May Hatch Thread--Fill up those bators n' broodies!

[Valley Girl]

I had to candle again when I turned them last night.I didn't believe what I was seeing.....been awhile.lol Where there are so many I'm just randomly picking them but I see development in a lot! Yay! Some were clear but didn't toss them.14 are from my cousin and they are different breeds,6 are B.O. and those are the ones I'm excited about. When I set the incubator up I said I was doing it for the grandchildren.......but secretly I think it's more for myself

lol

 

[jnjmanning]

It is day 7 for me and they are developing wonderfully. I had 9 delivered, 1 broke, 1 cracked, so 7 went in the bator, and 6 are definitely fertile and growing. I can see the dark spot(eye) see the beating heart. They are white eggs so I can see very well. My newly purchased eggs will be here tomorrow. If I let them rest 24 hrs, they will go in the bator on Friday. I will be covered in Polish babies!

 

[SymanSaysFarms]

Day 13 here!!! I'm trying to sit on my hands and not candle till tomorrow but it's SOOOO hard!!! I can't believe a week from tomorrow we'll be looking for pips and hopefully hearing/seeing some peeps in the bator! I can see how this process never gets old. It's just amazing how, from the outside, these eggs just look like your every day eggs... but inside there's a lot of hard work going on in there! Watching that chick pop out of its shell is like seeing your baby for the first time. Knowing I grew these babies is amazing! OK... I'm done being sentimental

 

[BearSpringsFarm]

I had to candle again when I turned them last night.I didn't believe what I was seeing.....been awhile.lol Where there are so many I'm just randomly picking them but I see development in a lot! Yay! Some were clear but didn't toss them.14 are from my cousin and they are different breeds,6 are B.O. and those are the ones I'm excited about. When I set the incubator up I said I was doing it for the grandchildren.......but secretly I think it's more for myself

lol

I know how you feel - Around mid-March I put four abandoned eggs on a heating pad - 14 days later three actually hatched - the children loved it; so, I set up an incubator up because my children got such a thrill out of having chicks around - now I think I'm hooked!! The suspense is intense - I have my first batch hatching right now (10 of 18 so far) and the next set is ready to go in on Friday.

 

[Partyfowl]

I know how you feel - Around mid-March I put four abandoned eggs on a heating pad - 14 days later three actually hatched - the children loved it; so, I set up an incubator up because my children got such a thrill out of having chicks around - now I think I'm hooked!! The suspense is intense - I have my first batch hatching right now (10 of 18 so far) and the next set is ready to go in on Friday. 

 [FLOAT=RIGHT]e [/FLOAT]​

Man. This is killing me! Between your heating pad hatch and the mystery duck casserole bowl hatch, I'm feeling like a total failure. My last 2 dozen incubated eggs have failed. Not 1 chick! Maybe I need to sell the incubators and start a more simpler method!

 

[jnjmanning]

You know what I have learned?? The more I learn, the dumber I feel! And the more panicked I feel.
My 1st hatch I set 12 eggs and 11 hatched. I knew nothing. I borrowed an incubator from a friend, instructions were fill middle section with water. On day 18 stop turning eggs and fill 2 remaining sections with water and do not open till all chicks have hatched. Place thermometer on top of eggs, keep temp at 99.5. And that was it! I did open once a day for 5-10 mins which they suggested, it mocks the momma hen getting up to eat and drink. I did candle several times, but really didnt know what I was seeing. I didnt watch air cell, I didnt watch humidity, I didnt look for blood rings.
After I gained all my knowledge, I had 3 very crappy hatchings. I was pretty discouraged. But on Easter I decided to relax and go back to what I knew in the beginning. I set 10 eggs and all 10 hatched! Now I have 6 Polish frizzle I purchased in my incubator. I am TRYING to go back to my once calm, know very little, self. But it is really hard when you have $$$$$ invested in eggs. My Tolbunt eggs will be here tomorrow and they weren't cheap!!!!

 

[BearSpringsFarm]

Man. This is killing me! Between your heating pad hatch and the mystery duck casserole bowl hatch, I'm feeling like a total failure. My last 2 dozen incubated eggs have failed. Not 1 chick! Maybe I need to sell the incubators and start a more simpler method!

Simpler may be the way to go. Take into account your normal humidity level and as long as you have a reasonable way to regulate temps then you are set. My grandpa had a hen once that got eaten while sitting on a nest of 9 eggs. He was just going to toss the eggs but I talked him into letting me have them instead (he couldn't resist - I was only 7). I put them in a bucket with some hay in the bottom - kept a wet cloth on top and put them beside the old woodstove in grandpa's living room - 8 days later I had 9 baby chicks and one amazed grandpa!! For the heating pad hatch - my mind went back to then (except I don't have a woodstove). I took a large rubbermaid container put a waterproof heating pad in the bottom and turned it on the low setting - covered that with newspaper and a hand towel - put the eggs on top - lay a wet cloth near the eggs and cover eggs and cloth with a smaller container (a clear bowl placed upside down works well) leave a gap under the smaller bowl for ventilation (I placed rolled up newspaper under one side). Cover the whole thing with the lid to the rubbermaid container, check regularly and turn eggs. It worked for me - I didn't even measure temp or humidity level. I have even heard of people hatching eggs in an electric frying pan set to 100 degrees with a small bowl of water inside and turning the eggs regularly by hand. Simple can definately be done.

 

[JanO]

Today is day 7 for the guineas, and 10 chicken eggs were added this morning. I haven't candled the guinea eggs yet, going to wait until Sat, but the suspense is killing me. I can't wait to see how they are really doing. But, temp and humidity seem to be holding well so fingers crossed that they are all doing well.

 

[Amandalea]

Just filled up my incubator!!!!

 

[Loghousemom]

Simpler may be the way to go. Take into account your normal humidity level and as long as you have a reasonable way to regulate temps then you are set. My grandpa had a hen once that got eaten while sitting on a nest of 9 eggs. He was just going to toss the eggs but I talked him into letting me have them instead (he couldn't resist - I was only 7). I put them in a bucket with some hay in the bottom - kept a wet cloth on top and put them beside the old woodstove in grandpa's living room - 8 days later I had 9 baby chicks and one amazed grandpa!! For the heating pad hatch - my mind went back to then (except I don't have a woodstove). I took a large rubbermaid container put a waterproof heating pad in the bottom and turned it on the low setting - covered that with newspaper and a hand towel - put the eggs on top - lay a wet cloth near the eggs and cover eggs and cloth with a smaller container (a clear bowl placed upside down works well) leave a gap under the smaller bowl for ventilation (I placed rolled up newspaper under one side). Cover the whole thing with the lid to the rubbermaid container, check regularly and turn eggs. It worked for me - I didn't even measure temp or humidity level. I have even heard of people hatching eggs in an electric frying pan set to 100 degrees with a small bowl of water inside and turning the eggs regularly by hand. Simple can definately be done.

Say that again?! Electric frying pans? Heating pads? Wow! Never ever ever would I have thought of those ideas! I think I need to have a discussion with my McGyver husband!