DD and I just set our first hatch in our Hovabator 1588. I'm not planning to candle until Day 10 or 12 just because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to tell what I'm seeing at Day 7. But I wonder -- how do you get the eggs out to candle them without causing a big temperature drop in the incubator? Do you sneak them out one at a time, or take the lid off and do them all at once? Seems like it would take a while for the temp and humidity to get back up after opening the lid. Please advise, all you experienced hatchers!
Well, I'm only on my second hatch but I usually sneak them out one at a time. If the temp drops I just stick a blanket over the incubator for 20 minutes or so and it stabalizes pretty quick. It hasn't hurt any of my eggs so far and on my last hatch I candeled EVERY DAY and had a 100% hatch!
i do them all at once ,the hen gets off her eggs to eat a other stuff so it doesnt hurt the eggs as far as i can tell.the temp of the eggs dont seem to drop to much for a long period cuz u can do 20 eggs in just afew minutes so not really a big deal to do them at once.just my opionion
It takes a long time for the eggs to cool on the inside, no matter what the thermometer reads. I open the bator and candle without removing them. I only pick up the questionable ones and decide from there.
Love the cake in the avatar picture!!!! That is too precious. and, I agree with the above wise words... they will be fine.
They'll do better if you just use a pen torch type candler on the blunt end of the egg and candle them in the incubator. Relax about the cooling in the time it takes
I have a 1588 too and I've been taking them out one at a time. The temperature doesn't really drop much and it stabilizes again quickly. Don't wait until day 10 because you will miss so much of the fun! Tonight I got to watch an embryo moving around in the egg, so COOL. I don't candle every day though, but every couple days and I take notes about each egg so I have a record of what's going on.
Quote:This is what we do. Mama hen gets off the nest every day usually but for the last three days. The eggs are designed to cope with this. We get all the candling and culling done in one fell swoop then back into the box they go.
