Hands on hatching and help

[WVduckchick]

Yes I check calibration before Starting the incubator up. no on hygro as built into the digital temp.humidity on both, should I consider a stand alone one?

Little one that had issues at hatch is finally dry, made it through the night got strong chirping convo going on with the one in the brooder, no more pipps at start of day 23. That was previous hatch that spiked that temp. Temp fluctuations this time was usually withing +/- .02 to .05

as it's fan forced I have it set to 99.5
These are eggs out of my own flock transported them about 5 miles from farm to house, and still let them sit 24 hours , had a broody hatch out 11 and only lost 1 after hatch last week she did have some quitters and 2 that died on shell without pipping, but think most of those can be contributed to she had to many eggs but wouldn't let us take any, all the girls helped her and she tossed 6 out finally out of 30

Well, that all sounds fine, but all units are susceptible to having bad built-in hygrometers, so its worth a shot to try a new separate one. I have 3 in mine, they all read differently, but I know which ones are low and which ones are high.

Oh, ventilation is another consideration. Are you keeping all the vents open? I leave mine open all the time, and never plug a vent. Others plug early, then remove. But ventilation for hatching is critical.

 

[slordaz]

Well, that all sounds fine, but all units are susceptible to having bad built-in hygrometers, so its worth a shot to try a new separate one. I have 3 in mine, they all read differently, but I know which ones are low and which ones are high.

Oh, ventilation is another consideration. Are you keeping all the vents open? I leave mine open all the time, and never plug a vent. Others plug early, then remove. But ventilation for hatching is critical.

I have and extra one in there with the accurite I trust it more that the incubators, I keep both plugs out at all times incubator is running. they are only in after sanitization for storage

chick update, she climbed out of the bowl and is now wandering around the incubator and looking pretty perky this morning. still has that extra attached but it's dried up and working on detatching

off to take son to his program and go to feed store so will grab another hygrometer

 

[Blooie]

Put the Silkies in the incubator this morning. Kendra was right at my arm, watching every move I made, including the egg I dropped and broke.

She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Oopsie." Yeah, oppsie is right, doggone it! But on a high note, there was no mistaking that bullseye!!

 

[WVduckchick]

I have and extra one in there with the accurite I trust it more that the incubators, I keep both plugs out at all times incubator is running. they are only in after sanitization for storage

chick update, she climbed out of the bowl and is now wandering around the incubator and looking pretty perky this morning. still has that extra attached but it's dried up and working on detatching

off to take son to his program and go to feed store so will grab another hygrometer

Well, we will keep the thinking caps on and maybe someone will think of something else. Oh, do the salt test on your hygrometers before using them.

Put the Silkies in the incubator this morning. Kendra was right at my arm, watching every move I made, including the egg I dropped and broke.

She looked up at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Oopsie." Yeah, oppsie is right, doggone it! But on a high note, there was no mistaking that bullseye!!

Oopie! Well, on the bright side besides the bullseye... you are going to have a fabulous hatch with these, so one as collateral damage is possibly acceptable. But don't do it again!! LOL (at least that's what I tell myself, every time I drop one!!! )

(oh, and some people lick their fingers before handling, keeps them from slipping so easily... if that's what happened)

 

[Blooie]

Yep, Egg #9 slid right out of my fingers. Fortunately it didn't land on any other egg. I should keep a damp paper towel by the incubator if I'm going to do anything. I'm such a germ-a-phobe the idea of licking my fingers and touching the eggs gives me the weebies but you're right - dry fingers and slickery eggs don't mix!

 

[ShanandGem]

For the sake of my own mental health I am not candling anything this hatch. I obsess way too much over what's going on and many of these eggs are so dark you can't see a thing anyway. I'll do the sniff test every several days to get rid of DIS ones, but I am leaving this hatch a surprise!
The lady I bought my OE/EE eggs from swore by her eggs viability, said she doesn't candle at all and just holds the egg on day 16 and feels for movement. I don't know if I am tuned in enough to egg movement to trust my own judgment, but if it doesn't stink, it stays!
I recently made the switch to home schooling our daughter so I think this is my brain's way of saying "no vacancy, you don't have thought process to take on anything else right now".

