My eggs are here!

[farmgirlie1031]

I got 30 and only one was broken. I later found a cracked one but all the others look okay. The order was for 24 plus extras. I am so happy! I'm crossing my fingers for a hatch. This is my first time incubating eggs and now I have White Showgirl Silkies, Red Long-Tailed Phoenix, Cream Brabanter, Black Sumatra, and a few Araucana/Americauna in the bator. All are purebreds except the Araucana/Americauna. They are a mix of both types running together. Fingers crossed! I hope I get a hatch.

 

[peruvian_princess]

I will be rooting for you! Keep us posted!

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I'm so sad. I got 2 Phoenix and 1 EE baby to hatch. All the other eggs never developed or started to develop and then died. I now have more eggs in the bator but I am so scared. I have some more chicken eggs in there and some pheasant and quinea eggs are due to arrive today to put in there. I'm not sure what happened. I have the book about raising poultry and for one of the problems it said I had too high temps and another problem it said too low temps. Or it could have been either too high humidity or too low humidity! Yikes! I hope I get these new eggs right so I can have a better hatch rate. Even though I have 3 chicks I feel like such a failure and I was a Summa Cum Luade from the university with a 3.9 GPA! Now I have earned myself a big FAT F for failure!

 

[Jubaby]

Don't be so hard on yourself. Hatching is a tricky business, especially with shipped eggs. Consider this first hatch a learning experience and make the adjustments needed.

So give us some info about what type of incubator you have, what your temps and humidity levels were reading, etc. Maybe some folks here will have some suggestions for you.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I have a used Hovabator. The temp stayed at 99.5 the whole time which is what the sticker on it said to use for all hatching eggs. It was purchased in 2000 and used 2x according to the person I got it from. I'm wondering if it's too old and I need a new one.

 

[Peeps]

My neighbor uses a hovabator that is over 15 yrs old. So I don't think it is too old.

 

[peruvian_princess]

Sorry to hear your sad news. Maybe you just got a bad batch of eggs. Dont be so hard on yourself as the saying goes if at first you dont succeed try & try again.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I guess it's ok. It was my first hatch and the eggs were shipped. I even got a fuzzy footed one I love those things.

Here is one of the 3 in the brooder.

 

[Vamp-A-Billy Princess]

Cute baby. I am hatching frizzle polish and sizzles. I'm on day 5

 

[chicken legs]

angelandspot- I know how you feel- I called everyone in the State Agricultural Department after only 4 of my 12 hatched with my first hatch. I wanted to know why? why? why? I learned I had to lower my expectations. There were some percentages they gave that helped me to feel better. Atleast 2 pipped and couldn't get out of the shell. And one died hours after and I felt horrible about that. I have heard eggs sent in mail can be tricky and there may have been some that were just infertile. I know it's hard not feel bad but try not to. I spoke with a president of a chicken association recently who I was looking to purchase eggs from and he was having problems too. Of 160 eggs incubated, 8 hatched! And he was looking to make money off of them which tells me he would really try his best to get good hatches! This was a breeder, someone with over 30 years of experience

Okay? So as far as your intelligence. You are smart. The eggs hatched have nothing to do with it. Dang 3.9 after 4 years is really an accomplishment!