I have a bone to pick with all you incubating ppl...

[U_Stormcrow]

Listen here you incubating men and women of this backyard chicken world....

Y'all didnt warn nobody about how addicting this mess is and how it CONSUMES your life!! This is my first time incubating eggs and I think Im worse then the a real mother hen...cant go 30 mins/hour without checking the humidity and temp on all my gadgets.....shining my candling flashlight thru the plastic of the incubator just to see the little 'chicken beans' do their shimmying and make sure veins are still there....when I'm not even home I'm still wondering if they're okay. WHAT IN FRESH HELL!?...

Why didn't I read any of this in a forum or book!? Or am I just bonkers??

You will grow out of it. Perfectly normal human anxiety, similar to your first child, your first day at a new job, first time behind the wheel, etc etc etc.

and you should have read warnings about chicken math, at least, here on BYC.

Good luck on your incubation!

 

[WallyG74]

Wow! I actually had a really cheap incubator that held 12 eggs and found it gave terrible results. Out of 12 eggs I would. Get 2 or 3 hatching. So I bought a brinsea 40 secondhand and thought this would fix my problem. However, I still am getting a 60% hatch rate at best. The first time I filled it with 48 eggs and only had 18 hatch which is only 40%. I think I might take it apart and have a look. So do I just feel with my hand or face how the fan blows?

Are you checking the eggs that don’t hatch to see if there was ever any development? I’ve had really bad hatches and it turned out to be infertile eggs.

 

[inquisitivebird]

Are you checking the eggs that don’t hatch to see if there was ever any development? I’ve had really bad hatches and it turned out to be infertile eggs.

Yes, I candle at one week and at 18 days when I lock down. The eggs that don't hatch are always alive at day 18 and then die in the next few days. My humidity is always around 65% at this point, as recommended by the instructions and other people I've talked to. Sometimes it's higher when chicks start hatching.

 

[Oisian]

Listen here you incubating men and women of this backyard chicken world....

Y'all didnt warn nobody about how addicting this mess is and how it CONSUMES your life!! This is my first time incubating eggs and I think Im worse then the a real mother hen...cant go 30 mins/hour without checking the humidity and temp on all my gadgets.....shining my candling flashlight thru the plastic of the incubator just to see the little 'chicken beans' do their shimmying and make sure veins are still there....when I'm not even home I'm still wondering if they're okay. WHAT IN FRESH HELL!?...

Why didn't I read any of this in a forum or book!? Or am I just bonkers??

That's why I now just leave it to the hens. Serama are 50/50 and I've cried enough tears in this life. I've had to steel myself to 4 chicks today, could be 1 tomorrow. I have a lovely unused incubator in the cupboard because I don't think I should be without one...LOL. Last batch I hatched were Spitzhauben, I was so happy with all of them, then a weasel took off all their heads through the wire fencing in the coop. My fave Serama Roo, Monty passed recently and he's got a little grave with a willow tree planted. [hold on.....bonkers....eeek...I might be...LOL] I have to preserve what's left of my sanity, by leaving the hens to do their thing.

 

[ChelliesSassySeramas]

Oh my, that's how I feel about my girls who are only 3 months old and in the coop. I am constantly checking on them and fussing over them. When they were in the brooder I was waking up during the night checking on them. Thanks for the warning. I will definitely NOT be incubating eggs now. Lol.

Yeah I've brooded many batches of chicks and incubating I feel is more stressful but watching the chicks develope and now the anticipation of seeing the babies, seeing the pips and hearing the cheeping in the eggs makes it all worth it....now I'm thinking about what to hatch next lmao!

 

[ChelliesSassySeramas]

Wait until they pip - oh my goodness… attached are photos from an assisted hatch. Betty from her egg (2 days late pipping, so I went in) and how she is today.
It’s absolutely attention and time consuming, but they are my world.
Good luck!

Thank you! They are pipping now and the hurry up and wait is absolutely killing meeee!

 

[ChelliesSassySeramas]

I have 3 incubators going from March to August. Hatch for a friend. Had about 12 batches from May till today. Mostly ducks and mix of chickens including silkies. Many of the duck batches were 100 percent hatch rate as long as the egg was fertile. Stressed over the first few batches and then learned just leaving them and checking humidity daily gave me the the best success. Have a Little giant that I added a fan to and it has been ultra successful, I manually turn in that one, and 2 Janoel 24 that are also ultra reliable. Those have auto turners. With the Janoel you have to reverse the fan so it blows up and around the top instead of blowing straight down on the eggs. Got those for uber cheap on Amazon on warehouse deals. Under 60 Canadian. Once the machine is set, candle a few times, check your humidity and leave them. Let nature do its thing and you will have excellent success. I have silkies popping out as I type this.

View attachment 3221860

Omg that duck is so feckin cute it almost kilt me when I looked upon it

 

[ChelliesSassySeramas]

You know, really I have NEVER seen one (chick nor adult) IRL?

They are the SOFTEST chicken ever....I prefer the texture of my frizzle cochin feathers to my silkies...plus my kids named her Karen cuz she looks like she's made out of "Karen hair" doesn't get better then that

 

[Liz Birdlover]

If you see the fan label it blows down on the eggs. Fans always blow in the direction of the labels. I am getting excellent hatches in the janoel and little giant. But I use a inkbird ith-12 thermometer. Its a Bluetooth and has an app for your phone . Do not trust the incubator temp. All mine run too hot as to what they display. Do not use the 4 dollar black digital rectangular ones they are unreliable. Have 3 and all read different.

Omg, I Love, Love, Love that precious, adorable Duckling! Would love to see a separate post of this sweetie, photos as he/she grows.
Have you thought of names for the baby yet? ( I know...I'm bird-nuts)

 

[Hip Hillbilly Acres]

Once you get that first big pile of cockerels, you’ll slow down. At least I did.

I believe that. Especially since we have one to gift them to so it would be either spend resources to get them to culling age or ...