Did I "fowl" up?

[Rotorranch]

I'm wondering if I ruined the dozen eggs I set in the foam incubator.

I've been following the directions for the incubator, with water in the bator. The humidity has been pretty high (about 70-75% on the reptile hygrometer in the bator). It's now day 13, and the humidity has finally dropped to about 45%.

About 5 days ago I had an egg crack. It had turned gray inside. I discarded it.

I can't candle the eggs... the shells are too dark to see through with any lights I have.

So the question is, did I ruin the hatch from the high humidity?

Rotor

 

[gimmie birdies]

i dry hatch but I had gone though what you are going through when i listened to adding too much water. If your batch is not ruined you may be able to correct it, just go with less water for the rest of you hatch. that is why people check the air cell on days 7/14 and 18 so they can see if there is too much water in the cell. if you are using a home made bator with no fan get the temp up to 102 and it should dry them out.

 

[Rotorranch]

The bator I'm using is borrowed and appears to be an older Miller Mfg Little Giant still air unit. I've been following the directions for the unit.

The folks we borrowed it from haven't been real successful either, using the directions.

We've got a little over a week to go on this batch, so we'll see what happens. If this doesn't pan out, I may try one more time this year, using the dry method. I'm worried that winter will set in before any later hatchlings get big enough to stay outside in the coops.

Rotor

 

[gimmie birdies]

Well experiment and see if you can adjust for what ever doesn't work out.

 

[Rotorranch]

After doing more research, it turn out the bator is an older Hova-bator.


Tomorrow they go into lockdown... we should know soomething by Sunday. I'm getting egg-cited!

Rotor

 

[Rotorranch]

About to go into lockdown. The humidity has been running around 50% lately with no water in the bator, with both plugs out. What should I keep the humidity at during lockdown?

I'm hoping something good happens Sunday!

Rotor

 

[gimmie birdies]

I don't do alot diff on lock down I just keep the bator closed keeps in moisture. I have may eggs in laundry room. my drier hose has holes so we get some moisture in that room. some times I put in a moistened paper towel 1/2 with water squeezed out after the internal /and outer pip.

 

[Rotorranch]

Today is hatch day, and I guess I didn't totally "fowl" up. Got home last night about 8 PM from the local car show, and nothing was happening. Around 10 PM one egg pipped. Then nothing. 9 AM, still nothing. At 10:15, the chick knocked a chunk out of the shell!

It's now resting comfortably in the egg. I see the beak, and some color... it's a yellow chick!

This is worse than waiting for my son to be born 22 years ago!

Rotor

 

[Rotorranch]

There was just a loud "PEEP PEEP" from the incubator, and we now have a complete yellow chick lying there free of the shell!

One down, 10 to go!

Rotor

 

[millielynn]

The waiting is stressful but worth the wait. This is my first try at incubating and so far things are looking good. 27 of the 28 eggs that I started with are were fertile. 6 have hatched and 7 more have pipped.