Set Eggs this evening

[NoobGirl]

This is my 2nd attempt to hatch. First attempt was a failure. None of the eggs hatched, when I opened them day 24 it looked like raw scrambled eggs; I bought a new thermometer and hygrometer for this hatch and discovered that my first thermometer was off by about 10 degrees.

I've got six eggs so we'll see what happens they are a mix of green and browns and I am not very talented at candling so I've weighed all the eggs prior to putting them in the incubator. They should lose about 12% of their weight right? Hopefully this time around things work better for us. Will you see veining even in dark coloured eggs?

If anyone else has set eggs today and wants to hold my hand through the next 3 weeks I'd love a buddy!

 

[SunnyCalifornia]

I just set eggs last night (Sunday). It will be my second hatch ever. My first I finished up on Sunday, it lasted 3 days- and I had 10 of 13 hatch. Last time I set OEGBs and Seramas. This time its all Seramas. They are notoriously difficult. I have my humidity set at 50%, (I'm in dry So Cal) and I'm using two thermometers, they differ by about 1.5 degrees, but if I split the difference, its perfect, and they are the same ones I used last hatch, so I'm sticking with them!

I'm using a Brinsea Eco 20 Octagon, and hand turning 3x per day. I don't plan on candling for at least another week or more. What are you using?

 

[chickenjoefan]

i just set some orpingtons, marrans and cochin bantams and would love some hatching buddies.

my last hatch finished on thurs but was my worst yet with only 9 out of 29 hatching. i had 8 dead in the shell at the end - gutted i don't even know what went wrong. hoping to get a better result this time. fingers crossed.


i am using a brinsea 20 advance and have had good hatches previously. will be candling in about a week if i can hold off.

here we go again.

 

[Arielle]

I set eggs this morning. May I join you? THis is my first effort--it's been very stressful so far! Starting with a few turkey eggs and adding EE in a week.

Using an LG

with a zillion calibrated thermometers. Hand turning.

 

[lobo307]

i set 22 games on sunday, they were shipped so im crossing my fingers. how soon should i candle?

 

[NoobGirl]

I am using a HovaBator and hand turning 3x a day. I have my humidity at 50-60% and temp is at 100 on the new thermometer and 110 on the one I used last time. I am hoping that I am at a happy medium.
I am hatching for a friend the babies will go back to the farm when they are big enough.....stupid urban by-laws!!!
My biggest problem is avoiding the temptation to candle them every 10 minutes. I am going to try to wait until Friday or Saturday.

 

[LadyinRed]

Ooh! I want to join!

I just set three dozen silkie eggs in my incubator and seven eggs under a broody hen... Tempted to put the other two dozen eggs in the bator. I just lost my last hatch with it. I'm still testing it. Temp has been steady at 95.5- 100.5 and humidity this time is at 30-40% Last time the incubator was in the garage and the humidity fluctuated the entire time even though my temp was stable. All the chicks made it to about 3-4 days to hatching and then quit

 

[chickenjoefan]

Quote:
oh so sorry, its awful when they nearly make it but don't

lobo307 - you can probably see development if you candle after day 3 or 4 but i try and wait until day 7 as they are very fragile in the first week and just moving them about to candle may damage the embryo. sit on those hands. its very hard to leave them alone.

 

[judial8907]

Lobo, I don't know about game birds but with my chickens I wait until day 6-7 to candle. They say you can candle around days 3-4 but I love to watch my babies grow and if I did it that early I would never leave them alone LOL : )

NoobGirl, If you wait like me until day 7 you should be able to see veins (maybe even a heartbeat) with a really good flashlight. I use a LED Mag-lite (it is the hubbie's) and that thing cuts through the brown eggs no problem. I was not able to see my babies tonite because he forgot the flashlight 45 miles away at work

I really need to invest in my own LOL. Oh and yeah they should loose around 13% of their weight from what I have read.

 

[Arielle]

Judia--I use the maglite too; when my son can find it! LOL It's actually his. I have been practicing on our eating eggs!

Lady in Red--my boys have been bugging me for silkies! I'm hoping to find some locally for them.They enjoy the chickens and like to play with the birds. Many have names: Mrs White, Special Dark, Raptor . . . Hope this hatch works out better for you. Do you check the air cell in the eggs to verify the effect of the humidity levels. Here's a link with a good diagram: http://www.poultryhelp.com/hatch.html#cond

The temp in my still-air LG was 99 at the top of the eggs but a thermometer that fell to the mesh floor read 95! Seems to me that makes the egg less than 99 degrees!

I put up a post and got several answers(of course) and one said use 102 degrees on the top of the eggs. What's a woman to do!!! So I called the manufacturer of the LG. 99 degrees at the middle of the egg. So I made the cups, set on the thermometers and upped the heat. ANd now I wait . . . . we need a new smiley: one eating it's fingernails!