Hi guys, I'm hoping to get some advice/reassurance here.. I have searched and am not finding exactly what I'm looking for. I am incubating 8 (domestic) Mallard eggs (from a stash of TWENTY-TWO I found that Mama had been hoarding, lol).. decided to try my hand at an incubator. I'm using the LG still-air bator.
SO. Three questions. The first one is the biggest, the last two I came up with while trying to research the first one on here, ha:
1) I pretty much know the answer here, but asking anyway. One egg has not formed like the others. It is far smaller- is not filling but maybe half his space in there.. the rest of the egg is yellow, but there are still red veins. Problem is, there's also LOTS of movement, just as much as the others. So go ahead and tell me to chunk it.. I just need to hear it. It's just sad that I can see it moving. But I'll live.
2) Um, I'm just now seeing (on an article here) that I was supposed to be keeping my bator at a higher temp due to it being still air!? I've researched tirelessly and this is the first time I've seen this. I've been at a steady 99.5 (at screen level) and obviously everything has formed okay enough, but have I messed up? I know the temp is higher at the top of the eggs but I've only measured at floor level.
3) I'm also just now reading to stop turning at day 18? I've read in lots of places to just stop 3 days before expected hatch. So should I stop now?
Thanks so much!! I'm getting pretty pessimistic about everything the closer I get to D-Day. Last year when I hatched I only had to get them through the final week (nest was trashed by something so I saved three eggs) and did so on a heating pad.. LOL. This has been a world of difference!
SO. Three questions. The first one is the biggest, the last two I came up with while trying to research the first one on here, ha:
1) I pretty much know the answer here, but asking anyway. One egg has not formed like the others. It is far smaller- is not filling but maybe half his space in there.. the rest of the egg is yellow, but there are still red veins. Problem is, there's also LOTS of movement, just as much as the others. So go ahead and tell me to chunk it.. I just need to hear it. It's just sad that I can see it moving. But I'll live.
2) Um, I'm just now seeing (on an article here) that I was supposed to be keeping my bator at a higher temp due to it being still air!? I've researched tirelessly and this is the first time I've seen this. I've been at a steady 99.5 (at screen level) and obviously everything has formed okay enough, but have I messed up? I know the temp is higher at the top of the eggs but I've only measured at floor level.
3) I'm also just now reading to stop turning at day 18? I've read in lots of places to just stop 3 days before expected hatch. So should I stop now?
Thanks so much!! I'm getting pretty pessimistic about everything the closer I get to D-Day. Last year when I hatched I only had to get them through the final week (nest was trashed by something so I saved three eggs) and did so on a heating pad.. LOL. This has been a world of difference!
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