Incubating against the odds...

[SavKel&RynKel]

When it comes to canceling, I candle to check if fertile, then they go into the incubator. I don't candle until the few days, usually when I move them from the egg turner incubator to the plastic incubator (it's easier to clean than the styrofoam) for hatching. It is at this time I will check each egg (soon to hatch) to see if they have developed or not. So until I'm expecting them to hatch in the next three days, I don't know what their state of development is or even if they are developing. Also once a week I open the incubator to add more water to the system. Other than that I just let them stay in to develop.

Wow, for our first set, we candled ~4 times. Second set we had a few infertile, so maybe 6 candlings? (Our only craigslist eggs) and this time it'll be daily. I think this will be our last for a bit as we have plenty of chickens, but next time i think I'd candle around day 7 and 18, but there's no way i could get away with weekly waterings. I'd have to tuck a bowl into the incubator or something. Loose water keeps it pretty steady around 60 percent. If i do an ounce a day i can do 40-50 pretty repeatedly.
I really like the second incubator though. I like our autoturner for obvious reasons, but I'd prefer to give them a larger area for hatching, especially cause the walls get extremely steamy and it can get hard to see if they all finished or not.

 

[ForrestGump]

As for handling, it was mentioned before that hand carry oils and other contaminants that can kill the chick. The candling process can cause the egg to heat up too much. I don't think my light puts out that much heat, but some of them do. Picking up the eggs can cause damage due to sudden movements. Hens gently roll them, which is a smooth action for the egg. I have often wondered how a dirty wet hen can keep her eggs "clean" but our hands have bacteria that can kill them. LOL Someone how evolution has made it work.

And then there is the time I dropped an egg and broke it as I was putting it back in the incubator after candling it. Oops.

I guess if you want to make videos and do more candling, maybe pick a different egg to do each time so you are not handling them every day. That might make it a little easier on the eggs.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

That single candling acfually might be a lot better. The difference between them all is minimal, so just looking at one would do well.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

An update: We have had to stop candling because the camera can no longer see through the egg. We did switch 2 days ago to the one egg at a time method that was suggested. We definitely didn't expect this, as we've been able to see through darker eggs in previous batches. But in light of that news, the eggs are so far so good still. We had one egg that started out with a crack you cant see with the naked eye. We weren't sure if it would grow or not and it has showed zero signs of growth so we will be pitching that one. I am sure the crack had something to do with it because the other 7 eggs by the same hen are fertile and progressing.

WOAHHHH WE'RE HALF WAY THERE!!!!! WOAHHHH LIVING ON A PRAYER!!!!!

 

[ScottKelly1974]

Do the smaller chicks mostly become smaller hens who also lay smaller eggs? Or do they eventually catch up to their larger "counterparts"? (Cousins?)

I don't know if the smaller chicks become smaller hens. I've been selling the chicks. What I have noticed is when the smaller chicks get food, they tend to grow up to match the size of the other chicks. At this point I can't tell who was a small chick. In the beginning I did have them in a cage with a single feeder. But I noticed the bigger ones pushed away the smaller ones. So I have been using a long feeder with feeding ports in the top. This has allowed everyone to get food at the same time. When your chicks hatch, you will notice that when one chick finds something to eat, the other want to come in and get a piece of it too.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

I don't know if the smaller chicks become smaller hens. I've been selling the chicks. What I have noticed is when the smaller chicks get food, they tend to grow up to match the size of the other chicks. At this point I can't tell who was a small chick. In the beginning I did have them in a cage with a single feeder. But I noticed the bigger ones pushed away the smaller ones. So I have been using a long feeder with feeding ports in the top. This has allowed everyone to get food at the same time. When your chicks hatch, you will notice that when one chick finds something to eat, the other want to come in and get a piece of it too.

I've noticed that with our second batch! We purchased a feed store leghorn and she finds the best yard treats, then takes off with the other young ones behind her.

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Tonight is day 11! We removed the oldest egg as it never started growing, and checked the others to verify all is well. The air sacs are starting to get that gradual slope to them and the dark masses inside were getting quite large. Still only halfway there but so far so good!

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Day 15! All we gotta do is make it through the work week... Hopefully they stay in until after work Friday!
Had a candling discussion on another thread, so here's two pictures, #2 and brown7

And the eight contenders:

Still hate seeing that open spot, but hey. Part of incubating is definitely luck. And eight progressing this far feels pretty lucky to me!

 

[SavKel&RynKel]

Alright ladies and gentlemen, it's that time! Day 18 has just begun (17 for those of you that include a day zero)
Here's the final eight! All checked and all looking promising!

 

[aart]

Here's the final eight! All checked and all looking promising!

How come you didn't trace your air cells?