Hands on hatching and help

[jenniferlamar70]

My very first post on BYC was once my shipped eggs arrived (first time incubating) I could not find the air cell. I knew what air cells were but I just couldn't see anything! Practice candling and finding the aircell on any eggs you have in the fridge. When you shine the light into the egg you want to shine it right into the fat end. It's going to be important for you to see how much damage they have. And like Amy said, I prefer hand turning and didn't even use my auto-turner last hatch. I do put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the other. Then I just turn each egg from one side to the other. But that's local eggs. Shipped eggs go in cut out cartons and get tilted from one side to the other at a 45 degree angle. I do not recommend laying shipped eggs flat in early incubation. I'll post a pic...

Good luck! I have someone coming today to buy chicks from NJ and she was just telling me she got a trio of AC's...I always think of you!
I will try that. But the shell is pretty transparent and I see nothing in there. Have a feeling I will be cracking it open soon.
can't wait for this serama hatch!! I'll let you know about the egg when I open it. Nothing going on so far in there. I set them Sunday and 1 is pretty advanced. I took a pic this morning. Most look like the second one.

Thank you so much. That pic helped loads. How long before I should lay them down? Also I'm getting different directions on temp from everywhere. Where should I keep it at? What should it be at during hatch? Thank you for your help!!!!

 

[LadyCluck77]

I'm attempting to hatch from very rare expensive shipped eggs- and I think I may have second-guessed myself and messed things up bad!

They went into lockdown Monday evening. This morning, one chick had hatched and another pipped, but the humidity was really dropping, it was below 50%. So before leaving for work, I quickly opened up the incubator and tucked a dampened washcloth into a corner. Now I'm reading about sticky-chicks being caused from too high humidity and I'm worried! Did I just kill the rest of the eggs in there??
I get home at three.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

My very first post on BYC was once my shipped eggs arrived (first time incubating) I could not find the air cell. I knew what air cells were but I just couldn't see anything! Practice candling and finding the aircell on any eggs you have in the fridge. When you shine the light into the egg you want to shine it right into the fat end. It's going to be important for you to see how much damage they have. And like Amy said, I prefer hand turning and didn't even use my auto-turner last hatch. I do put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the other. Then I just turn each egg from one side to the other. But that's local eggs. Shipped eggs go in cut out cartons and get tilted from one side to the other at a 45 degree angle. I do not recommend laying shipped eggs flat in early incubation. I'll post a pic...


Good luck! I have someone coming today to buy chicks from NJ and she was just telling me she got a trio of AC's...I always think of you!
I will try that. But the shell is pretty transparent and I see nothing in there. Have a feeling I will be cracking it open soon.

can't wait for this serama hatch!! I'll let you know about the egg when I open it. Nothing going on so far in there. I set them Sunday and 1 is pretty advanced. I took a pic this morning. Most look like the second one.

If and when you crack it open let us know what you find!!

well incubator is locked down, there's some no matter how hard I tried couldn't see into them, pulled 5 more eggs that I could finally see that 4 clear and one that had blood ring, when I opened it must have happened first few days. The Amerecuana that looks like might be twins made it to lock down

Good luck!!!

Thank you so much. That pic helped loads. How long before I should lay them down? Also I'm getting different directions on temp from everywhere. Where should I keep it at? What should it be at during hatch? Thank you for your help!!!!

Forced air (incubators with fans) should be 99.5F Still air (incubators w/o fans) should be 101-102F with the temps being taken near the tops of the eggs.

I'm attempting to hatch from very rare expensive shipped eggs- and I think I may have second-guessed myself and messed things up bad!

They went into lockdown Monday evening. This morning, one chick had hatched and another pipped, but the humidity was really dropping, it was below 50%. So before leaving for work, I quickly opened up the incubator and tucked a dampened washcloth into a corner. Now I'm reading about sticky-chicks being caused from too high humidity and I'm worried! Did I just kill the rest of the eggs in there??
I get home at three.

You want it at least 65%, so yes, you did the right thing. I run my humidity 75%+ at hatch time time. I think what you are reading about sticky chicks and high humidity is the humidity being high the first 17 days. That can cause a very wet sticky chick at hatch time if they hatch w/o drowning. Now higher humidity will mean that chicks don't fluff as quickly in the bator. I pull mine and put mine in the brooder or they'd take forever to fully fluff because I run high at hatch. If you have condensation in the bator, then your humidity is too high. If there's no condensation and it's at least 65% I wouldn't worry about it unless the chicks are having trouble hatching after pip or during zip.

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm attempting to hatch from very rare expensive shipped eggs- and I think I may have second-guessed myself and messed things up bad!

They went into lockdown Monday evening. This morning, one chick had hatched and another pipped, but the humidity was really dropping, it was below 50%. So before leaving for work, I quickly opened up the incubator and tucked a dampened washcloth into a corner. Now I'm reading about sticky-chicks being caused from too high humidity and I'm worried! Did I just kill the rest of the eggs in there??
I get home at three.

x2 what Amy said!

Let us know how it goes!

 

[LadyCluck77]

Thank you everyone- I'm nervous as you can tell just one more question; if I get home and there IS condensation on the glass of the incubator- should I open the incubator again and pull out the damp cloth?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thank you everyone- I'm nervous as you can tell just one more question; if I get home and there IS condensation on the glass of the incubator- should I open the incubator again and pull out the damp cloth?

I would, but unless you are using a mini model incubator, I highly doubt you have to worry about it.

In my styro I fill my water wells and add a small bowl under the screen, and then I add two-three wet sponges at egg level to get my humidity at 70-75% and then once they start hatching it'll rise up 80% or more and I still don't get condensation, usually.

 

[Kittcat]

The easiest way I can explain air cells and humidity is right here: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity
I actually prefer to hand turn and stopped using my turner. Many people put an "x" on one side and an "o" on the other. At time to turn they roll or turn the egg to the opposite side. Preferably 3xs a day or more.

Why do you hand turn them? Does it help the eggs somehow? I'm new to this!

 

[BantyChooks]

Day 15 now- 12\25 left. Fingers crossed!!

-Banti

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Why do you hand turn them? Does it help the eggs somehow? I'm new to this!

I have a styro bator and I don't like the amount of heat that the turners for them give off. They cause one corner of my bator to run significantly hotter and if I have a full turner there's no way to avoid that corner. My eggs in that corner where the motor was showed advanced development then quit. I took out the turner and started hand turning and found that my hatch rate started increasing and the next hatch I had 100%. I turn 3xs a day, 5 if I can get an extra couple in. I think it's more natural than upright. The Hovabtor has a new turner I believe they call it an incuturn that actually rolls the eggs in their natural laying down position versus the upright tilt. It's a personal preference, but I do think it's easier on them and improes hatch rate, but that's my personal opinion. Plus I am a meddler and like fussin' lol

Day 15 now- 12\25 left. Fingers crossed!!

-Banti

Good luck!

 

[Pyxis]

Well that's funny, lol. An article I wrote is on the home page carousel. As they usually do, they didn't use a picture from the article. But, this time they used a picture of one of my roosters that's not in the article. Never had that happen before! Some of his chicks are cooking in my incubator right now