I Am An Idiot
- Thread starter ninjapoodles
- Start date
Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :
...I do that now, but for broodies, I take the one my hubby made. It is a light fixture mounted on wood, with a large metal coffee can mounted over it. He cut a hole the size of a half-dollar out of the bottom of the can, and covered all the rest of it with black fleece, leaving the hole open. When I plug it in, the light shines through the hole. I use the curly-Q light bulbs that don't give off a lot of heat. Then I take an egg and hold it up to the hole... right against it. The light will shine through, and it will look like this: ...
If I had a light like that, I think that I could candle, in spite of the fact that I've never been able to see anything in an egg before. I am saving your picture/description, and if I ever use my incubator again...
...I do that now, but for broodies, I take the one my hubby made. It is a light fixture mounted on wood, with a large metal coffee can mounted over it. He cut a hole the size of a half-dollar out of the bottom of the can, and covered all the rest of it with black fleece, leaving the hole open. When I plug it in, the light shines through the hole. I use the curly-Q light bulbs that don't give off a lot of heat. Then I take an egg and hold it up to the hole... right against it. The light will shine through, and it will look like this: ...
If I had a light like that, I think that I could candle, in spite of the fact that I've never been able to see anything in an egg before. I am saving your picture/description, and if I ever use my incubator again...
Thanks guys. Well, thank hubby for that... it was his design.
The coolest part was that I was able to hang it on the wall in the coop, so when I had broodies out there I could just plug it in and candle. I got tired of carrying the thing back and forth from the house... I'd usually forget it.
- Thread starter
- #64
Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :
Any sign of life, B?
Nope. I think I ruined the Ameraucana hatch.
I guess I'll give it through tomorrow before I start breaking eggs open to try and determine at what point it went wrong.
Now I just want to keep the Orpington hatch on the right track--now that I've seen inside those eggs, and seen the little chicks moving, I'd just feel awful if I killed them now.
And of course, I want the quail hatch to work out, too. I'm expecting that package tomorrow.
Any sign of life, B?
Nope. I think I ruined the Ameraucana hatch.
Now I just want to keep the Orpington hatch on the right track--now that I've seen inside those eggs, and seen the little chicks moving, I'd just feel awful if I killed them now.
And of course, I want the quail hatch to work out, too. I'm expecting that package tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #65
Well, after straining like crazy to hear any signs of life, I went ahead and opened the eggs on the cusp of Day 25.
All of them had at least *begun* to develop. So, nothing wrong with the eggs. Out of 10 eggs:
3 apparently died early on.
Most appeared to have made it at least halfway.
3 or 4 were far enough along that they were clearly recognizable and feathered.
And the only one who appeared to have made it to "full term?" You guess it--the one I prematurely opened on Day 21. That one looked just like a perfect little chick...only dead.
So now, not only am I sick about having messed up these perfectly fine babies that I got from a BYCer, I'm also worried sick about my Buff Orpington eggs that are going on Day 15, and are fine so far. How do I keep the same fate from befalling THEM? And the quail eggs from Tori?
If I can get through these two hatches, I am going to practice with my own fertile eggs from my own chickens before I try to hatch any more shipped eggs. I guess I should've done that in the first place, but I was trying to get a jump-start on next year.
All of them had at least *begun* to develop. So, nothing wrong with the eggs. Out of 10 eggs:
3 apparently died early on.
Most appeared to have made it at least halfway.
3 or 4 were far enough along that they were clearly recognizable and feathered.
And the only one who appeared to have made it to "full term?" You guess it--the one I prematurely opened on Day 21. That one looked just like a perfect little chick...only dead.
So now, not only am I sick about having messed up these perfectly fine babies that I got from a BYCer, I'm also worried sick about my Buff Orpington eggs that are going on Day 15, and are fine so far. How do I keep the same fate from befalling THEM? And the quail eggs from Tori?
If I can get through these two hatches, I am going to practice with my own fertile eggs from my own chickens before I try to hatch any more shipped eggs. I guess I should've done that in the first place, but I was trying to get a jump-start on next year.
Oh I'm so sorry to hear what happened with the green eggs.
My first hatch was really wacky and I lost a few fully developed chicks, as well. It really stinks to know they were almost there! But I'm glad you have another hatch coming up. That will make you feel great as these WILL hatch. I just know it!
I have some ready to hatch anyday in my Genesis. Today is Day 18 and they are all mixed babies from my home flock. Here's to both of us and successful little ones!
I have some ready to hatch anyday in my Genesis. Today is Day 18 and they are all mixed babies from my home flock. Here's to both of us and successful little ones!
