Need a hatch buddy... First time and NERVOUS!!(March

[buckaroo's wife]

Quote:
Sounds like a pretty good hatch! What's your temp at?

I kept my temp right at 101 - I let my incubator run for a few days before I set the eggs. Unlike some others I've seen here, I didn't really have an issue with fluctuations in temp. It stayed pretty consistent.

 

[KZ]

I set my eggs on Saturday the 19th. This will be the first time in my new incubator. I was thinking of trying a dry hatch but the humidity is holding steady at 42% and that seems pretty darn OK to me at this point. I think a dry hatch would be closer to 35%. I will check the air cells on day 7 and then decide whether to lower the humidity. I am going to be much more scientific this hatch. I considered weighing the eggs, but I am afraid I would spend so much time with them out of the bator trying to do that correctly I would end up killing them.

Last hatch I think I was so worried about not having enough humidity I believe I ended up drowning the chicks. I kept reading Marans needed extra humidity, then I read they needed less. I should have went with the "less" school of thought. Sad

So, this should be very exciting! Always a learning experience.

 

[chicknerd]

I start on Tuesday! Cant wait! My incubator is up and warming up awaiting the arrival of the eggs. I am saving a few of my own too to see what happens.

Good luck!!!

 

[just2rosey]

Just got home with my new eggs, I drove 1 1/2 hours one way to pick them up. I would rather pay the gas than shipping. The guy was really nice and threw in an extra Wheaton Ameraucana egg

, he would have sent an extra Black Ameraucana egg, but the hens didn't provide

. Thats ok, at least I don't have any broken air cells. So, I just set 13 eggs, to go with the 7 shipped eggs that were already in the incubator. The eggs were nice and fresh, I candled and could see air cells about the size of a dime in the tops of the eggs. Good luck everyone!

 

[youngbiddy]

Quote:
Oh, I'm so sorry! I kept my humidity around 30% and freaked out on day 17 that maybe I'd mummified them because some of the air cells seemed dangerously large to me! When I candled them all on day 18 most of them were large, but not huge, and right now I've got 2 pips, both from my BCM's. We'll see.

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Oh boy! So glad I found this thread! I set my very first batch last night, too! It will be 24 brs in 45 minutes. Not that I'm counting or anything!!! I have 20 shipped eggs in my ReptiPro 5000. I ordered 12 from a super nice guy in my state and they arrived in just one day so I'm hoping that with such a quick ship they'll be ok. I couldn't believe he sent so many extras and they were all perfect! There are 3 Orpingtons, 6 Welsummers, 3 Coronation Sussex, 4 BLRW, and 4 French Black Copper Marans.

I'm so excited!!!

So question - did you guys candle before setting them? I was just reading that you should, but I didn't. I was thinking of candling in just a little bit. I won't throw any out just in case but maybe it will give me an idea of things...

Good luck everyone!

 

[nurseshelly]

buckaroo's wife :

Quote:
Sounds like a pretty good hatch! What's your temp at?

I kept my temp right at 101 - I let my incubator run for a few days before I set the eggs. Unlike some others I've seen here, I didn't really have an issue with fluctuations in temp. It stayed pretty consistent.​

Mine was up and without fluctuations for 2 1/2 days before my eggs came ... it was just for a few hours after I put my eggs in the temp went down inside of my wiggly thingy that emulates the inside temp of an egg. The thermometer on top of the eggs never changed from 101.
Michele

 

[Nimby Chickens]

Just candled last night for the first time - what an amazing experience! All but 6 of my 35 eggs seem to be developing - I am so excited! My BCM eggs are driving me crazy though - can't see a darn thing. XD The leghorns I can actually see MOVING AROUND. Incredible!

 

[donnavee]

Woke up this morning and as usual went to check the temp/humidity in the Bator - and what a surprise - 3 baby ducklings running around and cheeping!!!

I see more that are pipping too. I wasn't expecting them until Thu but went ahead and took the turner out yesterday evening - good thing. I can't wait to get them out, but I'm being patient to see if any of the others make it out.

I'll post pics later.

 

[Nimby Chickens]

I've got 12 chicks!

they hatched early. They are so cute and have so much personality.