Very cool!! Aaaaaaand, we have the first external pip!! I hope it's only the first of many. Fingers crossed!! I do really like this little incubator. I have it set up next to my bed so if they hatch in the middle of the night I won't miss a thing lol.
Haha brilliant idea to have it beside your bed. Maybe I'll move mine Sunday night... eeeks if I have the guts.
How exciting, I think I'm more excited then my two daughters ages 5 and 2.5yrs. I'm also more nervous with hatching theses chicks then I was with both my induced labours lol!!
The first baby is out!! A second is almost out. I will take pics later.
I know what you mean about being excited lol. I am almost 52 years old and absolutely over the moon about incubating!! I remember when my kids were at home (I have five and two grandchildren), when it would get close to hatch time, they would take the flashlight every time they came into my room and look in the incubator.
Yeah, even then the incubator was in my room..mostly because in this big old drafty house it was and is the easiest place to keep the temps and humidity accurate!!
I think I act like a kid on Christmas when it is "hatch" time. These ones are going to a relatives that gave me the eggs for the test hatch. The next incubation will be for my birds.
I LOVE this incubator. I still have the styrofoam one but this one there is so much less to worry about.
jenniferbergsma, I wanted to tell you that if you put the incubator by your bed make sure you insulate it with a sleeping bag on the sides and DO NOT let the hot part of the power cord touch the sleeping bag. Just as a precaution. My bed is low to the floor so that is where the incubator is. And now for the update! 4 babies out and at least one more pipped so far. They are starting to fluff out but still very tired from their ordeal. They look like little chipmunks!! Tomorrow when they aren't damp I will take a decent pic.
Seven babies and they are leaving with my aunt this evening. Yeah, I know it was only a test hatch but still lol.
Next week I will start some Swedish Flower hen eggs and also some mixed eggs from a friend of mine to fill out the incubator. It seems to keep temps better when it is full. I wanted to actually do some more Scandinavian breeds this time around but finances dictated otherwise. I will be happy with what I have though.
Gah. The only pic I ended up getting was when three of them were out and still bedraggled looking, then my aunt picked the seven that hatched out last night. Only then did I remember I didn't get the pics I wanted!! I am going to her place tonight though so maybe I can remedy that.
Next up are the Swedish Flower Hen eggs with some Old English Game Bantam and mixed chicken eggs to fill up the incubator.
I have always found it's easier to keep temps and humidity even with a full incubator.
A change of plan has these going to be started incubating next week sometime.
I cleaned the incubator with a mild bleach solution last night and now have started it in anticipation for my next hatch, which I HOPE to start on Friday. As of right now it will be Swedish Flower Hens and Old English Game Bantams. A dozen of each. I will update once I get the process started again. I have been researching, refreshing my memory on shipped eggs.
The little OEGB eggs are here!! He sent two extra, so 14 eggs. Right now I am letting them rest but will candle before incubating to see if I need to take steps for detached air cells as you never know what they have been through with the post office. None are broken on the outside though. Once I get all the eggs into the incubator, I will take a pic.