Second attemp is in lockdown!!

[BrownEggFan]

My first hatch didn't go very well at all. I had 4 eggs that quit around day #8 and 4 eggs that completely developed, but never hatched. I posted another thread regarding the eggtopsies. ANYWAY, I wasn't going to try hatching any more, but all of you enablers here at BYC convinced me to try it again. I think I may have had a few issues with my homemade still air bator, so I built a larger forced air unit before trying this second go round. I set 6 eggs and candled on day #9. Two eggs were clear, one was questionable and three showed good development. I left them go until day 13 and candled again; two were clear and four had little chicklets!!

I candled them once more before lockdown and everything seemed to be going fine. I just put them in lockdown and they are due on Monday. I REALLY hope they hatch this time as I don't want to have a dud hatch again. My temp is at 99.1 and the humidity is at 70%. Come on little chicklets!!

 

[mrslb333]

Everything crossed for you hopefully you will get some babies this time. Good luck

 

[Cattitude]

 

[BrownEggFan]

Well, my temp has been steady at 100.4 and the humidity is 75%. Chicks are due on Monday, but is seems like they have been in lockdown for a week now!! It is so stressful not knowing what's going on inside those little eggs. I want to open the bator so bad, but have NOT done it. I got the brooder up and ready in case I have any early birds

so now it's just a waiting game. The eggs under my broody hen are due on Tuesday, so hopefully I'll have chicklets later this week to show off.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Don't open the bator!!!!!!

Sit on your hands if you have to! lol What kind of incubator do you have?

 

[BrownEggFan]

Murano, it is a homemade bator made from an old Omaha Steaks cooler. I am using a 25 watt bulb as a heat source and have it covered with a sheet of aluminum coilstock for a heatshield. The water heater t-stat is in direct contact with the heatshield to create metal-to-metal contact for faster actuation. Here are some pictures of it.





I checked the eggs when I went to bed this morning (1:30am) and the temp was 100.4 with 77% humidity. When I checked them this morning at 8:00, it was 104.1.

The humidity was at 79%, so I opened the bator, quickly misted each egg with water and got the temp back down to 100.4. The humidity reading NEVER dropped below 60%, so I'm hoping everything is OK.

Short of another "emergency" I will not be opening the bator until chicks are dry and fluffy!

 

[BrownEggFan]

Well, chick #1 was born at 12:04 am on August 3rd. Chick #2 has pipped and now I'm just waiting for it to hatch. Egg #3 and #4 are not showing any signs of anything happening, but there was movement when I candled them before lockdown, so I'm hoping they will pip soon.