Incubator attempt #1

[bagawk]

I've done some reading and after some discussion, my husband and I have decided to make our first DIY still air incubator. I have been reading in this forum a lot lately and are quite excited to embark on our first three eggs ...

We took three eggs from the dozen we bought at our local WalMart Grocery Store ...

KIDDING! KIDDING!! KIDDING!!!! Breathe!! LOL

I have a Buff Orpington Roo, Yellow Bird, who is very huge and handsome. He's a very benevolent protector of his beloved girl "Floppy" my RIR hen.

Floppy is getting older and I would dearly LOVE to get a few more hens around to learn where to lay the eggs and to stay in the yard and not wander like Floppy does. Floppy knows the ranch rules about staying away from the horses, which ones share feed and which do not. She knows not to get on the front porch and knows what my calling to food song is. She taught Yellow Bird and she'd teach her babies as well.

Last Monday, we felt that the new incubator was ready after running for almost two weeks. We placed that first egg in, then she didn't lay for several days. Her second happened Saturday and her third today. So we now have three eggs in there.

So I'm excited but not terribly hopeful that my first hatch will be a success. If I can hatch one, I will be happy. If it's a hen, I will be super thrilled. (I know, I won't know if it's a hen or roo for a while).

 

[bagawk]

I do have a question if anyone knows ... imagine SOMEONE does.

From the point of laying, how long do I have before it's not worth putting in the incubator? If she's not sitting on her eggs, do I have minutes or hours before they are no longer viable?

I see people stating they are ordering eggs online to hatch at home ... so I was kind of curious. Seems odd to get eggs by mail.

 

[Roxannemc]

I've done some reading and after some discussion, my husband and I have decided to make our first DIY still air incubator. I have been reading in this forum a lot lately and are quite excited to embark on our first three eggs ...

We took three eggs from the dozen we bought at our local WalMart Grocery Store ...

KIDDING! KIDDING!! KIDDING!!!! Breathe!! LOL

I have a Buff Orpington Roo, Yellow Bird, who is very huge and handsome. He's a very benevolent protector of his beloved girl "Floppy" my RIR hen.

Floppy is getting older and I would dearly LOVE to get a few more hens around to learn where to lay the eggs and to stay in the yard and not wander like Floppy does. Floppy knows the ranch rules about staying away from the horses, which ones share feed and which do not. She knows not to get on the front porch and knows what my calling to food song is. She taught Yellow Bird and she'd teach her babies as well.

Last Monday, we felt that the new incubator was ready after running for almost two weeks. We placed that first egg in, then she didn't lay for several days. Her second happened Saturday and her third today. So we now have three eggs in there.

So I'm excited but not terribly hopeful that my first hatch will be a success. If I can hatch one, I will be happy. If it's a hen, I will be super thrilled. (I know, I won't know if it's a hen or roo for a while).

Oh i think you might get them to hatch. Your own eggs are the best ,,,Those and local most sucessful.
You have days...
Setting them the first 4 would be best They loose viablity as time goes on and at 10 and later not much chance. i have read anyway..GOOD LUCK!!

 

[bwalden]

You can store the eggs at room temp for several days. Personally I dont like using any over a week old. But I have heard 10 days at most. It's best to store with small end down, also I turn mine a couple or three times a day. I do sell hatching eggs and ship them through the mail. believe it or not it really does work. Of course there is the risk of rough handling during shipping but for the most part my customers have really good hatch rates.

Of course you will normally have better hatch rate with your own eggs or locally, but sometimes it's difficult to find the breeds you want local.

 

[Roxannemc]

The hen doesnt lay all the eggs the same day but takes a few days to get her clutch She sits once theyre a few so thats why its fine to be a few days before you start to incubate.

Also i would think if its cool out but not freezing you have longer as eggs can be put in the fridge 45-50 and taken out and hatched i have read on BYC.
the eggsd dont start to grow a chick until the temp brings the egg temp up to about 90 . Why you can get shipped although you get a lower hatch from shipped but ppl here have all concluded its the bouncy ride that give the low hatch.Not the days in shipping
if its just 4 or under..I have some took 7 days I set yesterday so will see how they go.i am not too hopeful though but who knows.

As far as the hen sitting on them and gets off ...If they have started to incubate already you have some hours even as much as 12 i belleve to get the eggs and incubate them.

I wouldnt throw any out though that even went past the 12 hours. Who knows ?someone on here said that if your power goes out while incubating to put them in the fridge!!!I Never heard how a hatch like that went!!

 

[bagawk]

Shipping eggs kinda freaks me out. I used to work in the saltwater fish hobby and saw what UPS and FedEx did to bags of fish in well insulated boxes. ....

I did read that I should turn them a half turn 2x a day. I turn mine in the morning when I get up, and then again in the evening when I head for bed.

Do any of you date your eggs or number them somehow to keep track of which egg was first, second, third? How about if you have different breeds of chickens hatching?

 

[bwalden]

Shipping eggs kinda freaks me out. I used to work in the saltwater fish hobby and saw what UPS and FedEx did to bags of fish in well insulated boxes. ....

I did read that I should turn them a half turn 2x a day. I turn mine in the morning when I get up, and then again in the evening when I head for bed.

Do any of you date your eggs or number them somehow to keep track of which egg was first, second, third? How about if you have different breeds of chickens hatching?

sure you do have rough treatment sometimes from shippers. I use USPS and I have customers with 80 and 90% hatch rates. It's all in the packing of the eggs. You can refrigerate your eggs but it does drop viability down.

I mark my eggs in pencil by breed and collect them over a week then after my incubator has been running at least a day and temps are stable I put them in.

 

[bagawk]

So you just keep them on the counter in a bowl or something?