first time incubating, first set of eggs went in about an hour ago

[Backyard Farm]

Usually the styrofoam still air incubators have groves in the bottom that you put water. If you need more humidity... fill more groves. It is not the depth of the water but the amount of surface covered by water that affects the humidity.

You should monitor you humidity in some way. Some folks do "dry hatch" for the 1st 18 days if they live in a somewhat humid environement. Too much or too little humidity can effect your chicks and the hatch.

During the last few days, you may have to add wet sponges to get the humidity up high enough.

there is a lot of good information on threads here.

I have automatic turners but I believe it is suggested that you turn your eggs at least 3 time in a 24 hr period.

Good luck to you! It is exciting to see babies hatch.. down right addicting!!

 

[melissaowens]

my bator has grooves built into the bottom that i fill with water. as far as the egg turning i think it is 3 times in 24 hours.

i fund this that might help for incubationhttp://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/hatch.htm

here another sight i got from another byc member that might help when candling
http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/embryophotos.shtml

let me know what you think and if you need further help ill try to help the best i can. im subscribed to this post so i keep a check on it

 

[PeepMomma]

Ok, next dumb question. When turning the eggs do they get turned from top to bottom or do the just get rotated around I have them in an egg carton withing the incubator. Sorry for all the dumb questions, but there are more to come I am sure!

 

[Ruditchka]

Eggs should be turned from side to side if laying flat on wire mesh or the entire carton in your case would have to be tilted(propped up) from side to side(use long side of carton so eggs tilt close to 45degrees each way). Spinning the eggs, if just set pointy end down in carton is not sufficient enough though. You can also lay the eggs on their side on top of the cartons w/pointy end slightly lower and turn 180degrees 3X a day also(I did it this way last time but sometimes when I rotated one egg, another would slide back down into the carton straight up and down so it was a little bit of a pain!) Anyway, straight up and down and just rotating in the same position is no good..., eggs should at least be leaned a good amont from side to side w/pointy end always remaining lower than big end. Hope I explained it alright(?)!

 

[PeepMomma]

Thanks! My husband originally wanted to put them in an egg carton, but I opted for laying them on their side on the mesh wire in the bator. I put an x on one side and an o on the other to let me know what side to turn them to next. Hope that works!

 

[melissaowens]

no question is a dumb question, gotta learn some how. did ya check out the links i posted?

 

[pax12]

good luck with your hatch

 

[melissaowens]

man im beginning to worry if my eggs in the bator are developing okay,

i am fighting myself to keep from candling them now. i wanna look! im getting impatient

 

[Backyard Farm]

BEEN THERE!!!

..but really, you can't see anything yet.

One thing I learned is that the embryo is supposedly very delicate for about the 1st 10 - 11 days. .. and that you can damage the development by moving it too much, too quickly, etc.

That cured me... I don't candle until day 10 - 12. I weigh once at about 5 day to make sure my humidity is good but I am VERY careful/gentle.

I know... so hard to wait!!!

.... I keep myself busy by checking the thermometers every hour!!! LOL

 

[mandolinmama]

Sometimes every time feels like the first time when you're hatching out babies. If you're like me, you'll have your face glued to that bater checking for pips, zips, peeps, and babies from day 19 on. I barely sleep at night when I have them pipping. It's like Christmas or something. I've had many many hatches and I'm still like a little kid when it comes to hatching babies.

Best of luck with your hatch!!!!