Incubating and hatching eggs chat thread!!

[KaylorFarms]

I don't think you have to be in the dark. But it would be easier to see the egg

 

[Mountainbeauty]

What type of flash light and I read that the bigger the air pocket is the older the egg. Is that a good thing or bad thing? How old can an egg be and still hatch?

 

[KaylorFarms]

Do you mean how old can an egg be to start incubating? Or to already hatch? You can use any light. I have.

 

[Mountainbeauty]

Yes to start 2 weeks a month refrigerated. can they hatch if they have been washed? I heard that you can wash them then rub a drop of cookin oil into them. Now i dont know if they is only to preserve them to eat or for incubation as well. could you clarify?

 

[KaylorFarms]

Yes! You can hatch them if they have been refrigerated for a month. Cleaning them with oil won't hurt them

 

[Mountainbeauty]

But no water right? water can hurt them????

 

[Mountainbeauty]

I had heard that if you put an egg in the refrigerator it killed the embryo

 

[Farmgal101]

My chickens hatched there own eggs.Maybe you will get a broody chicken out of your bunch. I've never gotten eggs off a website and i have not incubated eggs before.

 

[Farmgal101]

My chickens hatched there own eggs.I have not bought eggs offline.Maybe you will get a broody chicken that hatches there own eggs.

 

[ChcknNurse]

If you shine a light through an egg,you will see an air pocket at the large end of the egg. The egg shell is porous. As time passes the moisture in the egg will evaporate. This is a good way to check how fresh eggs are. The bigger the aircell the older the egg

That is the start... the importance of the air cell is the first breaths for the chick, after they internally pip (into it, is the plan). It needs to have enough space for them to survive until they are ready to externally pip.

This is how many of us measure humidity during incubation. We circle the air cell before setting them. Then, at day 7, Depending on that growth, we make a decision on humidity. If the growth seems perfect, continue at the same percentage (I usually start at 30%). If the growth is too little, now is the time to decrease the humidity. The same for large air cells for age-- increase humidity.

Forgot to add: candle and circle at 15 & 18 before lockdown.

I still weigh eggs, but, anymore, for me, it can lead to making risks that aren't necessary. Now I go with general air cell.