Is anyone starting eggs in the incubator today? Tuesday, May 26

[mom2chicksandpups]

That's what my husband asked when I brought home our first incubator--where am I going to put them?

 

[Mom2Cool]

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Let your obsession begin...........

 

[Mom2Cool]

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LOL my husband & I went out last night & 1/2 way up the street hubby says "Look there at the neighbor's house they have those cages out & there are these beautiful like rabbit cages with water bottles & all! I said "they must have them on curb alert for free cycle & hubby says "no, they were actually WITH the garbage the other day but the garbage man didn't take them so I'm making him go get them so I have more cages to fix as brooders..... LOL But outside he's been saying the same thing "how many more shelters are we going to be building or moving in here?

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

My daughter wanted me to buy a pet rabbit today. My excuse was that we had nowhere to put it. She mentioned an empty brooder that we have in the barn, but I quickly replied that I already have plans for that one.

That's where the new chicks are going when and if my eggs hatch.

 

[Mom2Cool]

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very smart & now I have a need to candle eggs.

I won't be able to see anything on the brown eggs yet. BTW it's usually 2 wks that I candle the brown eggs & I *make myself leave them alone til then* but then I'm actually able to see movement & then you REALLY know you're on your way & it's SO exciting...... It's hard to see the veining through the brown eggs. Now the duck eggs I have here they are white & so I'm thinking maybe I could take a peek tonight cause it's been 3 nights now.... right?

 

[Frenchy chick]

I haven't candled yet. I am not messing with them until day 14. Last time i had 15 eggs. 2 infertiles, then 6 hatched + 3 hatched but had things wrong. So less than 50 % hatched and survived..

This time i want more success.....
Only turning 2 times a day, temp 100, humidity 40-50. The incubator is in my basement in my craft room. Locked, so i don't have little hands touching anything. Also the basement temp is more stable than upstairs.
I have to confess....I am addicted.....need another coop....

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

We are going to try not to open our incubator any more than we have to either. I just could not resist trying to look after a few days because this is the first time I have ever incubated eggs. What kind of changes should I expect to see by day 14? What would I see if I try to candle the brown eggs that I can barely see through now? I'm so excited that my white eggs appear to be fertile!!

 

[Frenchy chick]

At day 14, the babies take almost all the space in the egg. I was able to see an eye in one. Then you know for sure witch ones are infertile, cause they are all clear... For the brown eggs, you will see only the air bubble at the bigger end. Also the eggs feel heavier and when you put them down the pointy side drops down on a flat surface.

If your eggs are fresh i would not worry about an egg exploding.
The infertile ones looked the same inside as store bought eggs, after 14 days. One infertile one had a air pocket at day 14 though so you never know until hatching....

 

[mom2chicksandpups]

Thanks for the info! I have more eggs coming and didn't plan for my husband to bring home the Barred Rock eggs, so it will help if I can pull out any that I am certain are infertile. That would be really cool to be able to see an eye. My daughter would love that!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Frenchy I hear & when I turn by hand I always turn eggs 3 X's a day so the eggs aren't sitting on the same side all night.

mom2chicksandpups I'm not sure I understand what everyone else sees or looks for when candling an egg except the movement & the veining. For me with brown eggs I have trouble being able to really see the veins developing & so (again this is for me) I watch to see the solidness of the egg become more & more. So at the start I'll candle an egg (or at say day 5 even) & I can see the shadow of the yoke & the rest looks (to me) liquidy, but as that 2nd week starts & moves on that changes and it'll look more like a solid blob. The smaller end of the egg creates sort of a silhouette effect and by day 12 when you candle the egg if you sit still with it you'll see the solid inside it move.... I've often heard others say they've tossed some but I wouldn't trust myself to do that until at least day 12 because I can never see through the egg well enough & I'd be affraid I'd be tossing the wrong thing.

It's hard not to want to pick up that egg & SEE some thing but I normally make myself wait at least a week & then I'll candle & think "Ok well now you have to wait to really see anything anyway". & really the solid silhouette is already there & yet not moving etc. & I can't see the veining soo I have to wait to make sure...

This time I've some duck eggs in the bator too & those are white & even still I did candle a few last night & I'm not sure *what I'm seeing* & so a red dot? is that what people speak of as a "red ring"? I don't know & so I'll be patient & just wait to see what develops a bit later. When you see them move it's SUCH an experience! I've had times when I've candled late at night & wanted to go wake hubby up to

show him...

Mine are all in a auto turner & so I really only open to do a candling or to add water & of course with the duck eggs I'm misting 2 x's a day. I have 2 bators so that when it comes hatching time the chick eggs I'll move to the hatching bator. Dunno how well it'll go it's all an experiment....

I actually try not to let myself get too excited about the prospect of having them until I actually see that movement because by then there's a real chance of life & I don't have much more than a week to get to worked up over it. I'm hoping the hatching of the chick eggs will help get me through the last days of the ducklings hatching without me going out of my mind.

I had ducklings in the bator with the last set of chick eggs, but those duck eggs were shipped & I don't think they'd done too well in transit & so they just didn't develop. With them being white eggs that is something I could certainly tell by the 2nd week. My chick hatching rates have gone up a lot & well you know the quest for perfection of my hatch is a really good excuse for what is now an addiction.

The duck eggs I have in there this time are shipped eggs as well but this time they were marked "hatching eggs" & so the post office knew not to give them to my postal worker who is a bit rough with packages other wise...

SOOOO cross your fingers these weren't too shook up.