Beginner's Hatch-A-Long

[ivyrash]

I waited till day 14 to pull the questionable ones just to make sure. You can always move them to the side and keep an eye on them so they don't rot. You don't want an egg to explode in there.

 

[Mamahumecky]

it's hatch day! went to bed last night at 1 no pips. woke up this am to one zipping and 6 other pips that i could see and count! wee so eggcited

 

[DavidKerk]

it's hatch day! went to bed last night at 1 no pips. woke up this am to one zipping and 6 other pips that i could see and count! wee so eggcited

Great!

 

[Mamahumecky]

we gots a baby chick! it was sneaky and pipped underside it zipped out before the one i was watching. today is an exciting fun day. who needs tv when you have eggovision.

 

[SA Farm]

Eggovision!

 

[wolfandfinch]

So I'm having a lot of trouble candling well. I'm using a light in a cheap workshop style scoop, a PAR bulb. I have a piece of cardboard with a hole in it that I put the egg on. I'm in the school to do it, so I put a blanket over my head this time and it was a bit better. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a fancy flashlight. Any suggestions?

I'm on day 10. Having trouble getting the shell translucent enough to check for veins. I am seeing a dark blob though - that's a good sign, right?

UGH! What if we get no chicks! The kids will be so sad. I sent out an email at the beginning to tell the parents to have "the talk" with their kids about the chick they put a number on not making it. But if NONE make it, OMG!

Of course, I'm really, really good at worrying. So they might be fine.

Thanks for listening to me worry

 

[ivyrash]

The light I use to candle with was $1.88 at walmart. Nice white light and it works pretty good. Sometimes it helps to move the light around the egg and look from different angles. Is there a broom closet you could use that might be dark? I put around 6 eggs in an egg carton, cover with a towel and walk over to the darker area in my basement and candle my eggs there.

 

[Mamahumecky]

So I'm having a lot of trouble candling well. I'm using a light in a cheap workshop style scoop, a PAR bulb. I have a piece of cardboard with a hole in it that I put the egg on. I'm in the school to do it, so I put a blanket over my head this time and it was a bit better. I don't want to spend a ton of money on a fancy flashlight. Any suggestions?

I'm on day 10. Having trouble getting the shell translucent enough to check for veins. I am seeing a dark blob though - that's a good sign, right?

UGH! What if we get no chicks! The kids will be so sad. I sent out an email at the beginning to tell the parents to have "the talk" with their kids about the chick they put a number on not making it. But if NONE make it, OMG!

Of course, I'm really, really good at worrying. So they might be fine.

Thanks for listening to me worry

use one of those small led lights target had them in their dollar bins... candle kinda on their side fat end that's now i got mine.


i have three babies so far. one was shrinkwrapped in the shell so i helped it and it's doing great. i just got some warm water and wetted the membrane a little and it popped right out.

 

[Penny Hen]

See, I would stress that putting the eggs in that way, and changing the block from one end of the carton to the other, simply wouldn't be enough turning.


My egg turner holds the eggs on their sides, and then the entire thing tilts back and forth (which is pretty much what you are describing with moving the block back and forth under the egg carton) but that doesn't make me happy either. So I BOTH turn by hand, and let the turner tilt back and forth.

But, when I put the eggs in on their sides, sometimes the pointy end tries to stay up higher than the large end...and that also stresses me.

I was thinking if I put the eggs in standing up (yes, big end up) that I would stress less about how the eggs are sitting....but the lack of good rotating would get to me.

Maybe I am a bit too OCD. *sigh*

Also, rereading all of this incubate stuff (it has been a few years since I have incubated, and I am getting a set of eggs tomorrow) I don't think I ever realized how important it is for the eggs to be getting oxygen!

Sheesh, another thing to worry about.

Ok lets see if I can describe this accurately without whipping out my drawing pencils. If you have a square block of eggs (like 2 18 egg cartons together or an egg flat), you would move the block from one corner to the next corner causing the fluid inside the eggs to shift a complete 360˚ after a full rotation. Now because you admit that you are OCD I know that that is not going to be enough (I have a touch myself). You are not going to come close to being satisfied till you get an automated turner. Now you might not get it in time for this hatch but definitely make plans for one. And remember even good broody hens don't hatch all the time at 100%.

 

[gbounds2007]

First batch in the incubator. Today is day 21 and they're starting to hatch.