Incubating 1 Egg! Hatch Along With Me! Need A Hatching Buddy!

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Mrs. Fluffy Puffy, one my favorite bantam hens layed an egg for the first time in about 6 months this morning! I was already saving up button eggs to incubate, but it'll be Thursday until I have 6. So I went ahead and put the 1 chicken egg in the incubator. I would have stuck more in there, but my mom put her foot down! So I need a hatching buddy! Mrs. Fluffy's egg is due to hatch: 8/22/2010 - Sunday, August, 22.

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

Can I be your hatching buddy? I put 12 Marans eggs in yesterday. I could use some moral support.....

 

[shellz131]

just put in two yesterday

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Sure Both of you can be my hatching buddies!

My temp is at 100 - 101. I dunno about the hum? I just have a pan of water in there. I have a question for you. My home-made incubator doesn't have a window where I can see in. That was kind of a problem the last time I hatched out eggs because I didn't know if they were hatching or not so I had to open the door to see. This time I'm not going to do that. Somebody gave us a Food Dehydrator and I was wondering if I could use that as my "Hatcher?" It has a fan ( just like my incubator ) and it has heat ( of course ) we got it to 100 - 101 so I was wondering if I could use that or not?

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

My incubator has a tray under the wire the eggs sit on for the water, I don't think there is any difference, as long as the chick cant accidentally fall into it when it hatches.

I don't know about the dehydrator? If it is designed to dehydrate food that may make it less than ideal for maintaining the proper humidity......
Set it up like an incubator and try it (minus the egg, of course!) measure the temps and humidity for a few days and see what happens? I just read an old post where people were using electric frying pans and toaster ovens as incubators....

I didnt measure humidity with my last hatch, and it turned out fine, but I am going to pick up a hygrometer (sp) tomorrow. I am a nervous wreck this time! My bator is fluctuating from 95-103. I got an indoor/outdoor thermometer and put the probe in there on top of a little condiment cup so it sits just at the level with the middle of the eggs. And I put three mason jars of water in there per someones suggestion on here to help regulate the spikes. I have it pretty steady between 98-100 right now.....

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
Thats what I have too! I have 3 egg trays each one hold around 70 - 80 eggs but I only use one then I put the pan of water under the tray. Works good! We put my incubator thermometer in there and it read the same as the incubator. As far as I know it's just like a incubator.

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

I'll tell you what I am about to make my own and ditch this one, I think there is something wrong! I am going to cruise the homemade incubators section. I wish I had a toaster oven, electric frying pan or your food dehydrator. I think I would do better if I sat on them myself.....

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
You need to get a dehydrator! They have everything you need! All you'd need is a pan of water the for the humitity!

 

[VioletBlueIvy]

My inlaws have a big one there not using......I'm not that adventurous yet... I cant even get something that IS designed to hatch eggs to work right! Actually, through much searching and reading and emailing the company I have ruled out any malfunction, and through careful monitoring I have decided it is not due to fluctuation in room temp. either. I think maybe someone turned the screw by accident so it was too far out of wack. I let it run for 24 hours before I put my eggs in so I dont know why It didn't run hot with no eggs in it, wouldve been nice to know before I had eggs in there. I think I have it down enough now though, the last time it spiked it was only to 102....I have turned it down yet again, maybe this will be it.
Have you candled yet? I tried to, but all I could tell was that they are fertile, I dont have a bright enough light to get through even the lighter Marans shells. I'll have to see if I cn find something stronger. My husband has a few nice flashlights stashed in his truck and around that he hides from the kids.... maybe I can find one of those and try it.
What are you expecting your chick to look like?
I have two silkies a pullet and a cockerel I think. They are blue, and the cockerel has leakage in his neck and head feathers so he looks like he was frosted. It is actually very pretty.

 

[Mrs. Fluffy Puffy]

Quote:
So neate!

No - I haven't candled yet I may do that here in a minute. The eggs is a white bantam egg so it should be easy to candle! Well Mrs. Fluffy Puffy is a White Silkie X Sultan Bantam and she is in a pen with all different kinds of roosters so it should be cool to see what they turn out to be!!!
ETA: I set 6 button eggs in the bator today!