My 1st hatch setting eggs 3/6

[zekii]

Well I picked up 8 eggs free from a friend, so I am going to try these in my Hovabator that I retrofited with a fan kit.
I'm not out much $s if these don't hatch and I mess something up, but this will let me test out my incubator.
Will post pictures has the incubation progresses and hopefully have some chicks hatch sometime around March 27 - 28th if all goes well. I'll probably candle around day 12 to see if I can tell if the eggs look viable.
So wish me luck

 

[Emmalion]

WOOT! Good luck it seems like a lot of us have chick fever right now

 

[zekii]

Took awhile to get the incubator temps up to where I wanted.... eggs went in tonight

here goes !!!

 

[midget_farms]

lookin good!

Start thinking about how you want to bring the humidity up for the final 3 days or so. I've only hatched 1 other batch but my humidity was @ 50% at hatch & I had awful results. H should be around 70% for lock down.

its all about surface area - maybe keep a number of extra sponges around.

 

[zekii]

Quote:
Good too know ... but actually right now I am chasing my humidity around, the house is dry I heat with wood, so I soaked the two half sponges but they
went dry fairly quickly. I read 70% for a couple hours, but this morning my humidity was 35%, so right now I don't think the sponges are going to provide enough moisture I put a teaspoon of water in the plastic trough to see if that will keep the humidity where I want it. Temps & humidity will be tough too control right now since the weather outside is still crazy temperature swings ... etc.

 

[midget_farms]

I know - its tough to keep everything steady.

But the eggs will be ok if things jump around as long as the temp doesn't spike.

You want them a little dryer for the first 18 days anyway - some of the water in the eggs has to evaporate for there to be air for the chick to breath right at hatch.

But - the last 3 days or so it has to be high or they will stick in the shell - don't ask how I learned this!

In any case - plan on filling all your plastic troughs & sponges & anything else that will fit in there that the new chicks cant fall into (don't ask how I learned that either) & you will be fine.

Good luck!

 

[zekii]

We'll just my luck the violent storm we had come thru last night caused us too lose power today about 6 hours, the lowest temp recorded in the bator was 56 degrees. This afternoon I have the incubator at 99.5F and 44% humidity so I think I'm getting a handle on regulating this incubator.

 

[zekii]

Performed my 1st candling ever last night....

Candled last night at day 14
One of the brown eggs was a definite clear, broke it open, egg was fine, probably not fertile.

The other 6 brown eggs had a very dark area near the top of the egg, so I'm hoping these are developing.
The one green-blue egg I could not see thru with my nine LED light ... so what type of light might work better for these color eggs ?
Onward we go to lockdown in 4 days.

 

[fanov8]

Hi! I just saw your thread, I set my eggs on the 7th. Isn't it an awesome feeling to see that the eggs are developing?! All of my eggs are from EE's so I really can't tell much with them. It's about to drive me absolutely bonkers! Anywho, just wanted to say Hi! Hope you don't mind if I tag along with you!

 

[zekii]

Quote:
Jaime,
Don't mind if you tag along at all

... hope you have a good hatch.
I'll post my updates on this thread for this my 1st hatch.

Clint