Incubating Eggs

[tonyfunhouse]

I have eggs in the incubator and today 12/10/13 and in 2 days they will hatch and we started with about 20 eggs and now we have 4 left and we see and dot but they wont move. 3 days ago there were 2 that were jumping all around but now that they aren't moving in the incubator and I don't know what to do with them and they don't stink. What should I do?
Thanks Tony and Torrie.

 

[tonyfunhouse]

and we took them right out of the coop and our other batches we let sit out for a little bit does that matter?
Thanks Tony and Torrie.

 

[Farmer Viola]

and we took them right out of the coop and our other batches we let sit out for a little bit does that matter?
Thanks Tony and Torrie.

should be fine, only shipped eggs are recommended to settle because the physical jarring of the eggs can be traumatic

I have eggs in the incubator and today 12/10/13 and in 2 days they will hatch and we started with about 20 eggs and now we have 4 left and we see and dot but they wont move. 3 days ago there were 2 that were jumping all around but now that they aren't moving in the incubator and I don't know what to do with them and they don't stink. What should I do?
Thanks Tony and Torrie.

They are due in 2 days, so today is day 19? I would leave them alone, make sure your humidity is at 65%, and wait. It is normal for some eggs to take as long as 23-25 days, and you are not even to day 21 yet so no need to worry

 

[tonyfunhouse]

should be fine, only shipped eggs are recommended to settle because the physical jarring of the eggs can be traumatic


They are due in 2 days, so today is day 19? I would leave them alone, make sure your humidity is at 65%, and wait. It is normal for some eggs to take as long as 23-25 days, and you are not even to day 21 yet so no need to worry

yes and thank u some much and when should we incubate them? we usually incubate them on Sundays is that a good day?

 

[Farmer Viola]

I like to set my eggs on Friday, because I know they will hatch on a Friday, so then I can have all weekend to lose sleep while staring into the incubator

21 days is just a rough estimate.. I have had chicks hatch on day 19 and day 23. I try to plan it so I can be at home for the majority of hatching because I like to watch, but sometimes that can last longer than expected.

 

[tonyfunhouse]

how long do we have to let them sit before we put them in the incubator for next time we try to hatch eggs. Also are green eggs ok to incubate?

 

[Farmer Viola]

how long do we have to let them sit before we put them in the incubator for next time we try to hatch eggs. Also are green eggs ok to incubate?

there is no required amount of sit time, since they are fresh eggs from your own hens. if you order shipped eggs, then they would need to sit for 24 hours.

you can let them sit for up to 7-10 days before they lose viability for hatching. the ideal storage temp is about 65-75 degrees 50-60% humidity, which is about what it is in my house anyway.
one reason you might want to let them sit would be to gather more eggs from your hens, so you can begin incubating all the eggs on the same day. this is a common practice. staggered hatching can cause problems unless you have a separate incubator and hatcher.

green shelled eggs are laid by a special type of chicken called an Easter Egger and they are perfectly ok to incubate, and to eat

 

[tonyfunhouse]

Do we have to clean them before we put them in the incubator?

 

[Farmer Viola]

Try to choose eggs that have little to no poop on them. the poop can cover up the pores in the egg that the egg needs to breathe (evaporate)

you should NOT wash the eggs before incubating. the eggs have a protective bloom on them that will keep bacteria out of the egg, if you wash the bloom off, then you are opening the egg up to potential infection.

I don't wash breakfast eggs, either, for the same reasons. They will keep longer if the bloom stays on, and they don't even have to be refrigerated!

 

[tonyfunhouse]

k thanks again for letting us know this stuff.