Well this is actually my second try at incubating. First try last yr, well I set 12, ( five bantam-Cochin, 7 sex-link) ended up with 7 Chic's, they did really well up to 3 1/2 months & a fox got all my chicken babies & hens. Oh I was so Mad! Well... fox is gone 
I just read the papers that came with the incubator & followed the directions. I have a Little giant foam incubator. I got it used at at yard sale, with the yellow auto turners an all. So, I am a bit of a klutz, so I didn't even try candling them. on day 18, I took the eggs turners out & laid the eggs on the bottom, I have no clue if that was right or wrong. So.. 7 hatched, I left them in the incubator til they were dry then moved them to brooder box. I'm now realizing ( & read) that was wrong, leave then in the incubator at least a day. I guess I felt sorry for them, thinking they spent all that time getting out, that they wanted something to drink & eat...LOL
All I had was the thermometer that was attached (when I first tried it out I had a new thermometer to make sure the one on the unit worked) it did after a day or two, then I put the eggs in. I put water in every couple days when the well got low ( made sure it was a little warm, like a baby bottle) never monitored the humidity, just opened the holes & added extra water at the end. So, I', guessing i was lucky to get 7.
Well here I am... 5 Cochin & 7 sex-link again....on day 21.
3 have pecked, cracked, pipped, ( not sure exactly what you call it, I can hear chirping every now & then for a few seconds.
Ugh...and I've got to work 14 hr shift the next 3 days Ugh! You should hear my 7 yr old daughter, cheering them on...."Give it one more big peck chicky"
I just read the papers that came with the incubator & followed the directions. I have a Little giant foam incubator. I got it used at at yard sale, with the yellow auto turners an all. So, I am a bit of a klutz, so I didn't even try candling them. on day 18, I took the eggs turners out & laid the eggs on the bottom, I have no clue if that was right or wrong. So.. 7 hatched, I left them in the incubator til they were dry then moved them to brooder box. I'm now realizing ( & read) that was wrong, leave then in the incubator at least a day. I guess I felt sorry for them, thinking they spent all that time getting out, that they wanted something to drink & eat...LOL
All I had was the thermometer that was attached (when I first tried it out I had a new thermometer to make sure the one on the unit worked) it did after a day or two, then I put the eggs in. I put water in every couple days when the well got low ( made sure it was a little warm, like a baby bottle) never monitored the humidity, just opened the holes & added extra water at the end. So, I', guessing i was lucky to get 7.
Well here I am... 5 Cochin & 7 sex-link again....on day 21.
3 have pecked, cracked, pipped, ( not sure exactly what you call it, I can hear chirping every now & then for a few seconds.
Ugh...and I've got to work 14 hr shift the next 3 days Ugh! You should hear my 7 yr old daughter, cheering them on...."Give it one more big peck chicky"
