Our first attempt of hatching eggs.

[ReneePrice]

We ended up getting the Little Giant Incubator.
My distant relative and neighbor Stanley Vice sent us home with an egg turner that fits and another neighbor, Billy Davis, (my first boyfriend at 12) gave us 27 fertilized eggs.

The conundrum is.... We don't know when they were laid or if they've been set on.
He raises Rhode Island Reds and Black Sexlinks.

We have it set to 99.5 like the instructions say.

It'll be fun to see if we hatch any and what they are.

Fingers crossed they'll be hatching while the grandkids are here for Thanksgiving.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Did you candle them, that would tell you if they'd been sat on. If they're from RIRs and Sexlinks, there's a very good chance that they haven't, they aren't known for being setters. As far as age, I hatch eggs that are older than a week, and have had good results. I've also hatched eggs from the grocery store, or that I've put in my fridge.
Is your LG a still air, or does it have a fan? If its still air, you'll want to bump the temp up to around 101 or so, to help make up for the temperature variances in the Bator.

Good luck to you, and happy hatching!

 

[ReneePrice]

I haven't canceled them yet but will....

It is a still air so thanks for that top! I'll put it a little higher now.

This is going to be a hit or miss this time as we're so green but I'm super excited and of course already thinking of everything I can hatch in the future! lol

 

[ReneePrice]

Oops candeled

 

[ReneePrice]

I can't figure out how to regulate the humidity.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I can't figure out how to regulate the humidity.

Do you have a working accurate hygrometer in there? If you are not doing a "dry hatch" and are having problems keeping the temp up to where your goal is you can try adding wet sponges in the bator. Some people use a cloth. You need to increase surface area of your moisture to increase humidity. I did the "dry hatch" this time and had wonderful hatch with it. If your humidity is too high, decrease the moisture/water and/or open the vents.

 

[Aphrael]

I can't figure out how to regulate the humidity.

Do you have a working accurate hygrometer in there? If you are not doing a "dry hatch" and are having problems keeping the temp up to where your goal is you can try adding wet sponges in the bator. Some people use a cloth. You need to increase surface area of your moisture to increase humidity. I did the "dry hatch" this time and had wonderful hatch with it. If your humidity is too high, decrease the moisture/water and/or open the vents.

It is also good to remember that it is the surface area of water that determines humidity, not the depth. For example a 4"x4" dish that is 2" deep will provide the same amount of humidity as a 4"x4" dish that is 4" deep. The deeper one will just need refilled less often. Also, when you make a change, such as adding or removing water, you should leave it alone for a few hours before checking the humidity. It can take a while for the changes to settle.

 

[ReneePrice]

I do have a hygrometer. Every once in awhile the humidity goes way up for no apparent reason. I check constantly so I'm staying on top of it.

 

[ReneePrice]

We're trying to make our in candler. Not sure what we're looking at.
We're going to get in a darker place and try again.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We're trying to make our in candler. Not sure what we're looking at.
We're going to get in a darker place and try again.

This is a great candling page. I've used this as a guide for both of my hatches: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...g-candling-pics-progression-though-incubation