Hands on hatching and help

[AmyLynn2374]

@AmyLynn2374, the peahens are laying!

Woohoo!!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

I just went to look, but very unlike me, I didn't record this last set of lavenders I hatched last week. I know a couple of the eggs were pushing a month old. But I had room, so I put them in anyway. All the eggs developed, but i think one quit early, and a couple didn't hatch. Can't tell ya if it was the older ones that didn't hatch or not though. :/

I'd say set when you want to set, however many you have at the time! I'm alot of help, huh?

I think I'll start collecting now so I can be ready to set in a few weeks lol.

I don't think I've ever set eggs older than 2 weeks.

What Pyxis and WV said.
My silkies aren't giving me more than an egg or two a day and my fertility is low.
Bumfuzzled?

.

Thanks. It probably won't be longer then a few weeks. I have a broody setting right now and I don't want to use my incubator till after her hatch in case of an emergency. I wasn't going to let her sit but she was stubborn and kept stealing the other hens eggs lol

 

[rochesjourney]

Sorry for the dismal hatch, but it's a learning process.
If you are worried about the investment, I'd make a smaller investment into new thermometer and hygrometers, and test them for accuracy. Most of those units can do fine, but the meters are almost never right. Try again with better meters and you might be surprised!

Thank you for your profound words of wisdom! I'm just starting up again after a 7 year hiatus. I thought this time around I would do it the "easy" way, auto turner, all digital monitoring, forced air. PFFFT! I used to have 90%+ hatches from my old little giant that had no digital monitoring system and an incubator I made from an old ice chest! I used an old fashioned bulb thermometer to monitor temps and when the windows of my little giant got foggy in the corners I knew I had enough humidity. I hand turned my eggs 3-4 times a day. I'm going to save myself a lot of money and get some more thermometers/hygrometers and stand myself back up. I bought some digital backups. That is how I found out about the low temp problem. So, with that all said, is there any certain brand or type of thermometer/hygrometers that everyone is using? Any that are total junk so I know not to buy those? LOL

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you for your profound words of wisdom!  I'm just starting up again after a 7 year hiatus.  I thought this time around I would do it the "easy" way, auto turner, all digital monitoring, forced air.   PFFFT!   I used to have 90%+ hatches from my old little giant that had no digital monitoring system and an incubator I made from an old ice chest!  I used an old fashioned bulb thermometer to monitor temps and when the windows of my little giant got foggy in the corners I knew I had enough humidity.  I hand turned my eggs 3-4 times a day.  I'm going to save myself a lot of money and get some more thermometers/hygrometers and stand myself back up.   I bought some digital backups.  That is how I found out about the low temp problem.   So, with that all said, is there any certain brand or type of thermometer/hygrometers that everyone is using?    Any that are total junk so I know not to buy those?  LOL

I think most people like the ones from the pet stores in the reptile section. They are usually very accurate. They have combo sets too.

I have several, my most trusted is a cheap Accurite, and it usually agrees with a cheap Springfield Precision. If one is different, I recheck them both. The Accurite only reads whole degrees though, and I don't like that :/ I also have a Brinsea Spot Check, but it can be hard to position just right, and will read wrong if its not just so-so. Can't touch and egg, very height sensitive, blah, blah lol.

Google ways to test them. Different ones use different methods, depending on probe, submersible, etc....

 

[WVduckchick]

"Profound words of wisdom" from WV.

 

[rochesjourney]

"Profound words of wisdom" from WV.

I think you've "cracked" yourself up and me too!

 

[WVduckchick]

I think you've "cracked" yourself up and me too!    

I'm out of ovates, as usual.

 

[rochesjourney]

I think most people like the ones from the pet stores in the reptile section. They are usually very accurate. They have combo sets too.

I have several, my most trusted is a cheap Accurite, and it usually agrees with a cheap Springfield Precision. If one is different, I recheck them both. The Accurite only reads whole degrees though, and I don't like that

I also have a Brinsea Spot Check, but it can be hard to position just right, and will read wrong if its not just so-so. Can't touch and egg, very height sensitive, blah, blah lol.

Google ways to test them. Different ones use different methods, depending on probe, submersible, etc....

I've already checked the temps against bulb thermometer checked with a medical thermometer and am salt testing the hygrometers now.

 

[casportpony]

Quote:

 

[rochesjourney]

This was probably the most unusual, crazy, unhappy day I've ever had and I'm pretty sure there will never be another one like it. I had 1 hatch from my failed hatching group. It was screaming like a banshee so I went to the feed store and got it 6 companions. When I got up this morning, 2 of the 6 were dead.

I took care of the rest of my failed hatch and cleaned out the bator. I went and got chinese for dinner and my fortone cookie DID NOT have a fortune in it.

Nope, don't think I will ever be able to repeat this day.