ATTENTION NEWBIES TO INCUBATING

[Down by the Bay]

Wow thanks for the good info. We've dropped now to 45 and I plan to candle on Friday so we'll see how it goes.

 

[Down by the Bay]

Ok, so last night we candled, at Day 7. There is development in some eggs, and movement in a couple BUT the air cells all seem to be at the small end?? And very wonky looking, a couple looking like they could be ruptured. These are shipped eggs, which were shipped across Canada airmail. Is there any hope? And should I stand the eggs at the other end while they develop or just leave them and lay flat for hatching, if any can hatch that is....Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Cowpoke]

When you received the shipped eggs, did you let them sit still, big end up for 24-hrs? This is highly recommended. And as a rule of thumb, a 50% hatch rate for shipped eggs is pretty much the norm. Movement is a good sign. Clears I would wait till day 14 or so, then remove them. They will look like your are making an omelet inside. I use an automatic egg turner, with the big end up for the first 18-days, then remove them and lay them down, for hatching,

 

[Sylviaanne]

We took a 4 hour trip up north and picked up 6 dozen assorted eggs yesterday. I put them in a styrofoam ice chest that we had put ice packs in to keep it cool. My husband put the eggs in the ice chest and cushioned them with the ice packs. I had intended to remove them for the trip home. The eggs were in 18 pack egg cartons that I had taken with me. Most of the eggs were bantam size, including guinea eggs and I was afraid that with the vibration of the truck some of the air sacks might come loose. When we got home, I put them into the incubators in egg turners but turned the turners off. Tonight they will have been in the upright position for 24 hours and I will turn the turners on.

I am going to try to remember to give them a cooling off period every day but I am not sure how long the hens stay off their nests. I don't think the hens are off the nests for an hour but 20 minutes might be too long too. As far as I can tell, when the hens get up and leave, they don't try to cover the eggs at all. My ducks do, but not the chickens, so I don't know if I should remove the tops of the incubators or just unplug them. Any one do this yet? Know how long to cool the eggs and how?

Thanks