Ok guys really need all of you
I'm sorry this is so long- If its right I'm going to have it printed out
I'm an eager mom to be with hatching eggs (chicken and quails) being delivered by the stork as we speak!!Chick eggs begin hatching on day 21 and quail (Button and Coturnix) begins hatching on day 16-17
I want to see if Im getting this right!! I have two incubators, one LG still air, and one Hovabator (for reptiles? O_O)
When my eggs arrive, Chicken goes in Hovabator and Quails in LG. Both incubators will be in a closet to prevent draft and dramatic fluctuations in temperature
all those cloths make awesome insulation no?
1. I should get my incubator jumpstarted by turning it on first let it warm to the right temp for 48 hours, which is 102F on still air and 98-99F if I stick a pc fan in it. Also a thermometer outside the incubator that beeps if the air goes below 75+ degrees (then its blankie time depending on temp inside the incubator) ...imagine me waking up 3 am...with my baby crying, "dear dear Hun...mommy knows your cold" *puts a blanket over her and kisses the Bator*
2. I put in the hatching eggs in and then say a prayer. For the chicken eggs, some will be on their sides and some will be in cartons with the big side of the egg facing up there will be holes in the carton for better ventilation. (Will see which hatch best)- Quail eggs will stay in carton.
3. I will see how the humidity is, since I live in so cal it is...boneee dry here so I will place a humidifier next to the incubators (with a hydrometer on TOP of the eggs) so at least when I open the incubators to turn the eggs, they wont turn into sand
. At this point if the humidity inside the bator is too high, I will leave open more vents (taken off the little plastic plugs that covers the hole or turn the plastic plug upside down )
4. I will add a hydrometer inside and outside the incubator; the one in the room will read about 30+% humidity. (I hope my cloths dont get moldy) inside the incubator should read about 40% and 45%-50% for the quails if it gets too low I will put a few cotton balls lightly soaked in water.
5. I will turn the eggs 3 times a day. For the carton method, I will raise up one end of the carton by putting something under it, basically the carton will be rocked back and forth (oh! it IS like a baby!!), and for the eggs laying down I will mark X and O and turn it by hand.
6. On day 7 I will candle the eggs for veins. *dont think its possible for the quail eggs haha*
7. On day 13 I will candle the eggs again to look for a dark mass and the air pocket at the big end of the egg.
8*(Quail). I will also stop turning the quail eggs and will raise their humidity to 65% to 75%. At this point the quail eggs will be out of the carton and will be lying on their sides on a rubber shelf liner. (The panic switch inside me will also be turned on)
9*(Quail).After hatching (oh thank God), I will transfer the quails to a brooder. To prevent drowning I will use a very shallow plastic jar lid for their water and sprinkle food on top so they know where to drink. They will begin eating gamebird starters. Food will be in a container as well as on the floor.
8.(Back to the chicken eggs)On day 18 I will take the eggs out of their cartons and lay them on their sides and raise the humidity to about 65%- 70% by adding a wet towel inside the Bator under the vents. I will also stop turning the eggs. I will not open the Bator until they hatch.
9. I will stick in half the air plugs back in the incubator to allow the moisture to stay in the Bator. I will add the rest of the plugs if I see the humidity drop too much.
10. When the first chick hatches
I will resist opening the Bator (I will need to drink some will power juice @_@ ) I will also flip the air plugs upside down, because the moisture from the chick hatching will cause condensation (If that happens).
11. I will then take out the chicks after 24 hours of their hatching and place them in a brooder.
(At this point my heart would have probably exploded
and my BF will take over the rest.) He will dunk each little beak into their water dish to let them know where the water is. The brooder will have a heating lamp so they chickies will stay nice and warm. They will eat yummy foods and will grow up becoming very successful adults.
* I have like...5 different thermometers, one of which is a digital meat thermometer stuck inside a water weasel and I set it to beep when the temp goes over 99!! I like my beefs very very raw
Please is there anything I missed or need to change?
Questions: should I attach a PC fan to my bators? Bf works as a computer engineer and we...have mountains of PC fans.
I'm an eager mom to be with hatching eggs (chicken and quails) being delivered by the stork as we speak!!Chick eggs begin hatching on day 21 and quail (Button and Coturnix) begins hatching on day 16-17
I want to see if Im getting this right!! I have two incubators, one LG still air, and one Hovabator (for reptiles? O_O)
When my eggs arrive, Chicken goes in Hovabator and Quails in LG. Both incubators will be in a closet to prevent draft and dramatic fluctuations in temperature
1. I should get my incubator jumpstarted by turning it on first let it warm to the right temp for 48 hours, which is 102F on still air and 98-99F if I stick a pc fan in it. Also a thermometer outside the incubator that beeps if the air goes below 75+ degrees (then its blankie time depending on temp inside the incubator) ...imagine me waking up 3 am...with my baby crying, "dear dear Hun...mommy knows your cold" *puts a blanket over her and kisses the Bator*
2. I put in the hatching eggs in and then say a prayer. For the chicken eggs, some will be on their sides and some will be in cartons with the big side of the egg facing up there will be holes in the carton for better ventilation. (Will see which hatch best)- Quail eggs will stay in carton.
3. I will see how the humidity is, since I live in so cal it is...boneee dry here so I will place a humidifier next to the incubators (with a hydrometer on TOP of the eggs) so at least when I open the incubators to turn the eggs, they wont turn into sand
4. I will add a hydrometer inside and outside the incubator; the one in the room will read about 30+% humidity. (I hope my cloths dont get moldy) inside the incubator should read about 40% and 45%-50% for the quails if it gets too low I will put a few cotton balls lightly soaked in water.
5. I will turn the eggs 3 times a day. For the carton method, I will raise up one end of the carton by putting something under it, basically the carton will be rocked back and forth (oh! it IS like a baby!!), and for the eggs laying down I will mark X and O and turn it by hand.
6. On day 7 I will candle the eggs for veins. *dont think its possible for the quail eggs haha*
7. On day 13 I will candle the eggs again to look for a dark mass and the air pocket at the big end of the egg.
8*(Quail). I will also stop turning the quail eggs and will raise their humidity to 65% to 75%. At this point the quail eggs will be out of the carton and will be lying on their sides on a rubber shelf liner. (The panic switch inside me will also be turned on)
9*(Quail).After hatching (oh thank God), I will transfer the quails to a brooder. To prevent drowning I will use a very shallow plastic jar lid for their water and sprinkle food on top so they know where to drink. They will begin eating gamebird starters. Food will be in a container as well as on the floor.
8.(Back to the chicken eggs)On day 18 I will take the eggs out of their cartons and lay them on their sides and raise the humidity to about 65%- 70% by adding a wet towel inside the Bator under the vents. I will also stop turning the eggs. I will not open the Bator until they hatch.
9. I will stick in half the air plugs back in the incubator to allow the moisture to stay in the Bator. I will add the rest of the plugs if I see the humidity drop too much.
10. When the first chick hatches
11. I will then take out the chicks after 24 hours of their hatching and place them in a brooder.
(At this point my heart would have probably exploded
* I have like...5 different thermometers, one of which is a digital meat thermometer stuck inside a water weasel and I set it to beep when the temp goes over 99!! I like my beefs very very raw
Please is there anything I missed or need to change?
Questions: should I attach a PC fan to my bators? Bf works as a computer engineer and we...have mountains of PC fans.
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