OK... you have an LG still-air right? Do you have an extra thermometer?
I have coturnix eggs in my LG right now. I have the wireless remote sensor from my weather station in there, but if you can put another thermometer in there to check your Accurite, that will help. Don't stress it too much, but do try to keep the temps between 100 & 102. I manage to keep it about 101.5, and it seems to work really well, but anywhere in that range will be fine. Keep the two straight wells full of water through the first 14 days with one vent hole open, then the last couple of days fill the big well, too. If you can read the humidity and get it up without closing the last vent hole, then it will be better. And don't worry about opening the incubator during the first 14 days... it won't hurt them at all.
If I had to make an experienced guess (you don't want to know how many shipped eggs I've thrown away...
) I would say it was a combination of the shipping and the low temps. The ones that started to develop but didn't go past the first week were likely because of a disrupted airsac and/or yolk. When you opened them, were the yolks intact? Or was it just a runny yellow mess? If it was a mess, then that's what happened, and chances are they wouldn't have hatched. The one that was nearly formed... that may have been the low temps. The last one... well... chalk that up to a learning experience, grieve for the little guy, and move on... there are more chicks to be hatched by you.
Now, having said all that, I just set 22 shipped eggs that came from VA... the airsacs were small; good sign of freshness; but a couple were detatched. ie. the move around when candled, and don't stay stuck to the big end of the egg. A lot of people say those won't hatch, but I think they can. Those are best if you let them settle 4-6 hours, and keep them upright in a turner. You won't be able to tell with the coturnix eggs. Just let them settle, then put them in the incubator with a prayer and a Hail Mary and let them go. At 7 days candle them with the pen-light (a la Miss Prissy) and you will see a reddish glow to the ones that are developing, and any that are not will still be clear and light up quite well. Leave them until day 12-13, then candle again... the difference will be OBVIOUS.
Stop turning on day 14 - you can even leave them in the quail egg carton to hatch upright... works great.
You can do it... we're here for you.
I have coturnix eggs in my LG right now. I have the wireless remote sensor from my weather station in there, but if you can put another thermometer in there to check your Accurite, that will help. Don't stress it too much, but do try to keep the temps between 100 & 102. I manage to keep it about 101.5, and it seems to work really well, but anywhere in that range will be fine. Keep the two straight wells full of water through the first 14 days with one vent hole open, then the last couple of days fill the big well, too. If you can read the humidity and get it up without closing the last vent hole, then it will be better. And don't worry about opening the incubator during the first 14 days... it won't hurt them at all.
If I had to make an experienced guess (you don't want to know how many shipped eggs I've thrown away...
Now, having said all that, I just set 22 shipped eggs that came from VA... the airsacs were small; good sign of freshness; but a couple were detatched. ie. the move around when candled, and don't stay stuck to the big end of the egg. A lot of people say those won't hatch, but I think they can. Those are best if you let them settle 4-6 hours, and keep them upright in a turner. You won't be able to tell with the coturnix eggs. Just let them settle, then put them in the incubator with a prayer and a Hail Mary and let them go. At 7 days candle them with the pen-light (a la Miss Prissy) and you will see a reddish glow to the ones that are developing, and any that are not will still be clear and light up quite well. Leave them until day 12-13, then candle again... the difference will be OBVIOUS.
You can do it... we're here for you.
- Thread starter
- #69
Laurie--I'll be looking to you as my hatch-buddy (and I got your seeds today, THANKS)!
Tori--Yes, LG still air. And you're right, "yellow mess," not intact yolks.
I'm picking up some water wigglers at Party City tomorrow to add to the incubators. I've left the now-empty incubator running, so that it will have a stable temp for the quail eggs (they didn't arrive today, so I'm fully expecting them tomorrow, and will stop in the office on the way home from the hospital w/hubby).
I really had a hard time getting the humidity up in these incubators, even with all channels full, so I'm a little concerned about that.
Is it OK to candle the Orpington eggs one final time, on Day 15?
Tori--Yes, LG still air. And you're right, "yellow mess," not intact yolks.
I'm picking up some water wigglers at Party City tomorrow to add to the incubators. I've left the now-empty incubator running, so that it will have a stable temp for the quail eggs (they didn't arrive today, so I'm fully expecting them tomorrow, and will stop in the office on the way home from the hospital w/hubby).
I really had a hard time getting the humidity up in these incubators, even with all channels full, so I'm a little concerned about that.
Is it OK to candle the Orpington eggs one final time, on Day 15?
Quote:
I don't know how much you would be able to see, but I don't think it would hurt them.
I don't know how much you would be able to see, but I don't think it would hurt them.
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