First incubating attempt (updates/notes)

[FLMomRN]

Hi y'all! I somehow found this forum several months ago while reading about rabbits (I have 3). I'm not sure at which point I had read too much here and couldn't turn back, but my 15 Muscovy eggs and Hova Bator Genesis just arrived yesterday.

I've been lurking for quite a while and soaking up tons of valuable information, so needless to say I was thrilled to finally load up the incubator! I have a folder full of threads bookmarked to help me along the way but I just wanted to say hello and thank you all for taking the time to write such helpful posts and respond to everyone who has asked questions.

I'm looking forward to posting some updates and hopefully some pics of the new ducklings if I can manage to get any that far.

~Cammie

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Welcome Cammie! Good luck with your hatch! There is plenty of advise to find around here if you find you need it!

 

[jphendrix]

Good luck! I to am a newbie and just put 24 eggs in my incubator today! I am keeping my fingers crossed for you and I!

 

[FLMomRN]

Thanks! The air sacks are detached on all 15 of the eggs so I hope some of them still able to make it.

Good luck with your hatch jphendrix!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Try looking here for some good insights on shipped eggs. It is a very helpful thread.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ell-detatched-shipped-eggs/5170#post_10431558

 

[FLMomRN]

Thanks! I've made it to page 73 so far. Lots of great info! : )

I caved and candled my eggs on day 3. From my unskilled observations it looks like about 6 or so may be infertile since the other 9 clearly have small, dark, rounded masses of some sort in them that weren't there before setting them. I don't see any veins yet at all.

I have them upright in an egg carton since they were shipped, and for turning I am moving a folded bed sheet from the bottom of one side of the incubator to the other. I just turned at 1:30 am and when moving the sheet the incubator slipped and I dropped the right side from about 3-4" high on the counter.

I hope the foam and metal tray was enough to absorb the shock without damaging them.

In better news, my duck pen is half finished. I sure hope I end up with something to put in it!

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Thanks! I've made it to page 73 so far. Lots of great info! : ) I caved and candled my eggs on day 3. From my unskilled observations it looks like about 6 or so may be infertile since the other 9 clearly have small, dark, rounded masses of some sort in them that weren't there before setting them. I don't see any veins yet at all. I have them upright in an egg carton since they were shipped, and for turning I am moving a folded bed sheet from the bottom of one side of the incubator to the other. I just turned at 1:30 am and when moving the sheet the incubator slipped and I dropped the right side from about 3-4" high on the counter.

I hope the foam and metal tray was enough to absorb the shock without damaging them. In better news, my duck pen is half finished. I sure hope I end up with something to put in it!

Make sure you are getting as close to a 45 degree angle as possible. Sally just discussed this, the biggest key is frequent turns but the best results come with from getting to that angle.

 

[tadpole98]

i will be watching!

 

[FLMomRN]

Make sure you are getting as close to a 45 degree angle as possible. Sally just discussed this, the biggest key is frequent turns but the best results come with from getting to that angle.

That's the part that's making me worried about not having an autoturner. I had skipped it because I read somewhere that shipped eggs should be hand turned but now I'm concerned about the angle. I have the incubator propped about 6-7 inches off the counter but that's only about 25-30° if even. With this turn I opened it up and leaned the eggs as far as I could to the right in the carton and then also leaned the entire incubator to the right. I'm hoping that got me to at least 40°. I could get the incubator up a bit higher than 6-7 inches but I'm worried I'm going to dump the eggs out of the carton. I'm aiming for turning 5-7 times a day but it will be hard to do more than 3 turns on the 3 days a week that I work (13 hour shifts). I'm thinking about printing out a schedule and asking my husband to help with them.

 

[jphendrix]

Thanks! The air sacks are detached on all 15 of the eggs so I hope some of them still able to make it.

Good luck with your hatch jphendrix!

Thank you! I candled 11 last night, and there are 5 that I know I saw veins in! Keeping my fingers crossed for all who have eggs incubating!