First Time Incubating. *Pics*

[skookumchuck]

I used egg cartons and just tipped the incubator 3-4 times a day it worked great. When I locked the eggs dow i just layed them flat on the bottom.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

I used egg cartons and just tipped the incubator 3-4 times a day it worked great.  When I locked the eggs dow i just layed them flat on the bottom.

I think that seems a good way. I decided to give the straw a go. Which means I need to open the bator, I was going to use the cartons with holes in as I did last time. But I stated thinking that maybe the cartons were dirty, and just didn't know. I have new ones but they are buried in my garage as we not long moved. So will see if this works. On a positive note I figured when lockdown comes round I won't have to move the eggs at all. Just increase humidity and open vents! The floor of this bator is rubbish in my opinion. They seem to roll so easily if there is nothing holding them so I'm happy with my choice for now. It was clean fresh straw that I used so fingers crossed.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

I used egg cartons and just tipped the incubator 3-4 times a day it worked great.  When I locked the eggs dow i just layed them flat on the bottom.

I think that seems a good way. I decided to give the straw a go. Which means I need to open the bator, I was going to use the cartons with holes in as I did last time. But I stated thinking that maybe the cartons were dirty, and just didn't know. I have new ones but they are buried in my garage as we not long moved. So will see if this works. On a positive note I figured when lockdown comes round I won't have to move the eggs at all. Just increase humidity and open vents! The floor of this bator is rubbish in my opinion. They seem to roll so easily if there is nothing holding them so I'm happy with my choice for now. It was clean fresh straw that I used so fingers crossed.

 

[turkey lover]

just wondering when one starts to candle ,is that 14 days after one has put them in the incubator,or is it 14 days,after they have been layed.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

Well I've been totally and utterly sad over my incubator experiences as the last three days have been hard to try and keep the temp down on the blasted thing! I think the thermostats is not working properly I'm having to literally have the lid off and at an angle so that there is excess heat escaping. The thermostat I have set to 35 c and its reading 37.5-38. But if the lid is on the edge of it reads 39 and the middle 36-38. It has doing my head in!
Have been thinking that maybe they have all been cooked so just at day 3 I decided to check my four bantam Cochin Eggs. So one looks unfertile. Another. I say the classic spiderish! But it was hard to see through all the speckles. Just can kinda make it out! A third sorta similar but the last one oh wow. It was awesome. A perfect spider with veins and a clear red circle within the yolk and on very still inspection. I saw THE HEART BEATING!!! Omg. I'm so happy and so worried at the same time! I now have to come up with a plan for lockdown as humidity will be hard to achieve with a half open tank! Thinking lots of sponges and loads of warm water consistently! Can't believe this has happened to me. I don't have the money for a new one, especially when I've just bought this one. So any ideas? Was thinking maybe setting one up with cardboard boxes. I've got a heat lamp and heat mats that I use for reptiles.

 

[Colourful]

just wondering when one starts to candle ,is that 14 days after one has put them in the incubator,or is it 14 days,after they have been layed.

7-14 days after they go into the incubator. They don't start developing until after they go into the incubator, so it doesn't matter if they were laid 2 or 7 days before, if they go in together they should hatch on the same day.

Okay guys, I've recently been absent because I've been in mourning for my turkey eggs

. I put 10 in the incubator (they were shipped), only 3 of those were fertile and alive at day 14. All made it to lock-down, none hatched. I opened them and found out that they were in fact, mutated. Some of these eggs had been 12 days old when they went in. I was so heart-broken. I'd made a brooder from scratch just for them and I had all the feed. Here in Australia, they've finished laying for the season so I'll have to wait another 6 months before I can try again.

NOTE TO ALL: DON'T SHIP TURKEY (/any poultry) EGGS UNLESS YOU KNOW THEY'LL BE PACKAGED WELL AND WILL BE UNDER 10 DAYS OLD WHEN THEY GET TO YOU.

Okay, the past can't be changed, so onwards to the future!

Right now, I have 13 Duck eggs in (8 Pekin and 5 Black East Indian eggs) and 56 Quail. They are all looking good so far.

I'm sorry for those who lost hatches themselves. It's an awful experience and I hope my experience can somehow help those with questions.

