Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[tdhenson86]

Oh my goodness! You thought of everything when you began!!! Wow! Thankfully, my cabinet incubator takes care of most of the problems for me, but wow! I'm impressed!

 

[MnMPoultry]

Can you share what "process" works for you? please! : )

I settle the eggs for a few days, stick the eggs in the incubator, turn them 3x's a day (unless I forget or work late), candle at days 7, 14, and 18 (for clears and quitters), then leave them alone until they're all out.

Anything with a detached air cell gets stuck upright in a section of egg carton.

Temp 99*-101* - Humidity varies depending on air cell size at candling, but typically 40% until lockdown, then up to 60%-70%.

Honestly, that's it in it's simplest form. Overall hatch rate, for anything that starts developing, meaning not counting clears I toss at day 7, is 90-95%. I rarely see quitters after the first candling.

This all comes from knowing my incubator very well. It's an old old Hovabator styrofoarm with a wafer thermostat. There is a lot of scientifics behind it, but the scientifics only apply in a perfect setup and a perfect situation... Your house, your incubator, the setting on your A/C or furnace, the moisture in the air of your house, who sent your eggs, who handled your eggs from lay to setting, the way they were packed in the truck... These are all variables, some controllable, some not, that affect the way your incubation goes.

When I stopped over thinking and trying to be perfect about the way people say it should be done... When I started going with what I saw worked for me... That's when my eggs started hatching well.

I had a bunch of blown and poor hatches when I first got it. I just added a second incubator, which is an LG replica by a company called FI, and I'm not setting any expensive or good eggs in it until I get used to it. Mixes and cheap-o's only, but I am planning on using it as the hatcher for the group of Silkie eggs I have that are running 7 days ahead of the other 55 eggs I have set.

 

[MnMPoultry]

On that note:

I will probably be getting a cabinet incubator this winter, then my entire process will have to change because what I'm using will be changing. Both of my styro's will be retired to hatcher status after I get the new one settled in and figured out.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Oh my goodness! You thought of everything when you began!!! Wow! Thankfully, my cabinet incubator takes care of most of the problems for me, but wow! I'm impressed!

Dont be impressed!! lol I researched what I thought was EVERYTHING he he he and then here comes Detatched eggs in the mail!!! grrrrrrrr I think I may have to agree with the "DO NOT POST fragile or live" on the box!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I settle the eggs for a few days, stick the eggs in the incubator, turn them 3x's a day (unless I forget or work late), candle at days 7, 14, and 18 (for clears and quitters), then leave them alone until they're all out.

Anything with a detached air cell gets stuck upright in a section of egg carton.

Temp 99*-101* - Humidity varies depending on air cell size at candling, but typically 40% until lockdown, then up to 60%-70%.

Honestly, that's it in it's simplest form. Overall hatch rate, for anything that starts developing, meaning not counting clears I toss at day 7, is 90-95%. I rarely see quitters after the first candling.

This all comes from knowing my incubator very well. It's an old old Hovabator styrofoarm with a wafer thermostat. There is a lot of scientifics behind it, but the scientifics only apply in a perfect setup and a perfect situation... Your house, your incubator, the setting on your A/C or furnace, the moisture in the air of your house, who sent your eggs, who handled your eggs from lay to setting, the way they were packed in the truck... These are all variables, some controllable, some not, that affect the way your incubation goes.

When I stopped over thinking and trying to be perfect about the way people say it should be done... When I started going with what I saw worked for me... That's when my eggs started hatching well.

I had a bunch of blown and poor hatches when I first got it. I just added a second incubator, which is an LG replica by a company called FI, and I'm not setting any expensive or good eggs in it until I get used to it. Mixes and cheap-o's only, but I am planning on using it as the hatcher for the group of Silkie eggs I have that are running 7 days ahead of the other 55 eggs I have set.

Let them set in the egg carton the entire bation time? they are silkies too, so they are small and sorta hang to the side in the egg holes in the carton. How do I go about turning them in the carton in the bator? thanks tons!!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

(NOTES: Rain outside finally, but causing me issues with the bator already! Opened the 2nd VENT plug because humidity keeps going above 50% averaging 52/55% TRYING to keep it at 46/48% Turned the room dehumidifier and am letting it run without setting the % levels. Wondering if its not also do to adding the eggs. Temperature is slowly leveling to where I want it 99.5)

 

[MnMPoultry]

I only stick them upright in the carton before I set them and during lockdown when it's time to hatch.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I only stick them upright in the carton before I set them and during lockdown when it's time to hatch.

I forgot to ask, when should I candle in this situation and when can you tell if the cells re-attached?

 

[Roxannemc]

Yes you have done your research and seem to have taken evey little thing into consideration.. WOW!

What are you hatching did i miss that part? and shipped or not?

That humidity sounds a little low for lockdown to me but in your basement it may work .One guy in a humid area had his in his basement and didnt use water for humidity at all I dont think and i guess was fine..Mainly you sure dont want a shrink wrap at the last after all the work.
I think most ppl use 65-80 others can chime in on this too ...but 60 may work for you .Its all trial and error in each home enviroment.
GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[MnMPoultry]

I forgot to ask, when should I candle in this situation and when can you tell if the cells re-attached?

Candle whenever you feel like it. I typically just do days 7, 14, and 18 (Lockdown). Sometimes I'll candle every day to show my kids what's going on in the eggs. The only way to tell if they reattached is candle and move the egg, like how you did when you noticed the were detached. I don't think I've ever seen one reattach, however.