NEWBIE looking for advice and any helpful tips

[critterrun]

Hello BYC family

I am hoping to try for the first time

I am looking for advice and helpful tips

Please help a newbie

I have the incubator up and running
with the turner in it and going

all seams a go!!!!

3 thermometers all reading differnt temps

but I think they are ok just differnt hights

hoping to win some eggs on Sat

Thanks
Deb in NJ

 

[Wyogirl]

What kind of incubator???? and what kind of eggs are you getting.
It's all very exciting and watching them grow, it's like having little kids all over again , well almost
Good Luck and Welcome
Ayda

 

[gamelife]

How many eggs are you getting and what kind? I incubated some eggs earlier this year using Bill Worrell's dry incubation method with great success.

 

[critterrun]

my family got me a LG and turner for my birthday in Oct
I am hoping to get silkies and Frizzle eggs
I will know by Sat night if I won them

Thanks
Deb

 

[littleluciex]

Im checking this post on the regular, make sure you keep us informed, looking forward to hear about your experience, good luck on winning those eggs! ;-)

 

[billiejo21]

Plan on doing it often...I can't stop looking at egg auctions...I'm going to have chickens coming out my ears!!

Good luck and update on your incubation and hatching experience.

 

[rarely bored]

Deb,

My first word of advice is to do your first run in your incubator with fresh local eggs so you learn how to use your incubator without spending a lot of money on shipped eggs, which have a lower hatch rate even for the experts.

Second word of advice: do read into the dry hatch method and apply it. Do expect to weigh your eggs - your learning curve will be faster if you weigh them and you will hatch shipped eggs with greater confidence.

Third piece of advice: find a real good flashlight to learn the joy of candling, but then candle only on days 5, 10 and 18. Never throw an egg away (unless it stinks!) until day 10. I dread reading stories of people gaining experiences by cracking the eggs open to early.

and fourth... relax and have fun!

The whole process is amazing!!

 

[cmom]

Quote:

I agree... Once you do your first hatch, likely you will become addicted.

 

[critterrun]

Thanks

I have it up and running and turner is in
temp is 101.1 about 2 inches above where eggs will go.

I have been told 99.5-101 ??

I know every one has there own idea what works best for them

what should my humidity and temp be?



I dont know anybody around here to get eggs
and I am not spending alot yet

I know I might not get anything but want to try

I saw a drawing if the air sac at differnt days but now cant find it

I am getting silkies (I hope) how long should they take?

I know to let them sit for awhile
what else should I know I know I need to learn a lot

Thanks so much for all the help

 

[rarely bored]

Quote:
Hopefully someone with an LG will chime in. 101.1 seems high to me, I keep my incubator as close to 99.5 as I can. If the 'bator is too hot, the chicks can develop too fast and cause developmental issues. Every brand of incubator has their quirks, finding a LG forum thread would be good.

Have you been through the sticky at the top of this forum? If you pull up the list of threads in the Incubating & Hatching Eggs, the first one or two threads listed are permanently stuck there. One of those is chock full of basic information which you will find very helpful. I think one has some air cell development pictures.

It is my understanding that silkie eggs can be more tempermental than most other eggs. Some grocery stores carry fertile eggs - there are quite a few threads discussing their hatches. Also, your craig'slist will probably have eggs for sale, of which, you could call and see if they are fertile. They wouldn't be silkies, but they would help you learn and you could sell the chicks on craigslist when they hatch or after you have raised them for a while.

All chicken eggs should require ~ 21 days of incubating. Sometimes they will begin hatching on day 19, but that shouldn't be your goal.