Setting 8/12 any buddies

[eggdd]

Quote:
did your first time follow that timeline?

 

[Contrastphoto]

Yes, but I didn't candle until day 12. I was out of town, which made it go a lot faster.


Quote:
did your first time follow that timeline?

 

[shepan2]

Thanks for the link ... So excited, would love to have end of summer babies!

 

[ladycutter]

May I join as well?

I put in 21 Eggs at Midnight on 8-12, this will be my first try at hatching and I have a Hovabator 1583 with a LG turner and 3 thermometers that all read something slightly different (figures, huh).

Humidity is around 30% right now and I am planning a dry incubation and adding water at lockdown, I had water in while setting up the bator and the humidity was 50-60% so thought it would be better to go dry and add at the end, any thoughts on that from others?

I have mostly Sussex (full size) that were shipped and they didn't look very good when they arrived so fingers are crossed that some hatch (first batch of 2 groups (over 2 dozen eggs) and only 2 developed - first batch was put under broody hen and 2nd in incubator but at an experienced persons house, but seller did replace eggs for shipping only - one of the 2 that hatched was marked the wrong color though so not sure what was going on there - I think young children were helping?).

Colors are Silver, Buff, Coronation and Light and there were 2 not marked with a color just Sussex, so mystery ones and then there were 2 small eggs in there one I think is a Serama and the other I don't know, it is marked buff but is half the size of the other Buff Sussex eggs so hopefully it is a small buff something so the Serama (if hatches) has a friend to grow up with!

I haven't candeled any yet but the Serama egg (the only white one) is looking darker than it did when I first put them in so I think at least it is developing. I thought it was better not to candle them a lot but it sounds like others are doing it regularly, does it matter that much or does it depend on the situation, like using your own eggs versus shipped eggs?

 

[JohnCT]

Welcome aboard.

I tried to candle a couple last night when I turned them, it was a keystone kop excercise at best.

I'll wait till 8-10 days when there should be something I can really see.

 

[chickee]

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Welcome from a die hard hatch-a-holic who should have quit for the season, but is at it again!

I would not candle as often with the Hovabator because the humidity does not recover quick. I have used the Hovabator 1588 so I am familiar with this type of incubator. I also have tried the dry hatch with conflicting results. Shipped eggs already are going to have broken air cells, so they will have more air space in the egg and tend to loose more moisture than non shipped eggs, so the dry hatch does not work as well for them. With the dry hatch you are not supposed to open the incubator for the first 5 days for it to be successful. You start your humidity out at 40% and let it drop to 25%, then add water (a little at a time) until you bring it back up to 40% and keep repeating this until day 18, then up the humidity to 65% for hatching. I have found that just keeping my humidity at a constant 40-45% day 1 through 19, then up it to 65% day 19-21 has worked the best for me. The trick is using an accurate hygrometer to be sure your humidity is correct. I use a reptile hygrometer purchased from the pet store and then before using it, I check it with the salt test. For the salt test, fill a bottle cap with salt and dampen it with several drops of water~ be sure it is not soaking wet~ then put the bottle cap filled with salt in a zip lock baggie with your hygrometer and zip it up tight. Let it sit undisturbed for at least 12 hrs. When 12 hrs is up the hygrometer should read 75%. If not, then you can calculate the difference and adjust for it. Mine are never right on, so lets say it read only 70% after the test instead of 75%. Because it is reading 5% lower than the actual humidity, I just mentally ad the 5% to what ever the hygrometer is reading during incubation and add water to my incubator accordingly.

GOOD LUCK!

 

[farmgirlforever18]

everyone will have to post pics we will have all sorts of fuzzy butts

 

[10 point]

My mom went into the coop and took the eggs out from underneath my broody

got to start all over again in a few days

so long story short I'm out

 

[farmgirlforever18]

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OO no im sorry we will be waiting for you to return how far along were the eggs you might still be able to save them?

 

[ladycutter]

Thank you for the warm welcome!

Chickee, thank you for the advice on this type of incubator! I did rest the eggs for about 30 hours after they arrived, large end up..

Now that I have the humidity low(30%?) how should I raise it up, just slowly add water or all at once? Also, with just the center well filled my humidity was 45-55% before adding the eggs and then jumped to 55-65% after adding the eggs so that is when I took the water out...I suppose I may have damaged some by doing this...but please let me know the best way to correct it and I will do so ASAP! I just thought the high humidity was worse than the low humidity.

I live in Oregon near Portland so not much "dry" weather here, lots of humidity but not like in the east...

Thank you for taking the time to help out a newbie! I have all my fingers and toes crossed hoping to get a decent hatch!!!!!

Anne