September 2015 Hatch-A-long!!

[Cynthia12]

This is only my second time incubating eggs (first time was a failure) and so I'm not really sure what to do.

Whenever I reach under a mother hen, the eggs feel very warm and moist to the touch, but when I reach into my incubator to turn my eggs they feel cool and dry and yet everyone says the temperature and humidity are right. I candled a few of the eggs on day 5 or so and didn't see veins. In my experience, cool eggs are rotten. I'm not really sure what to do. Any suggestions?

Day 5..too early to worry! If they feel cool, turn up the temp. I have gotten so that I can tell by the feel where the temp should be. My thermometer does not keep the right temp by no means. I don't have one of those fancy expensive ones. I've gotten so that when I like how the eggs feel, I look at the thermometer, and go with what it is reading at that time, keep it there. Make sense? Not sure what you are using for a bator, only fill one well. You will be good there. Don't worry about candling until day 7 or 10. I actually do before, but the eggs can be developing at different rates..yes, different rates. I think someone mentioned either on here, or the Aug. hatch a long, that there are cool and warmer spots. There are. I turn my eggs, by hand, three times a day. I will change them around in the morning and at night. This way, they all get the cool and the warmer areas at different times. I just had a 100% hatch on 6 eggs..not shipped though. Hatching 100% is something that only happens once in a great while!

 

[tiffmw10]

This is only my second time incubating eggs (first time was a failure) and so I'm not really sure what to do.

Whenever I reach under a mother hen, the eggs feel very warm and moist to the touch, but when I reach into my incubator to turn my eggs they feel cool and dry and yet everyone says the temperature and humidity are right. I candled a few of the eggs on day 5 or so and didn't see veins. In my experience, cool eggs are rotten. I'm not really sure what to do. Any suggestions?

I had one out in the coop that kept getting cold too, so into the incubator she went and guess what?!? We have a new baby! I really didn't think that she was going to make it because of the changing temps outside.

 

[Dramaqueen21888]

And they're in!! Hope this works

 

[Ciryluk3g]

Oops looks like I'm setting more eggs on Wednesday 6 tricolor Paint bantam silkies, 4 Miniature chocolate silkies... maybe some Miniature citron/buff silkies and some other silkies to fill up incubator

 

[GitaBooks]

Day 5..too early to worry! If they feel cool, turn up the temp. I have gotten so that I can tell by the feel where the temp should be. My thermometer does not keep the right temp by no means. I don't have one of those fancy expensive ones. I've gotten so that when I like how the eggs feel, I look at the thermometer, and go with what it is reading at that time, keep it there. Make sense? Not sure what you are using for a bator, only fill one well. You will be good there. Don't worry about candling until day 7 or 10. I actually do before, but the eggs can be developing at different rates..yes, different rates. I think someone mentioned either on here, or the Aug. hatch a long, that there are cool and warmer spots. There are. I turn my eggs, by hand, three times a day. I will change them around in the morning and at night. This way, they all get the cool and the warmer areas at different times. I just had a 100% hatch on 6 eggs..not shipped though. Hatching 100% is something that only happens once in a great while!

Thanks so much for the reply

My incubator is pretty high quality, but its a reptile incubator, so it isn't naturally anywhere over 90 F. However, its built about the same as a chicken incubator and it works the same.

All my eggs come from my own flock, while the others I tried incubating were shipped, which is why I'm hopeful that these will hatch.

The reason I was worried about the candling is because last time, when I candled my shipped eggs, all of them had veins and I was so excited and then when they didn't hatch and I opened them and they didn't have any veins or any sign of being fertile, which was confusing. I'm just worried that will happen again. It was disappointing.

Does flock fertility drop during the fall and winter?

I had one out in the coop that kept getting cold too, so into the incubator she went and guess what?!? We have a new baby! I really didn't think that she was going to make it because of the changing temps outside.

Congrats! Its so cute!

 

[zoey87]

Just found this thread so I hope it ok that I join! On 8-15 I set 12 olive Egger eggs, 7 white leghorn, and 39 eggs from papas poultry (mostly fancy orpingtons, a few partridge brahamas, and a few legbars). I'm super excited and hope they hatch!! Everything except the white leg horns spent 5 days in my little giant before my brinseas came in.

Here's a pic of my set up. The white leghorns are in the little giant and everything else are In The brinseas. This is my first time using the octagon Eco 20's so I hope they live up to the hype.

 

[chickendreams24]

Welcome to the hatch-a-long good luck and happy hatching

 

[Dramaqueen21888]

Just found this thread so I hope it ok that I join! On 8-15 I set 12 olive Egger eggs, 7 white leghorn, and 39 eggs from papas poultry (mostly fancy orpingtons, a few partridge brahamas, and a few legbars). I'm super excited and hope they hatch!! Everything except the white leg horns spent 5 days in my little giant before my brinseas came in.

Here's a pic of my set up. The white leghorns are in the little giant and everything else are In The brinseas. This is my first time using the octagon Eco 20's so I hope they live up to the hype.

Welcome. What a great variety! Can't wait to get updates on how the little chickys are growing.

 

[WVduckchick]

I set mine this past Monday night 8/17, so they should be due 9/7. 32 bantam eggs in a Brinsea 20 Advance.
17 golden sebrights
4 silver sebrights
6 black tail buff Japanese
5 silver duckwing OEGBs

My first hatch in the Brinsea, had done a few hatches in a cheap Chinese Janoel knockoff. Temps have been steady and humidity holding at around 32-34%

Good luck everyone!

 

[Gloryjasmine]

Just found this thread so I hope it ok that I join! On 8-15 I set 12 olive Egger eggs, 7 white leghorn, and 39 eggs from papas poultry (mostly fancy orpingtons, a few partridge brahamas, and a few legbars). I'm super excited and hope they hatch!! Everything except the white leg horns spent 5 days in my little giant before my brinseas came in.

Here's a pic of my set up. The white leghorns are in the little giant and everything else are In The brinseas. This is my first time using the octagon Eco 20's so I hope they live up to the hype.

Welcome!! Of course it's ok if you join! The more, the merrier! Glad to have you and looking forward to the updates!

. God bless.