Early birds?

[peckypeck]

My eggs have been in the incubator 12 days and one is really moving. Is this OK?

 

[FloorCandy]

My eggs have been in the incubator 12 days and one is really moving. Is this OK?

Your incubator temp it probably too high. You need to calibrate a thermometer and check the temps in your bator.

 

[FloorCandy]

that sounds far too technical for me. I was wondering if they started incubating before I got them as they came from a friends free range quail and it has been very hot here. Should I move lock down forward? if so how would I adjust the brinsea . HELP!!!!

It’s possible that they were growing before you got them, but it’s impossible to know if they all were. You could candle them, but if you’re new to this, you won’t have a comparison in your mind to judge by. Also if they are close to hatching, you don’t want to open the incubator. I’d say it’s a judgement call, and if an egg is rockin and rollin on day 12 it doesn’t bode well for overall success.

Calibrating a thermometer is as easy as ice in a glass. There are tutorials here if you search which can teach you all about calibrating your equipment simply, with stuff you have at home.

 

[Nabiki]

Never trust the temperature reading on your incubator. Always put at least two calibrated thermometers into your incubator.

 

[pidgejr]

Yes I have the manual, will candle tonight and then what???????

Candling will help you assess where in the development process the eggs currently are. I'm betting they are all close in development since you got them from the same source. The rockin and rollin egg indicates that one may be getting in position to hatch...you may need to increase the humidity in the incubator for a good hatch for that egg. If you candle the others and they are mostly clear, that indicates they were not fertile, or if partly clear, they are in another stage of devlopment and not ready for hatching. I'm betting that if you candle the rockin one, its mostly dark with only an air cell thats light on the side they will break the shell thru..indicating its far along(ready to hatch)... There's lots of stuff in the Articles->Learning center about all the above too

 

[pidgejr]

I havent ever taken pictures because I dont have another pair of hands to do it, but you need a very bright flashlight (LED ones are best), and a dark room (Closet/bathroom). Another pair of hands to take picture while you hold the flashlight under the egg and gently cup your hands around the egg and turn it while the light shines only through it. You can see what pictures we are your looking for in the article I mentioned earlier in this thread . One side will be clearer that has the air cell, and the yolk or embryo/chick will be seen as a dark mass or some such in the rest. Post what pictures you can from that. Im not a quail expert so don't know what hatching humidity for quail is. for chickens its 65-75%. Eggs that are hatching should not be turned either. so you may need to turn off the advance part that turns the eggs too

 

[peckypeck]

that sounds far too technical for me. I was wondering if they started incubating before I got them as they came from a friends free range quail and it has been very hot here. Should I move lock down forward? if so how would I adjust the brinsea . HELP!!!!

 

[nuthatched]

Which model of brinsea do you have?

 

[pidgejr]

If one is ready and the rest arent, the dilemma is getting the humidity right for the one that is ready, and not making it too high for the ones that are not. Maybe because they came from the same source they are all around the same stage of development? Check out the article on this site with lots pics for candling if its helpful:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ion-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs.47879/

 

[peckypeck]

Which model of brinsea do you have?

Mini !! advance. On loan from a friend who has had no problems with it