First Time Hatching Anyone With Me??

[Kathryn4629]

Quote:
At first I was thinking lockdown would be on tuesday, but after reading more I guess you are not supposed to count the first day

I put the eggs in at about 12:00 pm on the 18th. So am still debating tues or weds for lock down, maybe I will just do it tuesday night after I get off work (about 12:00am)

I am sooo glad that I didn't start with dark egg after you guys saying you can't see anything!! I dont think I could stand not knowing.

I'm thinking that if you put your eggs in on Feb. 18th at 12:00 PM you should lockdown on the 8th at 12:00 pm. (I'm going to look at a calendar again....)Yep...I think that's right.

Thanks for calculating for me!!

Hatch time is getting so close, I can hardly stand it!!!

I almost have my brooder set up

I just have to buy a bulb for the heat lamp and check the temps. Oh and figure out a top for the plastic tub I am using. I am thinking about using some 2X2s and chicken wire to build a screened top. I dont want any escapes, I am pretty sure they would be chicken nuggets for the dogs. That would just be to sad.

 

[youngbiddy]

KZ, you and I may have bought from the same person! I hope I get 75% or higher.

 

[latebloomer]

Quote:
i set my eggs about ten pm on the 18th, so i'm going to lockdown
tomorrow night too.

do you set them pretty much horizontally,
or is the pointy end of the eggs supposed
to be lower than the larger end?

 

[maryrob]

i will hopefully be getting my incubator tomorrow
my friend hasnt used hers for over a year and she is giving it to me

i nervous over incubating for my first time
and excited at the same time
i have been trying to read and re-read all the information on it

then i read something about different diseases

i want to incubate my rhode island reds eggs

question ========= until i get my incubator set up should i go ahead and leave her eggs in the nest with her?

 

[latebloomer]

Quote:
seems reasonable to me

 

[KZ]

do you set them pretty much horizontally,
or is the pointy end of the eggs supposed
to be lower than the larger end?

Last edited by latebloomer (Today 6:21 am)

I think I am going to put mine in an egg carton to hatch so they stay at the same level for the heat as they were when they were in the egg turner. I have seen several people do this (video) and it seems to be a very good idea. I might do half and half, half laying on a paper towel, half in egg carton. I have over a day to make up my mind! But, as I read things, yes, you should lay them on the side if you are not hatching in a carton. I do not know how you would manage to get the pointy end lower than the big end unless you stuff paper towels under the tops. I guess if you only have a few eggs you could do that.

 

[latebloomer]

i have mine in cardboard egg cartons
with the middles and bottoms cut off
to allow for good air circulation

i can set them up pretty easily horizontally
or at an angle in either direction

really thought i read that somewhere
can't find it now though....

 

[blueducklings]

I read in the Holderread book that you need to bring in the eggs and store it in a temp constant place, preferably around 55*F
If the eggs are poopy, you'll need to clean it.

Handle it very carefully.
If you leave it with the hen,you have no idea if it is not going to get dirty and what the outside temp will be or if the hen is going to sit on it.
Too many variables to worry about.

I keep mine in an egg carton, in a plastic shoe box in a dark closet in the basement. I store them air sacks up and prop up the box on a different side each day. You don't need to do this if you are not keeping it past 5 days, but I set my eggs every Friday night.
Works for me. The eggs in my incubator seems happy.
However, with the last power outage at my house, I think my ducky in the hatch box is dead.

I'll wait & see.
Next batch goes in the hatch box in 2 days.
I also use the paper egg cartons to hold & hatch the eggs, then toss out the mess after they are all hatched. No mess to clean up and the air sack is always up, regardless if the eggs roll around in the bator.

 

[Kathryn4629]

Quote:
I was thinking about using the egg carton method to hatch also. My reasoning behind this is I am using a turner, so the eggs are elevated and due to temps need to stay that way. I have been scouring different threads about egg carton hatching and it seems that everyone has different ideas about why or why not to use them.

After all said and done it seems like I should use the egg cartons. Mostly because of using the turner. it seems like I should keep the eggs in the same positions they have been in the whole time. I hope it works, and I dont end up killing them.

 

[latebloomer]

people keep saying they're hardier than we think they are, but i'm going to have my fingers crossed too.