I'm incubating for the first time!

[tammyd57]

I'm incubating for the first time right now too.
After 40 years of letting my hens do all the work, I caught the "build my own bator and start hatching myself" bug from this site!
We're on day 18, going into lockdown tonight with 10 eggs from my 3 BO & 1 mixed hen. This is a trial run for my homemade bator. If it works out well, I want to buy some eggs for breeds that are not available around here. I would love to have some good quality Barnvelders & Welsumers.

Good luck on everyone's hatches!!!

 

[chickencrazymom]

Quote:
I Am , I started 4/13 !! Can't wait for them to hatch !!! I set 2 dozen Americana and 17 other assorted eggs that the man that I got them from had gathered. Can't wait to see all the fuzzies running around !

 

[wooklet]

Yeah! I candled - they are! It's all go now and we should hatch in 8 days! I think that the first one must be the most EGGSCITING (sorry about that!)! Is lockdown day 18 or 19? How is everyone else going?

:

 

[mrbstephens]

Hi everyone! I'm new at incubating too! My EE passed away suddenly and left us a couple of her fertile eggs behind. I've build an incubator and will be finishing it tomorrow. Hopefully will be setting her eggs tomorrow evening!

 

[tammyd57]

Some of my chicks have hatched early! I locked down at the end of day 18 and by the end of day 19 I had one hatched and one pipped!
So far 4 have hatched and no more pips yet. I'm thinking with the early hatch that my temps must have been high and no more are going to be hatching. But I got 4 very cute fuzzies out of my first try, so I count it as a success and I'm saving eggs to start again.

 

[baustin]

I just put my first dozen eggs in an incubator today that my hubby built like he did when he taught school. He taught science when back in KS and they would take a box and put in everything needed and then hatch eggs. The class got to take home the "bitties" with a note from parents. ^ of the eggs are from my chickens (high production Reds) and the other half are from a friend and she doesn't know what hers are but they lay lovely large dark brown eggs. I'm going to be anxious like the rest of you until it's all over. Will let everyone know how things are going. Will keep in touch to see how everyone else is doing. Good luck everyone!

 

[wooklet]

Quote:
Awww! How cute Frizzle chicks

- congratulations!

 

[mrbstephens]

I'm hoping to get this thing going tonight. Just making an egg turner and working on stabilizing the temp. Fighting the urge to add more eggs than planned!!!

 

[featherbaby]

I'm on day 10 in my first time incubating. I tried to candle them but can't see anything definitive. I think I need a brighter light. The suspense is killing me. I just want to know if there's anybody in there....

The humidity is staying at 35 to 40%. Is that sufficient for this time? I have them in a clear plastic egg carton in which they fit loosely enough I can turn them easily. Is it essential they be in a paper carton? When it's time to hatch do I take them out of the carton and lay them on their sides on the screen?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
Humidity is perfect. I prefer paper cartons, but plastic should be fine. I would cut a hole in the bottom of a plastic carton so there is airflow from the bottom.

You can hatch in a carton, which I prefer. It seems the chicks have an easier time of hatching out, and it makes clean up easier. I hatch in a paper carton with the sides trimmed down and a hole poked in the bottom.

Good Luck!