first time incubating

[Niema17]

This is my first time incubating eggs. I got 8 lavender banty cochins. All 8 appear to develope and today is day 21, so far 2 have hatched and another one is working on unzipping? My question is, the two hatched chicks are knocking the unhatched eggs all over the incubator, will this hurt the unhatched eggs? When should I open the bator and remove the chicks? Any answers are appreciated.

 

[brahmabreeder]

Just leave the chicks in there until the majority of the chicks have hatched. Your eggs should be fine being all knocked around. Mine do that all the time. I have two chicks in my bator right now and three more pipps and one doing nothing. This time I put the chicks in an egg carton to hatch. Seems to work better. They aren't kicking all the eggs around and the chicks can hatch without rolling every where. Good luck.

 

[Niema17]

Thanks for the info, makes me feel better. When you say you put them in an egg carton, do you mean you put them in the top to lay down flat or the bottom with the large end of the egg up?

 

[ChickSter99]

Thanks for the info, makes me feel better. When you say you put them in an egg carton, do you mean you put them in the top to lay down flat or the bottom with the large end of the egg up?

I'd like to know the answer to this question also. I have a hatch due in 7 days from today. I had thought about that but wasn't sure how to go about it. Certainly, it should be one of those paper ones too, right? I would think plastic or styrofoam would melt. That is a very good question about how to lay them.

 

[ChickSter99]

Thanks for the info, makes me feel better. When you say you put them in an egg carton, do you mean you put them in the top to lay down flat or the bottom with the large end of the egg up?

Niema17, I found this to be a very interesting question. I typed in the search box at the top "egg cartons and hatching" and clicked "relavancy". I found a lot of info. Maybe it will help you also.

 

[ChickSter99]

I have 3 of them. I don't think I need anymore. lol. www.Incubatorwarehouse.com has a good selection also and fast shipping. I have 2 LGs from them. I ordered my havo-bator straight from the manufacturer (www.gqfmfg.com) in Savannah, GA. They were reasonably priced and their sales team was awesome

 

[brahmabreeder]

For the egg carton I took the part you would put the eggs in and cut it down. Then during lock down the eggs went in there and it worked much better than just laying them in the incubator.

 

[ChickSter99]

I've been fight with temp control again on my 2 LG incubators. I'll be lucky if anything hatches out of the 2 of them. They are as good as sold as soon as I'm finished with them!!!! I just checked the temp for the 1 millionth time today, and the light of my flashlight caught something shiney on the top of one of my eggs. I checked it out and it was one beginning to leak It was a wee on the smelly side. yuck.
Oh, not happy right now

. I know it could have been worse. But still....

I do use a digital thermometer...Oh my goodness, I hate these things! I have found love with my havo-bator genesis. I'll let you know how in love next week when I have my first hatch.....

 

[lareynadenada]

I feel your pain I cannot keep this LG at temp, no apparent reason just goes wacky,,,,,,,,I have 20 eggs in there and I am worried due to hatch 16th

 

[ChickSter99]

I feel your pain I cannot keep this LG at temp, no apparent reason just goes wacky,,,,,,,,I have 20 eggs in there and I am worried due to hatch 16th

I feel helpless and ready to cry

. My havo-bator has a hatch date next week so, I can't add anything to it. I certainly would if that wasn't happening. 1 is running 100.9F if I touch it, it will spike or drop. The second one is hanging on at 99.7F but I'm battling humidity. I only have on tray filled. I'm a geoscience major so, I understand how the humidity works (+areas w/ water=+humidity/-areas w/ water=-humidity. & nothing to do with quantity of water). I'm pulling my hair out here. I'm not sure if I should touch the 1st one or not. I tried that earlier and it dropped dramatically. And that was a weeeeee veryyyyy veryyyy little touch. I'm soooo frustrated.. I really need to be finishing up a term paper right now, but that is not happening.