anyone due on feb. 8th-13th??

[pegasuschick]

My gosh, I was told that if the eggs got to 106 to figure they were dead! I know sometimes the air outside is hotter than the optimum 100 for hatching but the temp under the hen is what determines the hatch and it probably isn't that hot under her. Of course if she gets off for a while the egg temp would raise.
I belong to a group of rare chicken breeders who are supposed to know what they are doing and they were the ones who told me that 106 was tops. In fact the owner of the list told me if they got to 105 to toss them.
Just goes to show that you can't believe everything someone tells you.
I think you have to thin of the egg as a hollow thing with jelly inside so the chick may be visible all around the egg and sometimes they rotate too as you turn the egg so you could be seeing it every way you turn it instead of just on one side.
Gina

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
so you are saying, thatthe chick could possibly be rotating inside??? i just never can tell if they are growing or not... i will need to make a better candler..

 

[pegasuschick]

Yes, I am pretty sure they do rotate inside. At least some of mine did.
I use one of those large flashlights that have the big square battery in them. Then I take a washcloth and wrap it around the glass and leave a small area uncovered. Then I can set my egg right on the washcloth so I don't crack it and can move it around easily. The light is comcentrated in that small area in the center of the wrapped cloth.
Works for me even on the darker eggs.
Gina

 

[americana-chick]

Quote:
oooh! good i idea i think i might go and try that....

 

[minifarm8]

They do seem to turn with the egg as you turn it. Makes it a bit frustrating if you want to see a different angle... lol.

My temp got to 107 last summer and I still had 17 of 18 silkies hatch out. I think it depends on how long it is elevated too. Having issues with temp regulation today too. Hated to leave for work until I knew it was solved. Hopefully the DS can handle it with a bit of help from DH.

VERY difficult not to candle every single day.

thanks for the good wishes Pegasuschick! Same to you!

 

[pegasuschick]

Wow really, 107 is high. I sure hope I didn't toss mine for no reason but I figured at 115 there was no chance.
In that case I won't worry so much.
I have found with my Hovabator that you need to keep the room it is in at a stable temp or it varies too much.
I am testing my home made bator now and it is going to be great! Much more reliable.
It varies from 96 to 106 but it turns on and off every ten minutes so not enough time for the eggs to be impacted by the temp change. I think I will buy another digital thermometer and put it inside my second weasel and put it in the new bator. I bet the temp will be really stable.
Gina

 

[minifarm8]

Room temperature does seem to make a huge difference. My other hatch was in July and the really hot days or having a fan on in the room messed things up.

This time the incubator is on the counter in my sons' room. Harder to be bumped, water right there for humidity, and more regulated temps(hopefully).
Monica

 

[Cowboy Joe]

Quail due on the 12th!!!!!!!!

 

[BawGock]

Good luck Cowboy Joe!
Candled my 12 little chicken mutts, 11 developing

and 1 blood ring

These are really fresh eggs from my own birds, brought them into the house every hour when I collected.
So good odds on viable eggs to begin with so it makes it a good batch for my first crack at this....pun intended!

Carolyn

 

[playingchicken]

As of Sunday, I had 6 eggs developing out of 11 collected from one hen. (Our rooster was taken by a hawk about 3 weeks ago so we weren't sure they were even fertile.)

I am looking forward to some little Golden Penciled Hamburgs hopping around like crazy on the 10th.

(Fingers and toes crossed that we get at least one roo which I know is weird but we loved that roo!)