Please help! Hen died suddenly, have fertile eggs!

[HetaChick]

That is AWEFUL. I am so sort to hear this… I had a scare with my pet hen too when she went broody =/ I was crying I was so scared for her. Yes if you can get an incubator definitely get one! You CAN use a heat light to warm them until you do (believe it or not my moms friend hatched a bunch of eggs in a bowl with a light over it once… 0.o )


I wish you luck. I understand what it's like to love a pet chicken and lose them and the other chicken owners (the ones who don't have 'em as pets) act like you're crazy. I hope your little chicklets hatch!

 

[snooptwomey]

I hope you are blessed with atleast one chick out of that batch. A bond with an animal can be as strong as with one with a person. Good luck hatching!!

 

[konatreehugger]

Thanks for the great suggestions! I checked my five eggs, and they are ALL developing and moving! OMG, I almost got tears when I saw the little guys moving... I do have a question though, I'm checking them and weighing them daily, is it ok to handle the eggs daily? Or should I resist the urge??

Thanks everyone... I know my Speedy will live on... I still cry for her...

 

[stephanie1992]

i would only turn them 3 times daily. try not to hadndle them to much. on lockdown make sure u get them humidity to the correct humidity

 

[konatreehugger]

Can you explain "Lockdown" to me? I know that three days before they're due to hatch, you're supposed to increase the humidity? I'm using a Brinsea Incubator, the Advance one... it turns automatically, every 45 minutes. they're on day 16 of 21. I have candled them and all are viable. Thanks for ANY tips!

 

[stephanie1992]

Can you explain "Lockdown" to me? I know that three days before they're due to hatch, you're supposed to increase the humidity? I'm using a Brinsea Incubator, the Advance one... it turns automatically, every 45 minutes. they're on day 16 of 21. I have candled them and all are viable. Thanks for ANY tips!

Lockdown is where u stop turning the eggs 3 days before hatch. humidity verys by person. i usually higher mine to 70%-80%. and all have always hatched. don't candle or open the bator to much. i usually candle when they go in. day 10, and at lockdown.

also whats ur humidity at right now? ohh also have u incubated eggs before? if not i can give u more info about it

 

[konatreehugger]

I have not hatched eggs before... I won't candle them anymore until day 10 to see if they are still ok... I'm not sure how to tell where the humidity is now... there is a water tank in the machine, I was told to put small amount of water in it for now, then three days before hatch date, fill the tank up... any suggestions on how to tell the humidity would be super appreciated! these eggs are more important to me than anything.

 

[stephanie1992]

I have not hatched eggs before... I won't candle them anymore until day 10 to see if they are still ok... I'm not sure how to tell where the humidity is now... there is a water tank in the machine, I was told to put small amount of water in it for now, then three days before hatch date, fill the tank up... any suggestions on how to tell the humidity would be super appreciated! these eggs are more important to me than anything.

well since ur at day 16 i wouldnt candle till lockdown-day 18. and make sure at day 18 they dont turn anymore. big ends facing up during incubation or eggs are laying on there side. i do dry incubation. i dont add water till day 18. then day 18 i fill the water thing and add a sponge. do not open bator after day 18 for any reason except to add water. if theres a crack in the egg do not open. do not assist hatching even if u feel u need to. let them do it on there own. only take chicks out once there fluffy and as long as no eggs have cracks in the. also during incubation the temp needs to be 95-100 degress

make sure u have a brooder or a box with a heat sorce ready for chicks with the food and water

 

[konatreehugger]

I guess I actually meant that I am on day 5, since my incubator is counting down the days.... on the day I put them in the bator, I weighed them... I looked up how to figure out the weight loss goal and this is what I have determined... my starting average weight was 44, after the math, I figured the goal was 38.38 at the end of incubation. On incubator day 5, my weight is 42.8. According to the math, Ideal weight loss suggests a goal of 1.35 grams of weight loss on day 5... my actual weight loss on day 5 is 1.20... so, it seems close... I'm hoping it's close enough, or maybe add a little bit more water to bring up the humidity a bit...

I'm so new to this, but I am hoping I can do it right! Thanks for all of your help!

Tonya

 

[stephanie1992]

well since ur at day 16 i wouldnt candle till lockdown-day 18. and make sure at day 18 they dont turn anymore. big ends facing up during incubation or eggs are laying on there side. i do dry incubation. i dont add water till day 18. then day 18 i fill the water thing and add a sponge. do not open bator after day 18 for any reason except to add water. if theres a crack in the egg do not open. do not assist hatching even if u feel u need to. let them do it on there own. only take chicks out once there fluffy and as long as no eggs have cracks in the. also during incubation the temp needs to be 95-100 degress

make sure u have a brooder or a box with a heat sorce ready for chicks with the food and water

I guess I actually meant that I am on day 5, since my incubator is counting down the days.... on the day I put them in the bator, I weighed them... I looked up how to figure out the weight loss goal and this is what I have determined... my starting average weight was 44, after the math, I figured the goal was 38.38 at the end of incubation. On incubator day 5, my weight is 42.8. According to the math, Ideal weight loss suggests a goal of 1.35 grams of weight loss on day 5... my actual weight loss on day 5 is 1.20... so, it seems close... I'm hoping it's close enough, or maybe add a little bit more water to bring up the humidity a bit...

I'm so new to this, but I am hoping I can do it right! Thanks for all of your help!

Tonya

ive never weighed my eggs. so i have no idea what any of that means lol. i woudnt go by ur incubators days since they were under ur hen a while. go by the days since they were under ur hen till now. my first time incubating i had to much water and my chicks drowned inside there eggs. thats y i switched to dry incubation. what model incubator is it. iv looked them up and theres so many advaced ones. is it the mini? some have humidity control and do it on ther own.


on day 18 the egg should be almost completly dark except for the air cell