 

[AmyLynn2374]

For the sake of my own mental health I am not candling anything this hatch. I obsess way too much over what's going on and many of these eggs are so dark you can't see a thing anyway. I'll do the sniff test every several days to get rid of DIS ones, but I am leaving this hatch a surprise!
The lady I bought my OE/EE eggs from swore by her eggs viability, said she doesn't candle at all and just holds the egg on day 16 and feels for movement. I don't know if I am tuned in enough to egg movement to trust my own judgment, but if it doesn't stink, it stays!
I recently made the switch to home schooling our daughter so I think this is my brain's way of saying "no vacancy, you don't have thought process to take on anything else right now".

Awesome, what grade is your daughter in? I homeschool my son and he's 2nd we will be finished the 11th of June I think for second grade.

 

[Laurel Meadows]

hi everyone!
Loving all the cute chick pics!!
I'm happy to update that my shipped eggs are looking surprisingly good and my hovabator has been holding steady temps.
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On my day 7 candling on Wednesday, 12 of 16 BBS mottled bantam Cochins had movement and looked great. I had only 1 clear and 3 early quitters. Definitely the best development I've ever had on shipped eggs!

My shipped bcm's were 6/9 viable, other 3 were unsure- they're really dark so I'll recheck again tomorrow.

My own BBS copper Marans eggs are also looking good 6/8 viable, 1 no, 1 maybe. These were older eggs that I had sitting out at room temp in a carton and didn't turn them or anything before setting (I wanted to see how they do not being fresh or turned in storage). So looks decent so far considering!

And I also have a broody!!!!

One of my 5 month old marans went broody Wednesday and is staying put. I haven't let her keep any eggs under her, but I think we will give her some eggs this weekend once we decide which coop to set her up in. I'm not comfortable leaving her where she is- I have 2 very large roosters in that breeder coop and I'm afraid the chicks could get injured. She's a low bird in the pecking order and very young too so I'd rather move her where she doesn't have so much to deal with to keep the babies safe her first time. I didn't know they could go broody so young! She just started laying a couple weeks ago!

 

[Blooie]

I had an EE that did that....Little Miss Agatha. She was a little older - 8 months - but she was irrevocably, hopelessly broody shortly after she started laying. She hatched out a lovely little chick, our Scout! Good luck with her and your incubator hatch!

I need to sit on my hands or something here. Miss Cindi will be here soon for Kendra's physical therapy and that will eat up an hour, but not knowing if there's anything going on inside those last 5 eggs in the hatcher is killing me!!! All were viable when they went in. I'm dying to see if there's even an internal pip yet. <sigh> Being good is so doggone hard!

 

[Laurel Meadows]

I had an EE that did that....Little Miss Agatha. She was a little older - 8 months - but she was irrevocably, hopelessly broody shortly after she started laying. She hatched out a lovely little chick, our Scout! Good luck with her and your incubator hatch! I need to sit on my hands or something here. Miss Cindi will be here soon for Kendra's physical therapy and that will eat up an hour, but not knowing if there's anything going on inside those last 5 eggs in the hatcher is killing me!!! All were viable when they went in. I'm dying to see if there's even an internal pip yet. Being good is so doggone hard!

Aw love the names Agatha and Scout

I hope your chicks will make their appearance soon it seems like there's always a couple chicks that are late to the party and keep me checking the incubator every 5 minutes

Our only other broody we had was my mixed big girl, Cookie. She was also 8 months old. She did great hatching Marans eggs last July but she weaned the babies at 2 1/2 weeks! I was concerned I might have to put them in a brooder but they stuck together in their own little group and looked after each other. We kept them all of course lol.