll lose some eggs because of the postal dbag who couldn't read such things as "fragile" and "this end up", so there will be more room should any of these eggs hatch.

21 days gives me the 11th of October if my math is correct. Ok, I think I'd better crash and go to sleep before I catch myself wearing a path to the incubator in a single day. Gotta spread out the path-wearing behavior

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

I'm with you! We put 4 mutt eggs in early 9/19, should have something by Oct. 9th.

Our last batch started zipping and hatching on day 20, and the temps were a little high. Can't turn the thermostat down any farther, so I've MacGyvered a little foil cage that traps some of the heat from the bulb in with the thermostat, it seems to be keeping the ambient temp close to 99.6° -- as long as I don't play around with the ventilation holes.

p.s.:I think your dad is right!

Here are our new recruits in their (day 2) first candling portraits:
G (green), H (tan), I (very pale blue), J (green)

 

[ccoomber]

Hi there i set 3 Wyandotte bantams, 3 bantam orpingtons and 2 mystery muttts (I think are Araucuna cross hybrid layer!) yesterday so hatch day should be 10th. My first lot of 3 Araucuna eggs are due to hatch thursday! Good luck with your lot. x

 

[Sissy]

Faerielady,I also am expecting a hatch about the 10-11
I set a doz. Ameraucana and 14 silkies.
so we will be watching and waiting together.

My temps stay pretty close to 99-100 and I usually have a good hatch. Ihave a 1588 Genisis hovabator with a fan.
All we can do is,

friend son just graduated
from westmoreland Hi
in OK.

 

[mulia24]

i'm keeping my finger crossed.

and

 

[eggybritches]

I am set to hatch ducklings on the 15th. I also have 10 more days left for quail, but I put them in a chickbator (I bought a brinsea mini adv for the ducks).

Sad to say the chickbator ate my last batch of quail. I started these babies off inside the brinsea and they started to grow, but the ducks came in and I did the ol' switcharoo. I don't think the quails will make it. The chickbator is VERY unreliable.