First time hatching eggs

[msw1208]

Hello everyone!

So! This is the first time I've ever incubated eggs and I'm super excited! But I am needing a little bit of advice.

I had a hen decide to go broody, which is why I picked up some eggs. I don't have a separate place for her to go broody, so after the first day of her sitting, she decided to sit on other eggs in the coop. She was off the fertilized eggs for about 4-5hours and then I moved the eggs to a incubator.

I set the incubator to 21 days and have been very meticulous about candling and making sure there's enough water to keep the humidity up. (I'm using the brinsea mini advanced 2).
My question is, since these eggs were under a broody for at least 18hours, should I start lock down from the date I placed the eggs under my broody hen? Or should I start lock down on the date I placed the eggs in the incubator?

Thank you for the help!

 

[The Cave]

I would do it from day you put into incubator but I’m not a pro Hatcher. You can always track the weight of them to ensure they’ve lost the appropriate amount before lockdown as well.

 

[Perris]

hello @msw1208

I had a hen decide to go broody, which is why I picked up some eggs. I don't have a separate place for her to go broody, so after the first day of her sitting, she decided to sit on other eggs in the coop. She was off the fertilized eggs for about 4-5hours

this is a common and frustrating phenomenon with broodies Just for future reference, it is fine for them to be off for that sort of time for the first few days of incubation. Going back to the wrong nest, or having other hens come in and laying new eggs while she's off, can be a real problem though, and is why some separate their broodies from the rest of the flock, but it can be managed if you have the time and inclination.
I can't help with artificial incubation questions as I have no experience with it.
What are you going to do about the broody now?

Good luck to you and your hatch!

 

[msw1208]

hello @msw1208

this is a common and frustrating phenomenon with broodies Just for future reference, it is fine for them to be off for that sort of time for the first few days of incubation. Going back to the wrong nest, or having other hens come in and laying new eggs while she's off, can be a real problem though, and is why some separate their broodies from the rest of the flock, but it can be managed if you have the time and inclination.
I can't help with artificial incubation questions as I have no experience with it.
What are you going to do about the broody now?

Good luck to you and your hatch!

I'm actually glad I put the eggs in the incubator. We have one more week to go and she decided to stop sitting. If she was going to keep sitting, I was going to try and sneak the chicks under her.

 

[Perris]

good call then! Do keep us posted when they hatch won't you?

 

[msw1208]

Will do! I'm soooo looking forward to this! First time hatching is really nerve racking . Have I done everything right is all I keep asking myself!

 

[The Cave]

Will do! I'm soooo looking forward to this! First time hatching is really nerve racking . Have I done everything right is all I keep asking myself!

I just did my first hatch this past month!
I checked my temp and humidity right before I went to bed for every night and every morning as soon as I woke up besides every few hours when I was home. I had a couple small temp spikes and humidity spikes/drops but I had a great hatch. As long as it isn't left for too long you're fine don't stress!

Candling is so much fun, if you don't get a specific egg candling light, set up a really bright flash light with a toilet paper roll to cup the eggs and focus light right through.

I candled day 6, 14 and 18.
I weighed them day 1, 14 and 18

I also liked to move the eggs spot in incubator every time I candled to ensure nobody was in a weird spot for the whole process.

Lockdown is pure stress but remember to let them be and keep that humidity up to 70-75%.
I noticed my air cells got even bigger throughout lockdown based on where I penciled them before lockdown which was interesting/scary to me as well thinking the chicks pipped outside the air pocket but in fact didn't.

My first chick that pipped took a whole freaking day to start zipping gave me heart palpations, one chick stole its thunder by pipping, zipping and hatching faster and being first one out. Most of them hatched in private too sneaky buggers, its like they saw me and waited for me to leave lol.

Sorry if you already know all this, I just figured Id give you my first incubation experience summary haha! Goodluck

 

[msw1208]

I just did my first hatch this past month!
I checked my temp and humidity right before I went to bed for every night and every morning as soon as I woke up besides every few hours when I was home. I had a couple small temp spikes and humidity spikes/drops but I had a great hatch. As long as it isn't left for too long you're fine don't stress!

Candling is so much fun, if you don't get a specific egg candling light, set up a really bright flash light with a toilet paper roll to cup the eggs and focus light right through.

I candled day 6, 14 and 18.
I weighed them day 1, 14 and 18

I also liked to move the eggs spot in incubator every time I candled to ensure nobody was in a weird spot for the whole process.

Lockdown is pure stress but remember to let them be and keep that humidity up to 70-75%.
I noticed my air cells got even bigger throughout lockdown based on where I penciled them before lockdown which was interesting/scary to me as well thinking the chicks pipped outside the air pocket but in fact didn't.

My first chick that pipped took a whole freaking day to start zipping gave me heart palpations, one chick stole its thunder by pipping, zipping and hatching faster and being first one out. Most of them hatched in private too sneaky buggers, its like they saw me and waited for me to leave lol.

Sorry if you already know all this, I just figured Id give you my first incubation experience summary haha! Goodluck

It's all good! Sometimes it's a good reminder!
Waiting is sooo agonizing! But it's worth it! 6 more days!

 

[msw1208]

They're here!!
First one hatched at 18 days... Way early! But this one looks healthy and the next one just pipped.

 

[AshFabian]

They're here!!
First one hatched at 18 days... Way early! But this one looks healthy and the next one just pipped.

This makes me even more impatient!!! Went on lockdown last night! First time hatching for me!