Incubating eggs to hatch about August 8th

[pipchick1]

Meep peep

 

[duluthralphie]

My August hatch hit a snag....

Here is what I posted on a different thread about my snag:


Silly Me!

I forgot to write the worst part of the day.

I went to check my incubator this morning before the goose incident and found the humidity was over 65%!

I knew this was bad, it was humid here, but not that humid. I opened the incubator and the stench was over powering!

After regaining my breath I found one of the eggs I had marked as potentially being good, was not. These are pheasant eggs so they are very dark and hard to see into when candling. The egg must have exploded and sent rotten egg everywhere. I held my nose, and preceded to clean the mess. I had to remove the surrounding eggs from the incubator and clean them and the tray.

One of the eggs about 3 rows over was stuck to the tray. I gently tried to remove it. It exploded in my hand. It was a nasty explosion. I was trying to count my fingers and see if I still had 5 on that hand while gagging and barfing. It was not a pretty sight.

This all happened before the goose chewed the extension cord. NOW what I need to know is?


How did that darn goose screw up my incubator? I know it was them, this is something they would do?



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/911830/a-ver-bad-day#post_13873199

 

[MeepBeep]

Ok I know I have been doing lots of things wrong. This is my first batch of chick eggs and I didn't look up a lot. I turned them too much. And I candled them too late. And I've been doing the water test. But today is my 22 day of the eggs being in the incubator. I've got every thing right. I just have to wait. The temp has spiked up and down. And I didn't know what the humidity was. But now I know. Do you think my eggs will have a chance?

Well this is a thread for those having hatchings on or about August 8, so your questions would better benefit their own thread...

Some notes...

To be blunt you pretty much can't turn them too much...
You don't need to candle at all so there is no such thing as too late...
Why are you water testing at day 22 or possibly earlier, especially if the eggs are wiggling? Is IMO too early to water test, and can do more damage than good...
You claim you have 'everything right' then proceed with a laundry list of things you did wrong, or don't know...

The blunt answer is eggs will or won't hatch... Since you have had less than ideal incubation practices the scales are tipped in favor of not hatching, but sometimes mother nature works things out even in bad conditions... If they are still alive chances are good they will hatch, if they quit already well they quit and won't hatch...

 

[MeepBeep]

I went to check my incubator this morning before the goose incident and found the humidity was over 65%!

I knew this was bad, it was humid here, but not that humid. I opened the incubator and the stench was over powering!

Don't stress over temporary humidity spikes, it's the average humidity that is most important and even that is arbitrary as long as the air cell develops properly and the eggs doesn't gain or lose water weight disproportionately... Trust me when I say a brooder bird can't magically lower the 100% humidity on a rainy 90-95° day, and days like this are hardly a rarity in many areas...

As I said I do staggered hatches, thus for 2 or even 3 days when I bump the humidity up for those that are hatching (generally upwards of 70%, or even 90% if it's a rough hatch) the other eggs in the incubator also see that higher humidity and I have seen no adverse effects as long as the humidity comes back down and averages out over the entire incubation time...

As for exploding eggs, sorry to hear about that, that is never fun or good in any way...

 

[duluthralphie]

MeepBeep. Thanks

I was semi depressed all day thinking I ruined another hatch..

Not wrist slashing depressed, more like wish I had a cat to kick depressed.........
(a joke, people I like cats too!)

I am smiling again!

This has been a bad year for me. I hatched eggs out 30 years ago when my kids were young with no problems
this year it is one mishap after another. Hopefully, I will get a few chicks out of these eggs...

 

[calichicken]

MeepBeep. Thanks

I was semi depressed all day thinking I ruined another hatch..

Not wrist slashing depressed, more like wish I had a cat to kick depressed.........
(a joke, people I like cats too!)

I am smiling again!

This has been a bad year for me. I hatched eggs out 30 years ago when my kids were young with no problems
this year it is one mishap after another. Hopefully, I will get a few chicks out of these eggs...

Glad to hear it! Don't sweat the small stuff

@MeepBeep has some solid advice there!!!

 

[Alaskan]

Ok I know I have been doing lots of things wrong. This is my first batch of chick eggs and I didn't look up a lot. I turned them too much. And I candled them too late. And I've been doing the water test. But today is my 22 day of the eggs being in the incubator. I've got every thing right. I just have to wait. The temp has spiked up and down. And I didn't know what the humidity was. But now I know. Do you think my eggs will have a chance?

Cheer up and chin-up!



The first time hatching is a giant learning experience.

There is a chance that some might still hatch, give them two more days before you give up.

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Candled my shipped eggs. very disappointing. All the silkies were clear and of the 6 Orps, 2 obviously were. The other 4 were hard to see in but I think there was development. This leaves me with only 4 silkie eggs left.

 

[calichicken]

Candled my shipped eggs. very disappointing. All the silkies were clear and of the 6 Orps, 2 obviously were. The other 4 were hard to see in but I think there was development. This leaves me with only 4 silkie eggs left.

Not the silkies

So sorry

Hopefully these 4 silkie eggers left will be hearty and make it to hatch! It is so hard with shipped eggs....I am now learning! of the 6 I got, 1 broke in shipping(it happens

) One is clear, one has that red line, but now seeing veins so not sure

and one has air cell to the side...sigh! Glad I picked up local eggs to add to the hatch...get to candle later...but have to wait for dark

 

[Alaskan]

Candled my shipped eggs.  very disappointing.  All the silkies were clear and of the 6 Orps, 2 obviously were.  The other 4 were hard to see in but I think there was development.  This leaves me with only 4 silkie eggs left. 

 
Candled my shipped eggs.  very disappointing.  All the silkies were clear and of the 6 Orps, 2 obviously were.  The other 4 were hard to see in but I think there was development.  This leaves me with only 4 silkie eggs left. 

Not the silkies    So sorry  Hopefully these 4 silkie eggers left will be hearty and make it to hatch! It is so hard with shipped eggs....I am now learning! of the 6 I got, 1 broke in shipping(it happens ) One is clear, one has that red line, but now seeing veins so not sure :/  and one has air cell to the side...sigh! Glad I picked up local eggs to add to the hatch...get to candle later...but have to wait for  dark

So sorry!



Yep, shipped eggs are such a gamble!