New Brinsea /eggs due to arrive on Friday! what do I do? First time!

[chickensassy]

My new Brinsea due to arrive today and Eggs should be here on Friday...What do I do? This is my first time! I have to admit I am very very nervous with all the information on this forum I don't know If I will be able to do this...It is more than tucking some very expensive eggs in for the night! I never new that baby chicks had to fight water due to humidity! I live in East Texas and the temps are around 103-105 on average here right now. I did not choose to purchase the incubator with the humidity guage thing on it...am I in trouble here? I would like to get back to excited rather than nervous.

 

[ZooKeeperInTheMaking]

what type of brinsea is it? i have a mini eco, the manual turning type?

 

[chickensassy]

its the Brinsea eco 20

 

[heksa]

I wouldn't worry to much. Brinsea incubators will do the job for you. I used Octo 20 twice with great success. I had some kind of hydrometer with the first batch, but I wasn't sure if I was reading it correctly. It was calibrated and all, but still, it was a guessing game for me. With second batch I didn't even use the hydrometer and all my eggs hatched allright. I just made sure there was plenty of water in reservoirs at lock down.

I'm on my third batch now - 50 quail eggs one week into incubation. I pulled 7 a few days ago - a few were clear, and a few quitters. 43 are developing like crazy - lots of veins and moving around.

Good luck. I was stressed out with the first batch too, to the point that two days before hatch time and bought chicks from the feed store. I had no faith in my hatching abilities! Wrong!!! I ended up with 13 chicks on a hatch day.

 

[ebony123]

I think the best way for those chicks to live and hatch eggs is to find a good incubator and with adequate amount of food and water. I think your chicks will do just fine.

 

[chickensassy]

what are lockdown, candeling and some of these other terms mean?

 

[ZooKeeperInTheMaking]

candleing is when you hold the egg upto a light to see if the eggs are fertile, non fertile, and developing okay

lock down is the period of 2 - 3 days before hatching is due when you need to increase humidity

 

[heksa]

Quote:
Lock down is when you stop turning the eggs and increase humidity. Eggs go into lock down 3 days before they are due to hatch. You should not open the incubator at all at this time and let all the chicks hatch in there. Every time you open the lid you risk reducing humidity and shrinkwrapping the unhatched chicks.

Candling is when you use a flashlight in a dark room to see if the egg is developing. There is a sticky on this forum with pictures what you should be looking for while candling.

 

[chickensassy]

ok, how long does it take for eggs to hatch? Then I start lockdown 3 days before? Is it safe to say people handle egg before lockdown? Is that how they see "veins and development? I will seem really really dumb when I ask this...Candleing is how you see these things...how do you candle?

 

[ZooKeeperInTheMaking]

hold the light up to the egg is the most basic way to candle.. there are special devices you can buy or build your own..