March 2017! Hatch with us!

[Jessimom]

What do y'all think about the advice "put them in the fridge" if they will be chilled for more than 2 hours, in order to suspend development? The article claims that if they are to chill during the first 7 days of incubation they are better off being cold rather than cooled, it makes no mention of how long you would leave them in the fridge?

I don't know, my broody was off her eggs and sitting on the wrong nest a couple of months ago for a few hours and it was probably 60 degrees out and they all survived, I think they were in the 2nd week, so hmm...

Too late now though, as soon as I found them I turned them and plugged it right back in.

My Brinsea has a "cool" option. Shortest period you can choose is 60 minutes. I find if I cool during the first 2 weeks, I have better, stronger hatches.The only time I noticed it cooling was when I walked in and it was 85 degrees and I was trying to figure out what went wrong, when it suddenly started warming up again, and I remembered.

Well, I set 63 eggs and 1 egg o meter into my Brinsea 40. I love jigsaw puzzles! :Let's hope these eggs that hit one or two extra sorting stations on their journey to me aren't too scrambled. Go chickies GO!!!!

 

[dannyelle123]

Good to know... What temp does it cool to, or does it shut off completely for 60 mins? @Jessimom LOL I hadn't been anxious about this hatch until it happened, now I can't wait until Day 10 when I plan to do the 1st candle. It is 68 in my house but the bator managed to stay at 72, but the eggs felt cold.

@Mylied The article is talking about prolonged periods of cooling and that suspending them with cold is better than be suspended at say 75 or 85. But you're right I don't think that it would have been a good idea as it was only 3 hours and I can guestimate they stayed pretty warm the 1st hour or so... I don't think much harm will come from it and it was probably more traumatizing for me than the eggs.

 

[angieangie]

I am actually testing a theory that is somewhat new. So I read that girl embryos can handle cold better, and they were doing studies along this line. I put my eggs in the fridge for 4 days at 40* this is in theory supposed to stop Roos from growing. And either I just happen to pick all the female eggs or this theory is possibly not true since all are growing, except 2 I think are quitters. But this was supposed to stop the males from even starting. Who knows, I guess I will have to wait and see. Maybe if they are all pullets I will have to buy some extra lotto tickets.

 

[dannyelle123]

I am actually testing a theory that is somewhat new. So I read that girl embryos can handle cold better, and they were doing studies along this line. I put my eggs in the fridge for 4 days at 40* this is in theory supposed to stop Roos from growing. And either I just happen to pick all the female eggs or this theory is possibly not true since all are growing, except 2 I think are quitters. But this was supposed to stop the males from even starting. Who knows, I guess I will have to wait and see. Maybe if they are all pullets I will have to buy some extra lotto tickets.

I read about that too, I also read that you have to incubate at .5 degrees cooler? I think if there was any merit to it- we'd all be doing it by now!

 

[Jessimom]

Good to know... What temp does it cool to, or does it shut off completely for 60 mins? @Jessimom LOL I hadn't been anxious about this hatch until it happened, now I can't wait until Day 10 when I plan to do the 1st candle. It is 68 in my house but the bator managed to stay at 72, but the eggs felt cold.

@Mylied The article is talking about prolonged periods of cooling and that suspending them with cold is better than be suspended at say 75 or 85. But you're right I don't think that it would have been a good idea as it was only 3 hours and I can guestimate they stayed pretty warm the 1st hour or so... I don't think much harm will come from it and it was probably more traumatizing for me than the eggs.

I think it says it stops heating, it doesn't shut down,, to simulate a hen getting off the nest each day. I don't think the chicks get off for a full 60 minutes, but I would think that a hen getting up in cold weather will cool the egg down faster than my sealed incubator - thus cooling for a full hour.

I hope that you see lots of nice veins in your first candle! When is day 10 for you?

 

[dannyelle123]

OMGosh and I just remembered something else I was reading about playing with temperature- I think it was that cooling them to 40 turns the would be males into females??? But that all offspring from such females would be boys... Maybe that's why they are all developing!

 

[dannyelle123]

I think it says it stops heating, it doesn't shut down,, to simulate a hen getting off the nest each day. I don't think the chicks get off for a full 60 minutes, but I would think that a hen getting up in cold weather will cool the egg down faster than my sealed incubator - thus cooling for a full hour.

I hope that you see lots of nice veins in your first candle! When is day 10 for you?

Day 10 will be the 15th

 

[lilwildrabbit]

Tha

Day 10 will be the 15th

Its my lockdown day lol

 

[Mylied]

I am actually testing a theory that is somewhat new. So I read that girl embryos can handle cold better, and they were doing studies along this line. I put my eggs in the fridge for 4 days at 40* this is in theory supposed to stop Roos from growing. And either I just happen to pick all the female eggs or this theory is possibly not true since all are growing, except 2 I think are quitters. But this was supposed to stop the males from even starting. Who knows, I guess I will have to wait and see. Maybe if they are all pullets I will have to buy some extra lotto tickets.

This isn't true. I've refrigerated my eggs all three times until I set them and I still get 50/50 male and female. You definitely can not change their sex with cold. They have set sexes at fertilization just like humans ( xx xy). I've read countless forum posts about people experimenting with temp and sexes. What it seems like is if you set the temp lower during incubation then the boys tend to die in the shell. But that was only random people doing it and it didn't always work, no real successful studies. If it were true, hatcheries would do it

 

[yeye5]

I am actually testing a theory that is somewhat new. So I read that girl embryos can handle cold better, and they were doing studies along this line. I put my eggs in the fridge for 4 days at 40* this is in theory supposed to stop Roos from growing. And either I just happen to pick all the female eggs or this theory is possibly not true since all are growing, except 2 I think are quitters. But this was supposed to stop the males from even starting. Who knows, I guess I will have to wait and see. Maybe if they are all pullets I will have to buy some extra lotto tickets.

Please keep us posted on this! I just Love these sorts of theories and tests!
I recently bought organic brown free range eggs, for eating purposes. I got home and noticed one was chipped so I used it to practice removing the shell (the assist hatch fire drill) before eating it. It went so-so with my new attempted skill set but there was zero harm in trying it. When I put the egg into a bowl in the kitchen I looked it over. My eyes play tricks especially when I Want to see something but it looked like it might have been fertilized.These eggs had also been chilled/refridgerated. With just 4 of the 6 I bought left it wouldn't amount to much of a science project but if I get another broody and not enough eggs to brood (due to predator issues, long story) I may try giving the hen the remainder of the eggs.