Need Help Incubating

[sgt pepper]

I know absolutly nothing about hatching. I am using a hovabator, with an egg turner. Chicks were due today, i am wondering if i kept my temp too high, I maintained 100 degrees. I see talk of candleing, and no i didn't and don't know how.. I gathered eggs for 4 days, kept them on a shelf in the back room. Should I have turned them during that 4 day storage?
We also noticed a sulfur smell about half way into the hatch time. I kinda thought this wasen't a good sign

Getting ready to try this again in a few days any suggestions would be a big help.

thanks

 

[babsbag]

I am not sure about turning them during storage, but I THINK the answer is yes.

Don't give up yet, they sometimes hatch late. Day 23 or 24 is not unheard of.

The temp is fine for an incubator with a fan, and they say 101 for one without a fan.

The sulphur smell is bad, that means one of the eggs is rotten and can explode, I am not kidding so you need to get it out of there. You need to do the sniff test and see which egg it is.

To candle an egg you take it in a dark room and shine a VERY bright light through it. An LED flashllight works well. You may have to hold the egg at an angle to get the light through it just right. You will be able to see veins at first and by this time you will see a very dark blob that fills most of the egg. You may see it move. There is a sticky at the beginning of the incubating and hatching section on BYC that will show you pictures.

What has your humidity been at? Do you have the vents open on the incubator? They need to be open and you need the humidity around 65-75% the last 3 days. Around 40% the first 18 days.

 

[Bat Cave Silkies]

You do need to turn the eggs while they're waiting to go in the incubator. I store mine in a cardboard egg carton, in a cool, dark place. I elevate one end of the carton on a rock--reverse it everyday. Also, the stored eggs need to be LARGE end up.

 

[sgt pepper]

Well I have candled about 10 eggs of 36 last night , all looked clear, considering they were due to hatch friday, i am gonna discard this batch and try again. I am wondering if considering the ambient humidity here in s.w Missouri is usually above 40 % (today 65%) if adding the water to the trough was a mistake? Gonna start checking eggs to be sure of fertility, and then try again. Thanbks for your help.

 

[sgt pepper]

Going to be try for the second time in the next week or so, when loading the egg turner... is it important which end (small or large) points down?

 

[CANDLE98]

Yes the large end is up and the pointy end is down. Reason is, there is an air pocket in the large end that the chicks pip into when they are about to hatch and get their first breath of air. Good luck with your next hatch!

 

[sgt pepper]

My first hatch had no chance

poor chicks