June Hatch a Long

[Alaskan]

Poor quality candling, I'm sorry lol Just wondering if anyone sees a difference in my dented Golden Comet egg.
Day 1

Day 2


Also, here's one of my buff eggs. Anyone see an air cell? Feel free to check it on photoshop, as I'm on my cell phone and can't.

Nope, I can't see anything in the photo. And I did open it up to see the picture up close.


I would suggest just waiting to candle again until day 7, when it is easier to see things anyway.



BUT.......I would love any suggestions on the following:

Well, I am setting eggs today, and I am in a panic!

It has been a few years since I have used my incubator. But I remember loosing some chicks to malpositioning.

So...... I decided that this time I would try to hatch them all standing up in egg cartons.

BUT, I just picked them up, and looked them over, and it is NOT completely clear to me (only on a few of the eggs) which end is the small end! Chickens!!!! Sheesh!

So, I am trying to decide if I want to do half and half, or whatever.

Also, I had read somewhere that putting a bunch of clean glass beads (those big fattened round ones) in the bottom of the incubator could help temperatures stay more steady. I think this was another mistake. The incubator was holding a good steady temp, I put in the glass beads, the temp plummeted and hasn't gone back up all the way. Why? Why would it do that? So, as of last night, I kept slightly increasing the temp watching if the temp was correct yet.


(My incubator has a heating element that is a wafer and is adjusted by turning a screw. No cool "two degrees higher please" button).

I am going to wait another hour or two..and if the temp is still way off, I will take out all of the beads, then wait another hour or two, and then HOPEFULLY actually put the eggs INSIDE the incubator! (but guesses as to why the glass beads would have messed everything up would be welcome. I *DO* have children, but they have told me that they didn't touch anything

)

And the reason that I wanted to try the beads is that my house does NOT stay at a steady temp, and I was hoping to keep things in the incubator a bit steadier.

I am putting in....(now I need to go back and count) 19 Black Copper Marans (English), 2 Olive eggers, and one gorgeous blue egg that will produce another olive egger.

Most of the Marans eggs are *SO* dark that I am not so sure I will be able to see anything!

Also, the seller said that she had found, that the darker the egg, the thicker the shell, and the more difficult it is for the chicks to hatch on their own. Anyone else have this?

 

[mrsguardian88]

O

Nope, I can't see anything in the photo.  And I did open it up to see the picture up close. 


I would suggest just waiting to candle again until day 7, when it is easier to see things anyway. 



BUT.......I would love any suggestions on the following:


Well, I am setting eggs today, and I am in a panic!

It has been a few years since I have used my incubator.  But I remember loosing some chicks to malpositioning.

So...... I decided that this time I would try to hatch them all standing up in egg cartons.

BUT, I just picked them up, and looked them over, and it is NOT completely clear to me (only on a few of the eggs) which end is the small end!  Chickens!!!!  Sheesh!

So, I am trying to decide if I want to do half and half, or whatever. 

Also, I had read somewhere that putting a bunch of clean glass beads (those big fattened round ones) in the bottom of the incubator could help temperatures stay more steady.  I think this was another mistake.  The incubator was holding a good steady temp, I put in the glass beads, the temp plummeted and hasn't gone back up all the way.  Why?  Why would it do that?  So, as of last night, I kept slightly increasing the temp watching if the temp was correct yet.


(My incubator has a heating element that is a wafer and is adjusted by turning a screw.  No cool "two degrees higher please" button).

I am going to wait another hour or two..and if the temp is still way off, I will take out all of the beads, then wait another hour or two, and then HOPEFULLY actually put the eggs INSIDE the incubator!  (but guesses as to why the glass beads would have messed everything up would be welcome.  I *DO* have children, but they have told me that they didn't touch anything )

And the reason that I wanted to try the beads is that my house does NOT stay at a steady temp, and I was hoping to keep things in the incubator a bit steadier.

I am putting in....(now I need to go back and count) 19 Black Copper Marans (English), 2 Olive eggers, and one gorgeous blue egg that will produce another olive egger.

Most of the Marans eggs are *SO* dark that I am not so sure I will be able to see anything!

Also, the seller said that she had found, that the darker the egg, the thicker the shell, and the more difficult it is for the chicks to hatch on their own.  Anyone else have this?

No experience with most of this, but I do have a suggestion on how to position the eggs. I've seen it done in egg cartons- sideways. It's easier to turn in the cartons than the wire screen (if that's what you have in yours) and it also may be quicker since they won't be rolling around). I wanted to do this but just decided to go with putting them on the screen. Next time, ill definitely use the carton! I hope the temp stabilizes for you so you can set your eggs! I've never heard glass beads, I've always heard rocks. I've had good luck with mine, I always keep weight on top of mine (it's styrofoam and catches a draft easily), and it has evened out for me quite quickly after I open it to turn eggs! Good luck!!!!

 

[Wrightsx4]

If the glass beads were room temp or cooler before beinf put in then it'll take a while to come back up - they'll bring the temp down until the beads reach 100° just like they'll keep the heat up once warmed. My incubator took a while to recover after adding rocks that were room temp.
Yeah I agree - wait to candle until day 7. Air cells are usually obvious but sometimes they're hard to see early on in either really fresh eggs or shipped eggs.

 

[Wrightsx4]

Alaskan - if you're going to hatch upright and your eggs aren't obvious which end is bigger, try to see the air cell - that should tell you which is the fat end. Hope you can see it in yours!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Another thought on the glass beads... there are hot spots and cool spots in most all incubators, even ones with a fan. When you add rocks, beads, etc it helps even out the temp in those areas. Maybe your beginning thermometer reading was in a warmer area and it's now evened out...?

 

[Alaskan]

wrights, you have helped ease my mind! Thanks!

 

[Wrightsx4]

I will have panic moments too - I always do while incubating. Last time I mapped temperatures of every egg location so I knew where my temps were high and low... it was sooooo incredibly consistent. Then around day 14 those little eggs started producing their own heat...panic began... do I measure air temp, shell temp, average the two??? Lol! I was up all night taking temperatures with my probe thermometer. My daughter was ten at the time, said "mom, it's running perfectly just like yesterday, leave it alone." It's a homemade so there's no manual to refer to

 

[Alaskan]

Oh, how funny!

That is the sort of thing I need to hear!

I know that mine doesn't keep a perfectly even temperature, but I have had successful hatches, so I know I shouldn't have such a fit every time it is off by one degree.

But it is HARD to get myself to just calm down!

 

[Wrightsx4]

Been there! Hahaha. That was my test run after we built it for fun. Had a great hatch too. Now... where to put the thermometer this time...(broody hen)...

 

[Alaskan]

I can just see it!

You need to make a backpack kind of harness to hold the device, and then the probe dangles just a bit from her tummy!