May Hatch-a-Long!

[COsteveo]

I'm having trouble with humidity. I use a shot glass so hardly any surface area at all, but it's enough to get over 60%. If I take it out, it settles down around 35%. Probably better higher than lower at this altitude, but I'm stumped on how to stay around 45% or so without having to open up all the time. I'm only on day 3 so hopefully I have time to figure it out.

 

[Farmer Viola]

I'm having trouble with humidity. I use a shot glass so hardly any surface area at all, but it's enough to get over 60%. If I take it out, it settles down around 35%. Probably better higher than lower at this altitude, but I'm stumped on how to stay around 45% or so without having to open up all the time. I'm only on day 3 so hopefully I have time to figure it out.

35% is where I like it for the first 18 days. I remove both vent plugs to keep it this low. plugging the vents will increase the humidity, if you have them in.
I don't add any water til day 19 (dry incubation method). by increasing the humidity, the evaporation of the eggs is slowed down. this can sometimes result in too much water/liquid in the egg at hatch time. it is better to encourage evaporation by keeping humidity on the lower end, as low as 25% is acceptable without adding water.

 

[Jekajo80]

Candled my eggs last night: all 7 are doing wonderfully!!! I have been misting them everyday. Any one have any thoughts on the subject?? Is it necessary for duck eggs??

My grandmother use to just use her fingers and sprinkle warm water on hers, so that's what I'm doing with mine. Day 12 and my little embryos are still growing and quite active, so I gotta be doing something right. And my still air incubator is not the greatest, but she always had luck with the ducks. I wouldn't use it for chickens though.

 

[Kelsykin]

I decided today to try my mini mag light to candle the eggs, rather than the candler I got with my incubator. I actually got to see movement in turkey eggs and in the dark green duck eggs.

 

[Deb B]

Finally candled the 24 eggs I set. Of the 11 Welsummers, 10 are doing great, one was infertile. Of the 5 Olive Eggers, 4 of the five look great, one has such a dark shell I really can't see anything inside (I'm using a flash light with LEDs). Unfortunately, of the 8 Wheaten Ameraucana's I set, none have developed. They don't appear to be fertile. I'm a bit perplexed, because right before I collected them for hatching I checked fertility on those chickens and saw nice "bulls eyes" on the yolk and I've definitely seen the rooster doing his duty with those two. Both of them are pullets and have only been laying for 1 1/2 months. Do you think that might have been the problem?

Oh well, gives me an excuse to set more eggs a little later in the summer

. But for now, it seems I still have 15 on track.

 

[KuroKitsune]

back one the 21st or 22nd i gave my lf barred cochin hen 8 eggs from my duccle's and 7 are deffiantly growing...number eight was given a couple days later so i candle again in a week and see then if number 8 is growing too.

i also have a duccle hen that sitting on 5 eggs but she's only been one them a few days so will have to wait a bit more to see anything.


Ferdie my serama apparently do his thing well with his girls since there such a high fertility rate.


if these hatch they all will be serama/duccle crosses...and if they are anything like the chick that hatched out under my serama hen they are going to be the most adorable little chicks.


due date for the eggs under the cochin is may 12th or 13th and the duccle is around the 16th...but they'll probably hatch early as the baby my serama hatched hatched a day early and ended up a easter baby.

 

[foxygoober]

Tossed 3 eggs tonight. They had one red line when opened....def early quitters...right? Googled some images and they didn't look like day 7 eggs should. I have 3 more that I wasn't sure about, but left them in the bator. Seemed like I saw a bunch of great eggs and then a whole bunch of questionable ones. 15 eggs in there now.

 

[Kelsykin]

Current count in the bator 21 turkey eggs and 9 duck eggs. Started with a total of 50 eggs. Down to 30. The eggs from one source never developed. So not sure if I should even count those. None of them were fertile.

 

[Chuckfriedrice]

Im in for May ! 8 Leghorn eggs ( mixed california whites and brown leghorn ) and 2 from are Easter egger ( just wanna see what her mixed off spring will look like ) .



Cant wait Just got 6 Polish chicks, 1 Royal Palm Turkey and 6 Fawn and White Runner Ducks as well cant wait to breed these guys .

 

[mollybuck]

turned my bator on last night! eggs should be here tomorrow or thurs! I cant wait!