eggs to incubate

[francisfarms]

I have three laying hens now, my incubator should be here today. Have a couple questions though. Should I wait a few days and collect enough to put a dozen in while I get the thing calibrated? Also was wondering if it matters if i put in 3 a day and they hatch 3 at a time in there or wait? If I store them how long can I wait until I need to put them in there. I brought the three in today and they are sitting on the counter right now.

 

[Tony K T]

You can store them up to 15 days,after that the fertility rate drops.They have to be stored in a cool area no lower then 40 degrees and no higher then 50 degrees.You also have to turn them 3 times daily while storing them.It's best to put a good amount of eggs in at once instead of constintly opening the bator to put more eggs in.Is there a fan in your bator?If not I would invest in one.Without the fan if the room temp changes the bator temp will also change.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Fudgie]

I have heard that you can store them for about 7 days as long as you angle the box they are in from one side to the other (basically lift up the corner with a book underneath and at evening move the book to the other side. I have started doing this because it is so much simpler to remember that you put the eggs in on Saturday evening and they need to come out and they need to come out 3 weeks from Wednesday to go in the brooder to hatch on Friday evening/Saturday morning!!!! Also if you are doing this once a week, on Wed you remove the earliest date of eggs.

WARNING WARNING WARNING!!! You can put them in 3 at a time but you loose track of which one needs to come out and when. Even when you think you are good,

if you know what I mean, you forget to write the date in pencil when you put them in and there goes the plan. TRUST ME, BEEN THERE DOING THAT AT THIS PRECISE MOMENT. Needless to say, I have woken up 2 different days this week with a little fluffy butt

sitting in an egg cup waiting patiently, chirping loudly, saying let me out of here,

wondering where the heck he is, when he/she should have been in the brooder waiting for hatching. There is no harm to them if this happens but there COULD be if they get stuck in between the turner arms.

If you don't have a turner, take my word and GET one, makes a world of difference on hatching rate.

Good luck and happy hatching! This is one of the most fun things you can do!

 

[francisfarms]

no problem turning them here I am at home for awhile, anyway. Just really eggcited I will let it sit for a few days and then acclimate the bator and then gather a few, then put them in. I will put them in a carton upside down and then turn them every 12.

 

[Fudgie]

Cool Beans!!!

My hubby said to make an adjustment then wait a couple hours for the adjustment to take place, you only have to move the adjustment knob a teeeenie bit for it to change a few degrees.

get a thermometer/hygrometer from Walmart about 6 bucks or so and use it instead of the thermometer that comes with the bator. Those thermometers are a guarantee for failure. Once we got the thermometer/hygrometer our incubation rates went up from about 25% to 89% success.

trying to think of all the things ....don't forget the water in the middle tray thingys.

 

[francisfarms]

I will do that, where do I find one in Wally world, I have to go to the store anyway so I can pick one up then, My bator came today. it is a HOVABATOR2362n with a fan, do I need to add water now to get the humidity up?

 

[Fudgie]

Yes, get water in there and then start adjusting the temp and humidity. If there is too much humidity, use a paper towel and sop up some of the water from the troughs.

Walmart has them where the normal outside thermometers are.

In the hardware department

 

[francisfarms]

OK I will add water right now, then I got to run to the store and get chick starter for my ducks and dogfood and one of those at wallyworld. Thanks, BTW Cool Beans is one of my very favorite sayings and my dachshund is named Beans