First hatch

[AbuDhabi]

So, I got an incubator this year, and here's what hatched:

Most of them are about two days old, with a three day old and a four day old (hatched on day 19).

That's 17 chicks from 56 eggs. About half the initial number turned out to be infertile (only one rooster, but 10+ hens, making all of these a minimum of half-siblings; they're all mutts of some sort). One almost made it out of the egg, but died in the shell during the process.

One of the last ones to hatch did so with curiously damaged fluff:

I hope it's a hatching defect, not a lasting feather condition.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Congratulations on the first go!
What kind of incubator did you get?
Did you get all the extra gear to increase your success rates, or since you knew they wouldn't all be fertile did you just try and see what happened?
When are you planning for round two?!

Ryn.

 

[AbuDhabi]

Congratulations on the first go!

Thanks!

What kind of incubator did you get?

"IO-1P-TE" is the model name. A semi-automatic yellow crate with a translucent white lid.

Did you get all the extra gear to increase your success rates, or since you knew they wouldn't all be fertile did you just try and see what happened?

Extra gear? Like what, a specialty egg shiner?

I just used the incubator, followed instructions, and made my own egg shiner out of a box and a USB lamp.

When are you planning for round two?!

Either in a month, or next year. I will see about getting some Orphington eggs next.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Extra gear? Like what, a specialty egg shiner?

I just used the incubator, followed instructions, and made my own egg shiner out of a box and a USB lamp.

Specialty egg shiners are nice and all, but customs will show you the same thing. I meant like a thermometer, hygrometer, maybe a sponge, yeah. Things along that line. Just all the goods to check to make sure you are doing it similar to the claimed to be "perfected methods" established around here.
Good luck with the orps! We have two buffs right now, SavKel got them because they are supposed to be a more friendly bird, I think they are going to get too big and we should eat them. Haven't convinced her yet...

 

[AbuDhabi]

The incubator has a built-in thermometer, but lacks a hygrometer. Should probably get one!

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

The incubator has a built-in thermometer, but lacks a hygrometer. Should probably get one!

I used a janoel 12 with a crack in the side and had to set it 0.5-0.8 degrees low to hit the sweet spot. That's probably not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but just saying, it might not read what your eggs are feeling.

 

[drumstick diva]

some folks use a "water wiggler," in their incubators