Losing about one per day ... :*(

[KimberlyJ]

Food for thought..........A Broody hen does not have a candle.

 

[sourland]

Candle at days 10 and 17 and leave them alone the rest of the time.

 

[Olive Hill]

Agreed. You're handling the eggs way too much. Shut the incubator and walk away.

 

[kcaywood]

Thanks, everyone - okay, I will stop candling every night. I will resist the temptation. I hope I haven't killed them all. I am getting more in this week, and I won't candle until Day 16. Or at Day 10 and 17. I don't have an automatic turner, unfortunately.

BatCaveSilkies, I knew they were dead because the veins were no longer as defined, the blood had started to coagulate, and there was no more movement. Believe me, I waited and waited and watched before I came to that conclusion. The Andalusian eggs are white and so are very easy to candle.

Jeslewmazer, sounds like you're having a rough first hatch too. Good luck to you!

 

[MuranoFarms]

You said this is your first hatching attempt. Did you buy your incubator new or used? I'm thinking about possible bacteria contamination from a used bator that wasn't properly cleaned. If it's new, then no worries.

 

[kcaywood]

It's a brand new Hovabator. But maybe my hands brought in bacteria .... sigh.

 

[Jonny]

Thanks for all the good comments on this thread! First time hatcher for me too. Can I ask you, you say do not handle the egg so much.. it makes sense.
How often do you turn your eggs? So far I've turned them 5 times per day. I'm on day 12 and the eggs are doing great! Should I stop turning the eggs so often until day 18? And also, do you stop turning the eggs after day 17 or after day 18?

 

[Olive Hill]

No, you shouldn't stop turning them. Turning should be done no less than 3 times daily, more often is beneficial to the hatch in many cases so five times daily isn't necessarily overboard. Most people use an auto-turner, but for those that are hand turning touching the eggs is a must. Just don't be candling them every day, turn them and forget about it. The more you're fidgeting with them that is not absolutely needed the more you have the opportunity to mess things up. I know it's hard when you're excited, but take as hands-off approach as you can.

 

[Jonny]

Quote:
Thanks for great reply. I'll keep turning them 5 times per day!

 

[muddstopper]

I candle on day 22 or 23 only. The way I see it, if only one of the eggs out of ever how many I set, is living, the incubator is going to be on for the entire 21 days. I have had eggs i thought where not developeing when I candled early, only to hatch on day 21 anyways. So much for my candleing skills. If the incubator is going to run for 21 days anyways, why throw out any possible's or maybies. When the eggs hatch, they usually hatch all at the same time or within just a few hours of each other. If after a majority of the eggs have hatched and I still have a few that havent, I will candle to see whats going on, and only then start throwing eggs out. I have gotten live chicks out of the trash after thinking the egg wasnt going to hatch. My wife reminds me of that one everytime I start getting antcey about emptying the bator. Nothing like hearing, "are you sure? are you sure? are you sure?" , over and over again.