April 2020 Hatch-A-Long! All are welcome!

[Fatimetta]

That one looks nice!

I hope that it's worth the money...$26 with shipping lol.
These are the settings I have the incubator on:
Temp 99.5 F
Turning interval: 45 minutes (and I shut this off at day 19 right?)
Turning angle: 7 degrees (I have no idea what this is)
No Cooling
For Brinsea incubator: filled the water pot half way

Am I missing anything? The thermometer/hygrometer arrives on Friday. I haven't gotten the eggs yet, but will they be okay to sit until Friday to make sure I have the right temps/humidity?
Also, do I need to calibrate the thermometer/hygrometer?

Thanks everyone for helping. I feel sooo out of my element with an incubator, but I really want to do a good job!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I hope that it's worth the money...$26 with shipping lol.
These are the settings I have the incubator on:
Temp 99.5 F
Turning interval: 45 minutes (and I shut this off at day 19 right?)
Turning angle: 7 degrees (I have no idea what this is)
No Cooling
For Brinsea incubator: filled the water pot half way

Am I missing anything? The thermometer/hygrometer arrives on Friday. I haven't gotten the eggs yet, but will they be okay to sit until Friday to make sure I have the right temps/humidity?
Also, do I need to calibrate the thermometer/hygrometer?

Thanks everyone for helping. I feel sooo out of my element with an incubator, but I really want to do a good job!

You're doing great! If they're fresh eggs they should be fine waiting until Friday but I do always try to set them sooner than later when I can. The fresher the better!

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Gah, another egg pipped the wrong end! Why?! Lol. Lots of pips now. I think 7-8?

 

[Akoharski4]

Gah, another egg pipped the wrong end! Why?! Lol. Lots of pips now. I think 7-8?

When you say wrong end, do you mean the top of the egg?

 

[julskinka]

I'll "weigh in" on the topic.
Since I can't have a rooster, I always incubate shipped eggs.
I originally used a pencil to mark the air cells. The irregular air cells weren't as easy for me to decide if the air cells were progressing properly, so I started weighing the eggs.

I work with math regularly in my job. I loved the Excel spreadsheets that @julskinka posted. Once I set up my own spreadsheet it is just a matter of entering the weights and the spreadsheet does the calculations.

For me, the measurable numbers give me more confidence than marking the eggs.
I think the key is to use the method that is most comfortable for each individual.

I weigh, and I do it for the following reasons. YMMV.

1) I always have to use shipped eggs because no rooster, and found the air cells are just so wonky I couldn't always get a good sense with them, and had some bad results. Weighing takes the guesswork out and my results have gotten much better.

2) I've dealt with different incubators and different times of year, with different sizes eggs coming from different sources. So many variables means I can never be sure how the humidity will act or affect my eggs. Weighing gives me a firm sense of when I need to course correct humidity and by how much.

3) You can actually weigh your entire tray of eggs at one time (you just tare the turner or base or egg carton or whatever before you start). Even if you do them one-by-one, you also don't need to spend as much time touching/candling the eggs as when you mark air cells.

4) I took the time to set up an Excel sheet I just use every time. So I don't actually have to do math anymore. I just type in the numbers and the sheets tells me how the eggs are compared to where they ought to be. Math is my friend.

So, that's me. I'd recommend trying weighing if you: A) use shipped eggs; B) like precision; C) prefer not to touch the eggs as much; or D) have a lot of fluctuating variables from hatch-to-hatch.

 

[julskinka]

I hope that it's worth the money...$26 with shipping lol.
These are the settings I have the incubator on:
Temp 99.5 F
Turning interval: 45 minutes (and I shut this off at day 19 right?)
Turning angle: 7 degrees (I have no idea what this is)
No Cooling
For Brinsea incubator: filled the water pot half way

Am I missing anything? The thermometer/hygrometer arrives on Friday. I haven't gotten the eggs yet, but will they be okay to sit until Friday to make sure I have the right temps/humidity?
Also, do I need to calibrate the thermometer/hygrometer?

Thanks everyone for helping. I feel sooo out of my element with an incubator, but I really want to do a good job!

You can turn the turner off at day 14. No later than day 18.

ETA: assuming chickens eggs. I didn't see what kind you said you're hatching.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

When you say wrong end, do you mean the top of the egg?

I think of the top as the fat end of the egg, with the air cell. So I mean they pipped in the skinny end of the egg.

 

[gmjarvi]

Hello everyone! I am joining your hatch-a-long. I won my first incubator ever and it's coming on Wednesday. It's a brinsea mini advance II. Seems pretty straightforward... is there anything particular I should know about it? I'm super nervous to try hatching eggs in an incubator- I've always given them to the broodies! I won 8 eggs along with it that will be a mix of some colorful egg layers it sounds like. I am picking them up - so not shipped. Yay! I said I was done for the year with hatches, but if you win a contest, you win a contest! The eggs are actually from Highland Homestead I might have many questions to ask you experts here!