 

[Colourful]

Well I've been totally and utterly sad over my incubator experiences as the last three days have been hard to try and keep the temp down on the blasted thing! I think the thermostats is not working properly I'm having to literally have the lid off and at an angle so that there is excess heat escaping. The thermostat I have set to 35 c and its reading 37.5-38. But if the lid is on the edge of it reads 39 and the middle 36-38. It has doing my head in!
Have been thinking that maybe they have all been cooked so just at day 3 I decided to check my four bantam Cochin Eggs. So one looks unfertile. Another. I say the classic spiderish! But it was hard to see through all the speckles. Just can kinda make it out! A third sorta similar but the last one oh wow. It was awesome. A perfect spider with veins and a clear red circle within the yolk and on very still inspection. I saw THE HEART BEATING!!! Omg. I'm so happy and so worried at the same time! I now have to come up with a plan for lockdown as humidity will be hard to achieve with a half open tank! Thinking lots of sponges and loads of warm water consistently! Can't believe this has happened to me. I don't have the money for a new one, especially when I've just bought this one. So any ideas? Was thinking maybe setting one up with cardboard boxes. I've got a heat lamp and heat mats that I use for reptiles.

That looks great! I hope you get a good hatch this time!

You want anything that can hold the humidity while still letting in oxygen. Remember that in the last three days they need a lot of energy to push out of those shells, so watered sponges and lots of oxygen so they don't suffocate (very important). Even those of us with bought incubators can lose an entire hatch, there is no guarantee with any method.

 

[MissBroodyHen]

That looks great! I hope you get a good hatch this time!

You want anything that can hold the humidity while still letting in oxygen. Remember that in the last three days they need a lot of energy to push out of those shells, so watered sponges and lots of oxygen so they don't suffocate (very important). Even those of us with bought incubators can lose an entire hatch, there is no guarantee with any method.

Just an update. Day 7 and I still have 23 eggs in the bator!! Mostly the ones I took out were infertile. All but 2 were shipped ones! I think they were old! And one with a hairline crack had ring of death! Temps seemed to have settled better now and I have the lid on now! Touch wood!

 

[Six Chickies]

Today is the start of my first egg-hatching adventure! I am picking up 2 doz. Americana x eggs. This morning I started reading this thread, and it created some questions for me. My eggs were laid over a course of 4 days. Will this severely affect the hatch date? When do I start turning my eggs? Any tips to help keep the temperature up? Is there any way to use a reptile heating pad as a heatsource? I know it's a little late to start thinking about these things, but until this morning I never realized how much could go wrong!
Any tips would be super appreciated!!!

 

[MissBroodyHen]

That's a lot of questions and good. And yes. Everything can go tips up in minutes!
I am thinking the same for a hatcher with using a heat mat. But it's something I have two weeks to start working on. All you need to remember is to have a constant temp and humidity for hatching is crucial. In regards to turning eggs I think this is a personal choice that works for you. My instructions for my incubator isto leave them be for 48 hours. But I don't. What I do is if they are shipped I Fist check over the eggs. See if the cells a loose/wobbly. Or if they are detached! If they are I set them out depending on age for 24 hours in a cool room with lots of moisture nearby. Then I set them at the same time as all my other eggs (because I don't have the extra incubators or hatchers like some) but in an upright position. (I have had cells reattach after doing this) I then use something to hold the eggs in place like paper egg cartons with holes cut out the bottom (so it all breaths) and if they are badly damaged after day 7 I would keep them in such a place and just either tilt the machine or the egg carton on a set number of odd times per day ie 3,5,7. But this is not essential if you have normal eggs.
Turning from this first day I do not do. I leave it for 18 hours before I start to. But if you are storing eggs to collect them all then you should turn them as mention above with egg cartons. Placing a thick book at one end then moving the book to the other when its time to turn. Either once or twice a day.
You need atleast a very reliable thermometer and hydrometer. And get set up before you start. If you just throw it all in without knowing what you are doing you will fail miserably. At least I did! But my brand new machine as a faulty thermostats. So it cooks eggs if I don't watch them constantly!
You should just read loads experiment and get it all together before you just bung them in. Some people set up a week or two before and even add rocks to hold heat when the bator is open for turning ect.... There is a lot to know. Some are lucky. But that's never been me. I have to work hard for everything!! Lol. Good luck. Any questions just ask. There is chats on here to for month of hatch check them out too!