Setting eggs on FEB 10

[CowgirlHC]

Yes i tried the sponges and paper towells with full water troughs in the bottom. I heard small lids like cool whip lids with water help even more because it increases the surface area. Im not sure, I'm just doing what I can lol. Will be candling and culling on Sunday.

 

[CowgirlHC]

Put my hygrometer back in to have a double check on temp and see where the humidity stands as well and it's at 16%! Water troughs are full, is this OK until lock down? Should I mist them once each evening?

 

[bugglesmommy]

16 % is pretty low... I'm not sure about misting them. Maybe you should post a thread for more experienced advice ?

My duck eggs came in and I grabbed 7 quail d'anvers eggs at a swap meet. OK. I'm seriously done egg hoarding.

 

[CowgirlHC]

I've read about misting them before, but wondered if anyone here had experienced that. I'm leaning towards that being part of my problem last time around.

 

[my sunwolf]

I've read about misting them before, but wondered if anyone here had experienced that. I'm leaning towards that being part of my problem last time around.

I tried to mist during lockdown last time but my spray bottle was broken

I agree with you about humidity being the problem for the last hatch. I'd bet it was my problem as well. When I did the eggtopsies, I think the chicks had internally pipped on Day 17-18 and then immediately gotten shrink wrapped in the membrane because of my low humidity, since I did not go into lockdown until the end of Day 18 and my chicks started externally pipping on Day 19. For some reason, that batch wanted to hatch early, and because I hadn't yet cranked the humidity up, they got stuck in their shells and basically died then and there. When I opened them up on Day 23, most were perfectly formed chicks. Though this theory doesn't really explain why they hadn't yet absorbed their yolk sacs.

What did your eggtopsies look like?

I am keeping humidity up for this batch. I've decided that dry hatch is for high humidity places, not the windy mountains of VA in the winter time. So attempting to keep my humidity up near 30-40%, a few dips down to 16% but only for a few hours. During lockdown I'll boost to 55-65% humidity.

Candled today and most of my LF eggs look good! A few of the bantam eggs look like they were just too old when I set them and so didn't even develop. Can't wait to see who actually makes it out of the shells this time. Temps are holding steady, no spikes that I've seen--that is one thing I really love about this incubator. Less than one week until lockdown

 

[bugglesmommy]

OMG guys. I went to Walmart to get some groceries and came home to my first incubator at 106. I feel sick. My quail are due to hatch soon and I have 30 eggs beside those in there. I am so scared for my babies. Piece of junk....

 

[my sunwolf]

OMG guys. I went to Walmart to get some groceries and came home to my first incubator at 106. I feel sick. My quail are due to hatch soon and I have 30 eggs beside those in there. I am so scared for my babies. Piece of junk....

Oh no, I'm so sorry

This hatch will be over soon and then we can all just see if it worked or not... the waiting is the hardest part for me.

 

[CowgirlHC]

A short term spike won't hurt them I've read. I guess the chances of the inside reaching that if it was caught quickly is slim, so here's to hoping. I'll post some pics of my last eggtopsies and pics of the 8 I just candled. I think 2 have detached aircells and 1 was infertile, but I'm wanting confirmation lol. Here's some pics.


Eggtopsy #1 from last hatch. Sorry for the glare I did it in a plastic bag to help keep down the mess. I should have done a better background vs an orange shamwow lol, but you can see the little bit of yolk hanging at the bottom that wasn't absorbed. 3/4 were pretty much at the same stage or a day farther, then the 4th gave out a few days prior and had a larger yolk. There may have been one a little farther than this one.


This eggy #1 I believe has a detached air cell. It's kind of misshapen so I think was an extra hopeful, but it seems too transparent.


Same egg


Egg #2 Pretty sure this one didn't develop as transparent as it is


#3 Air Cell (if you can see it) and the rest of the egg is pretty full


#4 Air cell again of another egg


#5 Good air cell pic of another eggy


#6 Another good looking air cell


Egg #7 air cell


Egg #8, I do believe as transparent as this one is, it didn't start either.


OK, so what do ya'll think? Do I remove these 3? Is 3/8 (guessing 2 has detached air cells and 1 wasn't fertile) a good number for shipped eggs to have being going strong right now?

 

[bugglesmommy]

Egg #8, I do believe as transparent as this one is, it didn't start either.

OK, so what do ya'll think? Do I remove these 3? Is 3/8 (guessing 2 has detached air cells and 1 wasn't fertile) a good number for shipped eggs to have being going strong right now?

Its so hard to say!! I'm sorry. Its too hard for me to see and say for sure.

My quail are rocking and one has pipped. Surprised me!!! Thank goodness they aren't dead.

 

[CowgirlHC]

I mean in the 5 you can obviously see a good air sack formed properly and the majority of the egg below is dark and filling, but these 3 I just don't see anything. 2 I see the air cell moving around when I roll the egg, so it never reattached, am i correct? I don't want to risk an explosion lol. The very oblong odd egg has some sort of brown specks almost growing on the outside of the shell. What on earth is it? Looks like beads of condensation but hard and stuck to the egg and brown. About the size of a pen head I'd say.