Should I leave the incubator to sit for awhile before I start it up? Would you recommend buying a hygrometer with this incubator and which kind? The incubator holds 7 eggs it says, but I'm getting 8. Can I stick the extra one in there somewhere?

I'm excited to see all your hatches! I'll attach some pictures of my "last" chicks I bought a few days ago. Supposedly a Rhode Island Blue, Sapphire Gem Splash, and a Barred Rock. Never heard of the first two before.

Agh congratulations on winning that! As soon as I read "won an incubator," I was like oh man I bet they won the Highland Homestead give away . I was so hoping to win the hatching egg prize! Maybe next time.

It looks like everyone has pretty much answered your questions about the Brinsea. I am on my second hatch with one and so far I like it, although I had more DIS eggs than hatched eggs with it in my first go. No idea why, but I dont think it was the incubator's fault.

Oooh! I saw the winners announced today! So happy for you! I think we follow each other on Instagram. ❤

I want to follow anybody here that is on instagram! I'm (at)tapiolahomestead . Tell me your insta handle and I'll follow you! ❤

I hope that it's worth the money...$26 with shipping lol.
These are the settings I have the incubator on:
Temp 99.5 F
Turning interval: 45 minutes (and I shut this off at day 19 right?)
Turning angle: 7 degrees (I have no idea what this is)
No Cooling
For Brinsea incubator: filled the water pot half way

Am I missing anything? The thermometer/hygrometer arrives on Friday. I haven't gotten the eggs yet, but will they be okay to sit until Friday to make sure I have the right temps/humidity?
Also, do I need to calibrate the thermometer/hygrometer?

Thanks everyone for helping. I feel sooo out of my element with an incubator, but I really want to do a good job!

For the turning angle, I just watch to make sure the egg is turning from one side to the other completely or nearly completely (I mark one side with an x and the other with an o), and adjust the angle accordingly. If the egg isn't turning at all, try switching which direction the fat side is facing (out or towards the center).

Do you follow Blackberry Hill Farm on instagram? She posted this cool looking hygrometer the other day and I'm considering getting one.

 

[BluebirdHomestead]

Agh congratulations on winning that! As soon as I read "won an incubator," I was like oh man I bet they one the Highland Homestead give away . I was so hoping to win the hatching egg prize! Maybe next time.

It looks like everyone has pretty much answered your questions about the Brinsea. I am on my second hatch with one and so far I like it, although I had more DIS eggs than hatched eggs with it in my first go. No idea why, but I dont think it was the incubator's fault.


I want to follow anybody here that is on instagram! I'm (at)tapiolahomestead . Tell me your insta handle and I'll follow you! ❤

For the turning angle, I just watch to make sure the egg is turning from one side to the other completely or nearly completely (I mark one side with an x and the other with an o), and adjust the angle accordingly. If the egg isn't turning at all, try switching which direction the fat side is facing (out or towards the center).

Do you follow Blackberry Hill Farm on instagram? She posted this cool looking hygrometer the other day and I'm considering getting one.
View attachment 2070328

Just followed you! I’m @the_olive_egg.

 

[Fatimetta]

Agh congratulations on winning that! As soon as I read "won an incubator," I was like oh man I bet they one the Highland Homestead give away . I was so hoping to win the hatching egg prize! Maybe next time.

It looks like everyone has pretty much answered your questions about the Brinsea. I am on my second hatch with one and so far I like it, although I had more DIS eggs than hatched eggs with it in my first go. No idea why, but I dont think it was the incubator's fault.


I want to follow anybody here that is on instagram! I'm (at)tapiolahomestead . Tell me your insta handle and I'll follow you! ❤

For the turning angle, I just watch to make sure the egg is turning from one side to the other completely or nearly completely (I mark one side with an x and the other with an o), and adjust the angle accordingly. If the egg isn't turning at all, try switching which direction the fat side is facing (out or towards the center).

Do you follow Blackberry Hill Farm on instagram? She posted this cool looking hygrometer the other day and I'm considering getting one.
View attachment 2070328

Thank you for all the info! I will do that with the eggs with the x and o on them. I used to do that with my broodies too for some unknown reason when I was younger

I'm so excited to see which eggs she gives me. I love surprises and especially colorful ones! I had told myself that I would resort to getting the colored egg layers I wanted next year, but I guess fate had a different plan, haha!

My instagram is fatimettasflock. I will follow you both if I don't already!