Setting eggs on 8/7/12 !! Anyone else?

[Big A Chickens]

My 14 Buff Orpington eggs have been set in the incubator and it is working great at 99.5 degrees an 30% RH

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[Arielle]

Great start= good temp, good RH, good fresh eggs!!

Use your note book. If you turn eggs by hand that is the perfect time to record date, time, x or o, humidity and temperature, and any other observation. I also included room RH and outside weather. Allow space for special notes.

If you have a turner, pick 3-5 times to check each day. At least 2 times. More is better but hey do 2 if you need to.

Remember to wash your hands everytime before handling the eggs. Washed hands tend to drop eggs easily, no tacky oils to help with grip! I've dropped afew eggs! Just hate it whe I drop one and it hits another egg and both are too damaged. UGh!

My suggestion is to check the aircells about day 4-5 pf 2-3 eggs, the cells should be smaller than the diagram at that point. If they are at the size of the diagram, add a little moisture to slow moisture loss from the eggs.

Also this week the eggs are particularly delicate and easily damaged. Gentle, slow movements. If you can keep your hands off , the better your hatch rate.


I'm so excited for you!! I was up late at night, usually midnight checking on eggs. ANd then back at it again, first thing in the morning. Always worried about the temp.

DId you make this incubator??

 

[Big A Chickens]

Thanks so much for all of your support and advice !!

Everything is going well and I think that I have checked on my eggs maybe 100 times already

 

[Big A Chickens]

Yes I made this incubator out of 1 of many old plastic coolers. I have an Little Giant egg turner inside.

I have antibacterial soap stocked up and hand sanitizer next to the incubator.

If needed, I still have the water line connected to the incubator to add water if needed and to limit the number of times that I would have to open it.

I was kinda worried when I first put them in because the temp started to fluctuate but after a short while it began to stabalize and is now running constant at 99.5 and the humidity back and forth from 30 to 31 RH.

I am so excited also!!! And I will keep my hands of as much as possible. I was so nervous while handling them that my hands were shaking.

Thanks so much you are so great!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Arielle]

You are off to a good start!

 

[Big A Chickens]

It's day 7 and I just finished candling my 14 Buff Orpington eggs. Four seem to be infertile, Three seem to have blood rings and the remaining seven are developing nicely. Trying out the dry incubation method and it seems to be working. That is with the majority of fertile eggs.

 

[Arielle]

How BIG is the air cell size??

 

[Big A Chickens]

The air sacs were a closer to the size for day 14 than day 7 when I compared them to the air sac diagram that was printed out. So I added about a teaspoon of water and it bumped the humidity from 30 to 35 to slow down the air sac developement.

 

[Arielle]

You may need a little more moisture to slow it down if you are seeing day 14 air cells, like to a near stall until 7 more days have passed.

Keep a close eye on them as you can't put moisture back in the egg. lol

 

[Big A Chickens]

Ok, I bumped up the humidity and it is holding @ 41%. I picked one and marked where the air cell is and will watch it over the next few days. Or should I check them all?

Also should I record the 4 eggs that were not fertile into my hatch rate or record the hatch rate on the eggs that I know were fertile ?