Incubating eggs -Help!!

[WVChickNboots]

I am incubating chicken eggs for the first time. I just candled all the eggs in my incubator for the first fertility check (4 days). All appear to be fertile, but one egg is solid all the way through. The candling guide just stated if an egg is clear all the way through, it's not fertile. I purchased the eggs in my incubator from a local farmer. Is it possible this one egg was sit on by the laying hen prior to purchasing and is close to hatching? Or is it just a bad egg and I need to pull it? I hate to pull it if it could hatch, but I also don't want to leave it in the incubator and risk it exploding, contaminating the incubator if it's bad. What should I do with it? There's no peeping coming from it or any cracks in the shell. Thanks in advance.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I am incubating chicken eggs for the first time. I just candled all the eggs in my incubator for the first fertility check (4 days). All appear to be fertile, but one egg is solid all the way through. The candling guide just stated if an egg is clear all the way through, it's not fertile. I purchased the eggs in my incubator from a local farmer. Is it possible this one egg was sit on by the laying hen prior to purchasing and is close to hatching? Or is it just a bad egg and I need to pull it? I hate to pull it if it could hatch, but I also don't want to leave it in the incubator and risk it exploding, contaminating the incubator if it's bad. What should I do with it? There's no peeping coming from it or any cracks in the shell. Thanks in advance.

What color egg is it? Did you not candle them before putting them in the incubator, (I'm assuming.)

 

[WVChickNboots]

Well, I feel silly. I took the egg in a darker room and used a stronger light. It appears to be fine, looks like the others. It's a blue egg from an Americauna chicken. Got all worked up over nothing. Lol. The incubator is a still air, and the directions recommend candling again on day 14. Someone told me day 19. I plan to follow the directions from the incubator, but what am I looking for when determining whether I toss any eggs out at the 2nd candling?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Well, I feel silly. I took the egg in a darker room and used a stronger light. It appears to be fine, looks like the others. It's a blue egg from an Americauna chicken. Got all worked up over nothing. Lol. The incubator is a still air, and the directions recommend candling again on day 14. Someone told me day 19. I plan to follow the directions from the incubator, but what am I looking for when determining whether I toss any eggs out at the 2nd candling?

Those blue/greens and the real dark browns can be a bugger to see into. I've had a couple I couldn't see squat and just had to wait until the end to see if they were going to hatch.

Since you are using the directions that come with the machine I have to ask you, Is your temp between 101-102F? I hate those manufacturer's instruction because most of them recommend 99.5 despite the fact that still airs should be 101-102F. Forced air should be 99.5F.
I recommend candling at least days 7/14/18 (lockdown,) to check on the air cells to make sure that the egg is loosing enough moisture (especially for first time hatches because you don't know how the percentage of humidity that you are using is working for your eggs.)
I only remove clears and blood rings during my incubation (unless one is smelling.) I don't remove any maybes. If I am at day 14 and I have an obvious early quitter I will remove that as well.
I'll throw the chart for the air cell size up so you can look at that because the size of your air cells are very important. (The whole reason we monitor and control humidity.) If your air cells haven't grown big enough, that means your humidity is too high and this can cause chicks to drown at hatch. If your air cells have grown too big too fast it means your humidity is too low and needs to be highered as this can cause the membranes to shrink wrap the chicks.
The instruction booklets just throw out a number and that number doesn't work for everyone. If you ask what your humidity should be you'll get 20 different answers with different ranges. None of them are wrong-just what works for that person.
It's a matter of finding what works for you.

 

[WVChickNboots]

Thanks for the info and chart. The temp is 101 on the incubator, but I have another thermometer just on top of the eggs that reads a consistent 99.5. Humidity is running between 45-55% consistently. I know it will have to be increased 3 days prior to hatch date. Any recommendations on increasing humidity the last few days? I read something about adding a wet sponge. Right now all 6 of the "water channels" have water in them. I suppose more water could be added to increase it, but any advice is appreciated. I'd like to have a plan in place if adding more water or a wet sponge doesn't help. The air in my house is dry, so I could also run a humidifier if that will help. I had this big idea to hatch our own chicks. What a science it is though. Haha. Trial and error, I'm sure we'll get there.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for the info and chart. The temp is 101 on the incubator, but I have another thermometer just on top of the eggs that reads a consistent 99.5. Humidity is running between 45-55% consistently. I know it will have to be increased 3 days prior to hatch date. Any recommendations on increasing humidity the last few days? I read something about adding a wet sponge. Right now all 6 of the "water channels" have water in them. I suppose more water could be added to increase it, but any advice is appreciated. I'd like to have a plan in place if adding more water or a wet sponge doesn't help. The air in my house is dry, so I could also run a humidifier if that will help. I had this big idea to hatch our own chicks. What a science it is though. Haha. Trial and error, I'm sure we'll get there.

I use sponges in mine, (Usually 3 total) at lockdown and hatch. I'm getting ready for the Easter hatch and this is my first winter hatch. (I live in upstate NY and I don't think winter is ever going to go away.) And I already have my incubator going trying to figure out the new thermometers and the humidity needs. My last hatch in the fall I did a dry incubation, no problem with humidity at lockdown, In this dry period though, I am not going to be able to go it dry and am working on what I am going to need for lockdown. I like my lockdown/hatch humidity to be 75%.
Basically anything you can do to expand the surface area of water is what is neccessary to higher humidity. A humidifier in the room can also help as the ambient humidity does effect the bator's humidity.
Yes, hatching is very trial and error. It's hard, cause they are little lives, but it's fact.

 

[WVChickNboots]

So helpful. Thank you. Hope your Easter hatch goes well.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So helpful. Thank you. Hope your Easter hatch goes well.

Thank you.