Last minute incubating!

CCUK

Free Flying
Jan 21, 2018
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North Notts, UK
My Coop
My Coop
I've had a Brahma that has been hardcore broody for the past week. She's been in and out the cage and wouldn't break. So I broke and thought you know what I'm gonna put some eggs under her. So I spent all day trying to find brahma hatching eggs. Nothing, nowhere, nada. I could order some online but with her already being broody for the past week I wanted some now! I have a friend with Araucanas so ended up getting 8 eggs!
Anyway I get home and guess who's not broody anymore! So I've set up the incubator in the kitchen and it's warming up as I type! I've never hatched chickens before only quail. I have the incubator set at 37.5C and in yet to add water to set humidity. I'm trying to get it between 40-50%. It's at 30% now with no water in.
Only a few questions. Firstly should I clean the eggs? They are mostly clean but there is a bit of poop on one and two others have a bit of mud on. Not much just a bit from a chickens foot.
Secondly if my brahma becomes broody again could I put these eggs under her when they've been in the incubator?
 
I've had a Brahma that has been hardcore broody for the past week. She's been in and out the cage and wouldn't break. So I broke and thought you know what I'm gonna put some eggs under her. So I spent all day trying to find brahma hatching eggs. Nothing, nowhere, nada. I could order some online but with her already being broody for the past week I wanted some now! I have a friend with Araucanas so ended up getting 8 eggs!
Anyway I get home and guess who's not broody anymore! So I've set up the incubator in the kitchen and it's warming up as I type! I've never hatched chickens before only quail. I have the incubator set at 37.5C and in yet to add water to set humidity. I'm trying to get it between 40-50%. It's at 30% now with no water in.
Only a few questions. Firstly should I clean the eggs? They are mostly clean but there is a bit of poop on one and two others have a bit of mud on. Not much just a bit from a chickens foot.
Secondly if my brahma becomes broody again could I put these eggs under her when they've been in the incubator?
brush off the poop. You do not need to wash them
Humidity should be between 35 and 45%. Add water to one tank. If it goes above 40, don't fret it. Wait until humidity goes back down to 30% again before adding more water to the tank. It will likely take a bit more than 2 days to go down

Setting up for hatching is on day 18. If you have an auto turner, take it out and then either set the eggs onto the wire or hatch in cut down egg cartons. I like the egg cartons but others like the wire. For not shipped eggs it does not really matter. Shipped eggs should be in cartons
 
Thanks. I've cleaned the eggs best I can without getting them wet. I've just added a little water to up the humidity a bit. Last time I used this incubator I couldn’t get the humidity below 60% so I dry incubated even with high humidity. But that was with quails. I have some non slip kitchen roll to put the eggs on at lockdown. Hopefully it will settle down by tomorrow and I can put eggs in.
 
Thanks. I've cleaned the eggs best I can without getting them wet. I've just added a little water to up the humidity a bit. Last time I used this incubator I couldn’t get the humidity below 60% so I dry incubated even with high humidity. But that was with quails. I have some non slip kitchen roll to put the eggs on at lockdown. Hopefully it will settle down by tomorrow and I can put eggs in.
As the incubator heats up, humidity should go down. I have used this

Humidity cup.jpg
to get humidity up just a little bit. It fits into the side of the incubator
 
I set eggs in my incubator on Apr 13. My hen went broody on Apr.13 I waited 3 days and night she didn't move. So I slipped some of my eggs under her she is still setting, so I guess time will tell.
 
Good luck! I hope it goes well. Sods law my broody stops being broody the day I get her some eggs! Luckily I've got the incubator. Never used it for chicken eggs though.
 
Well the incubator has been running empty for nearly 24hrs. The temperature has been fluctuating between 37.0c & 37.5c. The humidity was 40% I put a very small amount of water in and it went up to 53%. Is this OK to put the eggs in or should I get the humidity down? Should I set the temperature a little higher to keep it at 37.5 avg?
 
Well the incubator has been running empty for nearly 24hrs. The temperature has been fluctuating between 37.0c & 37.5c. The humidity was 40% I put a very small amount of water in and it went up to 53%. Is this OK to put the eggs in or should I get the humidity down? Should I set the temperature a little higher to keep it at 37.5 avg?
37C is only about 98F 37.5 is 99.5F does your incubator have a fan? With a fan it needs to be 99.5F

EDIT to add try to keep it at 37.5C
 

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