New to Incubator

[mrchaos101]

So I have read here in the threads that I can pull eggs in the house and collect them for 2-3 weeks (to get enough) before I put them incubator. I just purchased a 48 egg incubator off eBay.

My chicken population has dropped over the last few years and the birds are getting older. I once had 24 eggs a day. Now I'm down to about 4.

I bought 9 Buff O's but they are way too young to lay. I also bought 4 Amaricopa's (spelling?) that do the green blue eggs. They are just now starting to lay eggs but they are very small and shells are hard. These are their first.

When I do incubate my own eggs, do I need to clean the poop off them? If so, what is the recommended method?

Also, this thing has an auto turner in it. Once eggs start to hatch...isn't that dangerous for the chicks? I know you're not supposed to open the lid to keep humidity in there and keep eggs soft...but do I just leave the chicks in there with that thing cranking?

 

[lazy gardener]

I'd suggest that you go to the top bar, hit the Learning Center tab, and then go to hatching eggs and raising chicks. Read "Hatching eggs 101". It will answer all of these questions and even questions you haven't even thought to ask first. Should be required reading for anyone contemplating hatching eggs. I can't say enough about all of the helpful information you'll get from this series of articles. I wish you the best with your hatch!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

So I have read here in the threads that I can pull eggs in the house and collect them for 2-3 weeks (to get enough) before I put them incubator. I just purchased a 48 egg incubator off eBay.

My chicken population has dropped over the last few years and the birds are getting older. I once had 24 eggs a day. Now I'm down to about 4.

I bought 9 Buff O's but they are way too young to lay. I also bought 4 Amaricopa's (spelling?) that do the green blue eggs. They are just now starting to lay eggs but they are very small and shells are hard. These are their first.

When I do incubate my own eggs, do I need to clean the poop off them? If so, what is the recommended method?

Also, this thing has an auto turner in it. Once eggs start to hatch...isn't that dangerous for the chicks? I know you're not supposed to open the lid to keep humidity in there and keep eggs soft...but do I just leave the chicks in there with that thing cranking?

Well, to start, most people won't set eggs older than a week. The most quoted recommendation is 10 days or less and most people agree that over two weeks significantly lowers the hatch rates.

As for cleaning them, again, most people, will not do more than wipe any excess dirt or poo off the egg for fear of removing the "bloom" of the egg. However, it is not a good idea to set extrememly soiled eggs either.

It's best to remove the turner at lockdown and lay them flat as yes, there's a higher probability that they will get hurt on the turner. As for when to take the chicks out, that's purely an individual decision. I remove mine as they hatch and start being active. Some wait until they are dry and fluffy and others leave them in until the hatch is complete. If you have your humidity up 70%+ you shouldn't have a problem if you choose to take them out before the hatch is done. (Humidity-during hatch-keeps the membranes from drying out so they do not dry out and glue around the chicks.)

I also recommend the hatching 101 thread for hatching as well as this thread for understanding/controlling humidity: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

 

[TytoAlba]

I'd suggest that you go to the top bar, hit the Learning Center tab, and then go to hatching eggs and raising chicks. Read "Hatching eggs 101". It will answer all of these questions and even questions you haven't even thought to ask first. Should be required reading for anyone contemplating hatching eggs. I can't say enough about all of the helpful information you'll get from this series of articles. I wish you the best with your hatch!

No offense to the person who wrote it, but I find the "Hatching 101" article nearly impossible to read because the font changes size and color constantly and all the text is center-justified. I wish someone would reformat the whole thing to make the organization clearer.

 

[lazy gardener]

The changing font and color, as I recall is because it is a compilation of very helpful articles written over time, and ? by different authors. It's well worth the time.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The changing font and color, as I recall is because it is a compilation of very helpful articles written over time, and ? by different authors. It's well worth the time.

I agree.