Newbie

[keri02021983]

I'm fairly new to chickens, we are trying again- mostly for my daughter.
And yesterday my neighbors had a dog to come up and kill their pretty little "game hen" she was setting 13 eggs. They think they are about a week from hatching.
Long story short- I contact another friend- who has incubators- to see if he wants them- and now I have 13 eggs and an incubator in my sewing room.
I'm slowly reading thru the posts here, but does anyone have any "quick advice" that I need immediately?
Temp 99.5. Turn them 3 times a day he said. Is that enough?

 

[eggbert420]

30% humidity for the first 17 days.70% AFTER
99.5º for forced air and 102º for still air

 

[keri02021983]

Thank you! It's still air- so I need to go warm them up some more.
I have no way of measuring humidity right now. Will have to try and find one of the little meters when I go to town.
We have no clue what day they are on. They could only guess.

 

[DebraJean71]

I can't figure out how to post a new thread, so I'm hoping one of you can answer my question. My first eggs starting pipping this morning. Today's day 20, so these are minor pips not real holes yet. The problem is my incubator is down to 30% humidity. I had read to stop adding water at 3 days out, so I did, but now I'm questioning that after reading this. Do I add water even though they are pipping and raised the humidity or leave it alone? This is our first hatch, so I'm super paranoid and don't want to hurt these babies. TIA!

 

[eggbert420]

DebraJean71,Raise the humidity To 70% at lockdown
Now might be a little late. If they are pipping they should hatch but some might get stuck.

 

[DebraJean71]

Thank you very Much! Just did it.

 

[keri02021983]

We just made an attempt at candling the eggs. Only tried 3- in still sort of scared to mess with them much. I just want to let those babies grow and hatch.
All 3 look good. Visible veins, 2 had visible embryos. 1 was moving enough for my daughter to see! She is now so excited!
1 we could only see the big dark area- but a big beautiful vein, , so hopefully still viable.
Thank you all so much for all the help.

 

[keri02021983]

Is there any way to tell when I should quit turning the eggs? I know it's supposed to be day 18, but we really don't know exactly how far they are.
Is there a way to look at them, candle them, anything?

 

[bobbi-j]

Is there any way to tell when I should quit turning the eggs? I know it's supposed to be day 18, but we really don't know exactly how far they are.
Is there a way to look at them, candle them, anything?

Well, it's not real accurate, but the chicks will start peeping inside the eggs a day or so before hatching. I know the "rules" are that you're not supposed to turn them for the last 3 days before hatching, but since you've kind of been thrown into the middle of it, you're going to have to do the best you can.

 

[BYC910]

Is there any way to tell when I should quit turning the eggs? I know it's supposed to be day 18, but we really don't know exactly how far they are.
Is there a way to look at them, candle them, anything?

Can you take a picture and post it ? It would help us help you . Like eggbert420 said get the temperature up . I like 101.5 for still air but 102 is fine . Don't be afraid to handle the eggs . candle all of them . look at the air cell growth. Without seeing the egg it's hard to guess what day they are on

This is a crude chart and not quite accurate. Because it doesn't define the air cell which is just above the chicks head . The air cell doesn't get that large till around the fourteenth day. when the chick pips it will fill the whole shell .

this is a seven day egg the dark spot just below the two freckles is the embryo .