I caved...all were dead :(

[phoebeq]

I went ahead and took my last 4 eggs out tonight, day 24. I broke them open. Two of them looked like they had died during lockdown, as they had about an almond sized yolk still left. Another looks like it died in week one and the 4th one looked like maybe week 2. I am going to start my next batch tonight or tomorrow. I am putting in 2 dozen from my own flock of Cochins. Hopefully this batch will go better. I think I am going to try dry incubation this time. I live in Colorado and it is pretty dry here. Is that going to effect my success with dry incubation?

 

[lotzahenz]

Hi,

I am sorry your hatch went bad, I have had both bad and good over the years. You get better at it and I think just ignoring the whole thing works best for me. I love it when I go down and the bator is chirping and is full of fuzzy butts I forgot about for a while. If I over-nurture the darn thing, it never does as well. I am back and forth on the dry incubation. I do this: My Genesis is cleaned, set up and add quite a bit of water, turn her on and add eggs to the auto turner. I forget about her in my basement and am there often enough to remember to lay a hand on her to see if she is still warm. I'd love a loud screamer to go off if she gets unplugged, but don't have one. I mark my calander for day 18, open her up, candle eggs and add some warm water to the resivoir, plug her up with the red cap, remove the turner then close the lid and leave a sign on there that says DO NOT OPEN, mostly for me to remember. My hatches are pretty good, about 90% but the Black Copper Marans I am hatching have the thickest shells and membranes they get stuck often. I would love to have a "real" incubator someday but for my purposes the Genesis works okay enough. I have about a 95% hatch rate for other than Marans eggs.

I wish the best of luck on your next batch of eggs. Keep at it and you'll get a feel for it.

HenZ

 

[phoebeq]

Thanks

I wish I could just forget about them for the first 18 days...but I don't have an auto turner

I have to do it by hand. This was my first batch ever, so I can't really ask the hubby for anything special for hatching until I have proved that I can actually do it, lol. Funny part is, I will only be home for 1.5 to 2 weeks for this batch. Hubby has to turn them for the last bit and get them ready for lockdown

I am going to have to set an alarm 3 times a day on his phone to remind him, lol. I bet he will let me get an auto turner afterall, now that I think about it

If it keeps him from having to turn them 3 times a day, he might go for it, lol

 

[coloradochick]

Phoebe!! Are you down south by Durango?

Better luck on your next hatch and yes hopefully your hubby will get the hint on the turner

 

[phoebeq]

Quote:
Thanks! I am actually South of the Royal Gorge...so a good bit east of Durango

 

[coloradochick]

Geez, it's been 20 something years since I was at the Gorge. Very pretty down there

 

[phoebeq]

Yes it is very pretty down here

I love it! I moved here a year ago from South Louisiana, so it is waaaaay different, weather wise. That is the main reason I wanted to move here, lol

 

[coloradochick]

That's funny, we would love to move to Louisiana or therebouts. I was born/raised here and I need a change. Just waiting for my older daughter to graduate in 2011 then maybe we can do something. My DH got a job offer in Mobile, AL but it's the wrong time.