Preparing for First Lockdown... Tomorrow! Any last minute advice?

[GardeningGrl]

Today is day seventeen of our incubation. We're using a Hovabator 1588 Genesis with egg turner. There are 28 eggs present in the incubator at this moment, but I've found the eggs very difficult to candle, and I'm waiting... impatiently waiting.

Humidity has held steady with trough #1 full between 59 - 60%. A good friend told me to follow the incubator instructions to the letter on the first hatch.

Tomorrow, at about four p.m., I'll be removing the egg turner and transferring the eggs into cut-out cardboard egg cartons that I have prepared, as per others' instructions. I'll also be filling trough #2.

Are there any further precautions I should take? How do people deal with the vent plug in the H-B 1588? Do you remove it once they begin to pip? Leave it in to maintain a humidity between 75 - 80%?

Are there any other things I should be aware of, besides my crippling fear that nothing is going to pop out of these eggs on Sunday night?

Thanks for any help/advice/encouragement you are willing to offer!

 

[rungirl]

I'm going to lock down tomorrow also! I use a Brinsea Octagon, but I do the dry hatch method, so my humidity has been in the 20-30% range the whole time. Tomorrow I will remove the turner, fill up the water troughs and get the humidity up, lay down a paper towel and take the egg rack out. I just lay mine down and let them hatch on the tray. I only candled at day 10 to make sure they were fertile. My eggs are dark brown so you can't see much after 10 days anyway. I had 100% of the chicks hatch last time so I hope this one is just as successful.

Good luck to you!

Lisa

 

[Debbi]

Today is day seventeen of our incubation. We're using a Hovabator 1588 Genesis with egg turner. There are 28 eggs present in the incubator at this moment, but I've found the eggs very difficult to candle, and I'm waiting... impatiently waiting.

Humidity has held steady with trough #1 full between 59 - 60%. A good friend told me to follow the incubator instructions to the letter on the first hatch.

Tomorrow, at about four p.m., I'll be removing the egg turner and transferring the eggs into cut-out cardboard egg cartons that I have prepared, as per others' instructions. I'll also be filling trough #2.

Are there any further precautions I should take? How do people deal with the vent plug in the H-B 1588? Do you remove it once they begin to pip? Leave it in to maintain a humidity between 75 - 80%?

Are there any other things I should be aware of, besides my crippling fear that nothing is going to pop out of these eggs on Sunday night?

Thanks for any help/advice/encouragement you are willing to offer!

Yes. On hatch day, do yourself a favor and get out of the house! Call a friend and do lunch, go on a shopping spree, just do something fun to take your mind off the chicks! I know this may sound weird, but let me tell you, it will save on your rattled nerves! Plus, you won't have to be wiping your noseprints off the bator window!

Relax, and let nature take it's course.

 

[rosiethechicken]

Today is day seventeen of our incubation. We're using a Hovabator 1588 Genesis with egg turner. There are 28 eggs present in the incubator at this moment, but I've found the eggs very difficult to candle, and I'm waiting... impatiently waiting.

Humidity has held steady with trough #1 full between 59 - 60%. A good friend told me to follow the incubator instructions to the letter on the first hatch.

Tomorrow, at about four p.m., I'll be removing the egg turner and transferring the eggs into cut-out cardboard egg cartons that I have prepared, as per others' instructions. I'll also be filling trough #2.

Are there any further precautions I should take? How do people deal with the vent plug in the H-B 1588? Do you remove it once they begin to pip? Leave it in to maintain a humidity between 75 - 80%?

Are there any other things I should be aware of, besides my crippling fear that nothing is going to pop out of these eggs on Sunday night?

Thanks for any help/advice/encouragement you are willing to offer!

Today is Day 17th for ours too. We started on May 20th evening. How about you ? I have fan in the home made incubator. Should I keep the fan running ?

 

[GardeningGrl]

We started on the 21st...

Good luck with your hatch!!! Hopefully we can both report back a lot of success in just a few days! )

 

[rosiethechicken]

We started on the 21st...

Good luck with your hatch!!! Hopefully we can both report back a lot of success in just a few days! )

Thanks. Good luck to you too.

 

[Roxannemc]

IDONT HAVE ANY INSTRUCTIONS ON THE. FAN.
MINE IS RUNNING BUT HARD WIRED IN SO I ASSUME THE BATOR COMPANY KNOWS WHAT IT IS DOING Haha.
AND I AM DAY 19.MY FIRST HATCH TOO THOUGH .
GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!
LET US KNOW HOW ITS GOING.. WHEN YOUSEE SOMETHING. MOVING EGG OR PIP.

 

[GardeningGrl]

You, too Roxanne! I was reading your posts yesterday.

I'm starting to wonder if this is a harder process for those tiny little chicks or us watching and waiting.

 

[rosiethechicken]

Quote:
I will keep the fan running. We started the batch on May 20th, so today is technically still 18th. Filled up pan with warm water, opened two hole at the bottom and one at the top for air (home made styrofoam incubator). One egg started to shake a lot. No external movement in other eggs.

 

[GardeningGrl]

Our fan runs automatically with the incubator. I'd imagine that keeping it on for air flow is probably super important.

I'm still curious about the red plug in the Hovabator 1588.... do folks pull this during the hatch? Once it goes on lockdown? Once pips begin to appear?