Never incubated with success, I have a couple questions.

[gypsymoonfarm]

1. The eggs are all in these egg cups that are built into the incubator. What do I do when they hatch out? It is an automatic turning one with water wells underneath the egg tray.

2. If I keep the chicks on my porch, which is not climate controlled, do I still need a heat lamp in the summer?

3. How do I know if the eggs are bad? Most of them have a webbing of veins. 3 have one single vein that runs around the egg but doesn't spread out.

 

[CapricornFarm]

a couple days before they hatch you unplug the turners. Yes, baby chicks need to be at 90 plus all the time, but you can use regular light bulbs in summer, and if the chicks have space they can just go where they feel comfortable. If the eggs are bad, they stink. If you candle them and see a blood ring, I think that means they are no good. A webbing of veins is a good sign

 

[1AcreRooster]

There should be some type of floor when you take the turner out at lockdown.

It's hot here in FL but I keep a light in one end of the brooder on at night, they usually sleep under it, although its not a heat buld, just a regular one

That single vein may be a blood ring, not sure though

 

[ReikiStar]

1. Lockdown happens on the 18th day thru Day 21 (or when they hatch). Take the eggs out of the turner (remove the turner entirely) and let them lay on their sides. Raise your humidity to about 70%. It's best to have something underneath the eggs like a paper towel or something to catch the debris the hatching process will create. Clean up will be easier. Don't open the incubator (hence the term Lockdown) until they've hatched. You can remove fully dried off chicks, even if there are other eggs yet to hatch.

2. Chicks need 95 degrees their first week, and 5 degrees less until they are able to handle 70 degrees. So yes, provide a heat source but your brooder should be large enough that if they don't want the heat, they can move away from it. Make sure your brooder is covered if they will be outside, so cats or raccoons can't get to your chicks.

3. Candling the eggs every 5 days or so will let you know how they are progressing. You want to see the air cell get larger as well as the chick will get larger and less light will pass through the egg. The 3 with the single vein don't sound viable. You could keep them in the incubator to be sure, but do a daily sniff test (hopefully through vents in the incubator, you don't want to be opening the incubator daily just to do this) or watch to see if they start to "weep"...little bumps of moisture or yellow yolk will appear on the outside of the shell. Throw those away immediately.

Good luck!

 

[gypsymoonfarm]

Thanks for all the advice!