My first incubating experience

[salahzantout]

mine are on their 13th day, now things are going quite good for me. However, I would like to note that you can make sure that you hygrometer is working right by the salt solution, salt when added to little water gives a constant humidity ratio number that I do not remember , its a test for checking if you hygrometer works well, just google it, find the number and test it...

 

[mlaff]

Thanks. So far things are good. The fan is working wonders in the incubator. It has only fluctuated between 99 and 100. The humidity has been going steady too the last 3 days. I've decided to wait until day 6 to candle. Well maybe. Lol don't know if I can make it that long.

 

[12321]

HI, I just saw your thread. We just set eggs yesterday too. It will be our second hatch. Did you candle before you put them in? Were they shipped eggs? What humidity are you starting at?

 

[mlaff]

They are shipped eggs. I didn't bother to candle them. I will wait until day six to do it because you can't see much in the eggs since they aren't a white egg. I started with about 45-50% humidity because that is what I have seen on here while searching through posts. I have been fighting with my incubator for about an hour to keep the temp right. Don't think I will get much sleep tonight. I'm just hoping something hatches this time. It's funny because when my friend incubated eggs for us last year she didn't pay attention to humidity or lockdown and she had 5/18 hatch. I was like a hawk with my first one and nothing. Guess its just my luck. At least I know that if these don't work I can start using my own in a couple of weeks when my girls start laying.

 

[mlaff]

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I ended up not waiting and candled last night. It was only early in day 4 but I could see veins in 8 out of the 12 so far. My girls were really excited. I had to fight the other night to keep the temp just right but now it is running steady with not much variation. Now I just have to wait the next 16 days to see if everything ends up going ok on hatch day.

 

[12321]

I'm trying to wait till day 7 for candling. We didn't mark the air cells this time, but will when we candle. We're going to do everything the same as our first hatch. Running humidity between 32 and 42%. These are shipped eggs and at least 1 had a detached air cell, a couple I couldn't tell. There are 15 welsummers and 6 easter eggers

 

[mlaff]

I didn't mark the air cells either. I was trying to wait until today before I candled but couldn't resist. Lol. 8 of them are definitely developing. The other 4 are to dark to tell yet. But I bet your eggs are a lot darker than mine.

 

[12321]

How are they looking? Lockdown tomorrow right?

 

[mlaff]

Well, I'm down to 6. Two eggs started weeping an I had to take them it. Around day 14 I candled them again and got rid of 4 more. 2 weren't fertile and two quit on me. My temp ran high for a bit at 102 due to needing a better incubator. Yest afternoon I turned them and was looking at them and 3 started rocking. I got on here and looked it up to see what to do. I ended up cranking up the humidity to 65% and locking them down. What I read was the rocking was them getting into position and to just lock it down early. It could take them 4 days to hatch but I just wanted to be safe. Today there is a 4th rocking. The other two I haven't seen much from but crossing my fingers.

 

[mlaff]

How are yours doing?