Hello, I've hatched chicken eggs before (with a different bator, and under broody) but this is my first time with my turbofan hovabator. I set 16 eggs total, and it's a bit of a staggered hatch.
The first two eggs were added to the bator Feb 13, and were only a day old (sat in a carton point-down overnight to settle while I got the incubator's temp steady.) Those eggs are mutts from our pet flock, they were clean, the nests were clean, hens are healthy: though they were the first eggs of the year.
Next day we got another mutt egg and I added it. (So that's Feb 14th.)
Next day, we got another egg, and I added it, so that was on the 15th.
Now, that was all the eggs I was going to use, since it was just going to be a small test-hatch, but then on the 16th my grandparents came over with 12 eggs from their mutt game stock. I added them, and we went through incubation as normal.
I've kept the temperature at 100F very steady, as the turbofan hovabator directions said all the way through. And though I don't have something to measure humidity, I have kept the water troughs filled as told, and kept it so there is no water collecting on the windows. Everything seemed good, and all eggs checked out fertile.
I went into lockdown on the 3rd of this month, though I did open the bator a few times to hand-turn the 12 eggs from my grandparents, since they were so much older. Temp and (apparently) humidity didn't budge.
SO
Today, the first two eggs are due to hatch. One started peeping yesterday afternoon, and finally hatched completely at around 5:20 this morning. Everything seemed normal, no blood, and the egg yolk was just about all gone except for a tiny bit. The chick is formed fine, and had obviously been eating inside the egg.
I was going to leave her in the bator until she dried, as you're supposed to, but she kept rolling around on her back, and crawling about, knocking around the other eggs. You see, her bottom area (like, lower belly) seems usually swollen, sort of like she's got something blocked up in there. Nothing is connected anymore, either.
I had to take her out, and put her in the brooder under a light. She's warm, and drying, and moving around. I have pine shavings for bedding, so she's not rolling anymore. She's a standard chick, and seems to be the right size and everything.
I candled the other egg real quick, and it quit: early, it seems, I've left it in the bator cause I'm locked up in my room right now (with my family sleeping) and can't throw it out just yet. After I finish this thread post, I'm going to take it out.
I also candled a few other eggs, real fast, It's supposed to be lockdown, I know, but I just had to check. I'm OCD, and paranoid, and couldn't stand it. The temps have stayed calm, and the humidity seems good.
The couple of eggs I candled seemed fine, and the air sacs seemed normal size (that's why I candled them, I was worried about the humidity, since this one chick seems to have hatched pretty early for my birds.) they might be just /slightly/ large, but that could easily be because most of the eggs are newer, and haven't been in the bator as long.
So, now I wait I guess? The chick that hatched is doing alright, though her butt still seems large, and no more pips yet, though I think one of my next eggs added is getting into position.
The first two eggs were added to the bator Feb 13, and were only a day old (sat in a carton point-down overnight to settle while I got the incubator's temp steady.) Those eggs are mutts from our pet flock, they were clean, the nests were clean, hens are healthy: though they were the first eggs of the year.
Next day we got another mutt egg and I added it. (So that's Feb 14th.)
Next day, we got another egg, and I added it, so that was on the 15th.
Now, that was all the eggs I was going to use, since it was just going to be a small test-hatch, but then on the 16th my grandparents came over with 12 eggs from their mutt game stock. I added them, and we went through incubation as normal.
I've kept the temperature at 100F very steady, as the turbofan hovabator directions said all the way through. And though I don't have something to measure humidity, I have kept the water troughs filled as told, and kept it so there is no water collecting on the windows. Everything seemed good, and all eggs checked out fertile.
I went into lockdown on the 3rd of this month, though I did open the bator a few times to hand-turn the 12 eggs from my grandparents, since they were so much older. Temp and (apparently) humidity didn't budge.
SO
Today, the first two eggs are due to hatch. One started peeping yesterday afternoon, and finally hatched completely at around 5:20 this morning. Everything seemed normal, no blood, and the egg yolk was just about all gone except for a tiny bit. The chick is formed fine, and had obviously been eating inside the egg.
I was going to leave her in the bator until she dried, as you're supposed to, but she kept rolling around on her back, and crawling about, knocking around the other eggs. You see, her bottom area (like, lower belly) seems usually swollen, sort of like she's got something blocked up in there. Nothing is connected anymore, either.
I had to take her out, and put her in the brooder under a light. She's warm, and drying, and moving around. I have pine shavings for bedding, so she's not rolling anymore. She's a standard chick, and seems to be the right size and everything.
I candled the other egg real quick, and it quit: early, it seems, I've left it in the bator cause I'm locked up in my room right now (with my family sleeping) and can't throw it out just yet. After I finish this thread post, I'm going to take it out.
I also candled a few other eggs, real fast, It's supposed to be lockdown, I know, but I just had to check. I'm OCD, and paranoid, and couldn't stand it. The temps have stayed calm, and the humidity seems good.
The couple of eggs I candled seemed fine, and the air sacs seemed normal size (that's why I candled them, I was worried about the humidity, since this one chick seems to have hatched pretty early for my birds.) they might be just /slightly/ large, but that could easily be because most of the eggs are newer, and haven't been in the bator as long.
So, now I wait I guess? The chick that hatched is doing alright, though her butt still seems large, and no more pips yet, though I think one of my next eggs added is getting into position.
