Incubators Anonymous

[maryhysong]

OK I've only done one incubator hatch but it was so successful and so much fun I have to do at least one more! Yes, I know kids, I'm going to have chicks in the living room allll winter, but they are so much fun!

I hatched my own eggs for the first try, but now I have some being shipped and I'd love to know from all you experienced 'bators out there, what's the best way to handle shipped eggs before putting them in to hatch? I'm thinking I read somewhere to let them sit still for a day or two before putting them in the 'bator, but don't remember where I read that.... That was waaay back before I set those first eggs and now I"m hooked!

 

[ki4got]

some let bthe eggs rest. i incubate after they rest for a few hours and plug in the turner after 2-3 days.

 

[CEngdahl]

I was going to start hatching some quail in the next couple of days. I had an old incubator from a couple of years ago but never done poulty. I dont have a egg turner so I just plan on propping up one side and then later on propping up the other side to kid of turn the eggs a bit. My question is do you put the eggs in a seperate plastic container with some straw or anything or do you just sit them on the wire. I was afraid of the rolling around to much with me propping up one side to the other.

 

[maryhysong]

some let bthe eggs rest. i incubate after they rest for a few hours and plug in the turner after 2-3 days.

So you just let them rest at room temp a few hours, put in the 'bator, but don't turn them for the first 2-3 days?

 

[Overoberyl]

So you just let them rest at room temp a few hours, put in the 'bator, but don't turn them for the first 2-3 days?

I always candle the eggs first to get an idea of what the air cells are doing. Often they will be completely detached in shipped eggs and if that is the case I do not turn them for a full 5 days after going into the bator, sometimes longer depending on how they look after 5 days. If they look ok after shipping I will turn them from day 1.

 

[Overoberyl]

Btw if you have detached air cells I would recommend using an auto egg turner so they can sit upright during incubation, or use an egg carton. If you lay them on the side there is virtually no chance they will reattach in the right place.

 

[3forfree]

I was going to start hatching some quail in the next couple of days. I had an old incubator from a couple of years ago but never done poulty. I dont have a egg turner so I just plan on propping up one side and then later on propping up the other side to kid of turn the eggs a bit. My question is do you put the eggs in a seperate plastic container with some straw or anything or do you just sit them on the wire. I was afraid of the rolling around to much with me propping up one side to the other.

I used an LG for the first time to hatch with, the last chicken hatch and pheasants before that I used a styrofoam bator that I made and turned them by hand. This time in the LG I kept the eggs in an egg carton and I tilted the bator putting an egg carton under one side, then 8hrs later taking the egg carton out and putting it under the other side. It works since lockdown yesterday I have 5 chicks hatched. I took the eggs out of the carton before lockdown.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

I used an LG for the first time to hatch with, the last chicken hatch and pheasants before that I used a styrofoam bator that I made and turned them by hand. This time in the LG I kept the eggs in an egg carton and I tilted the bator putting an egg carton under one side, then 8hrs later taking the egg carton out and putting it under the other side. It works since lockdown yesterday I have 5 chicks hatched. I took the eggs out of the carton before lockdown.

Good deal! Congrats on the babies

 

[DMRippy]

I leave mine in the egg carton, I just check them for pips upside down. I have lost several that way, but they seem to hatch better overall in the carton.

 

[ki4got]

I leave mine in the egg carton, I just check them for pips upside down. I have lost several that way, but they seem to hatch better overall in the carton.

ditto