Setting Egg's on Oct 26th! Anybody else???

[A.T. Hagan]

Belinda's Funny Farm :

That's great. Let me know how it goes. I am nervous about my first candling. Is it okay to have them out of the incubator for a couple of minutes while they are being candled?

Yes. Mama has to get off the nest once in a while so a brief time out of the box won't hurt them.​

 

[Belinda's Funny Farm]

A.T. Hagan :

Belinda's Funny Farm :

That's great. Let me know how it goes. I am nervous about my first candling. Is it okay to have them out of the incubator for a couple of minutes while they are being candled?

Yes. Mama has to get off the nest once in a while so a brief time out of the box won't hurt them.​

Thanks!

 

[Drk_Wlf]

I set 27 Barnyard mixes some crosses and some pure breed Black Australorps on the 26th (yesterday)!

 

[Cynthia12]

Belinda's Funny Farm :

A.T. Hagan :

Belinda's Funny Farm :

Did you set your Silkies A.T.?

Yes, we did. These are the Kinder Major's birds so this time she's going to play a much larger role in the process. We've got the incubator chart on the fridge and she's recording the temperature and humidity three times a day. She's also learning some of the more technical biological parts as well.

It's nice to hear that gentle humming in the night again.

That's great. Let me know how it goes. I am nervous about my first candling. Is it okay to have them out of the incubator for a couple of minutes while they are being candled?​

I'm a candling addict. Can't help it, love to look on the third day, and from then on, I'm candling quite often until lock down. Good thing, because I just came across a seeping one...a first that got put in the bator without me noticing it..had two others that had started and caught them before putting them in. That isn't a good thing to have in the bator. I got it out before it contaminated my other eggs that are further along by a week and a half. I would have been pretty sad if that bad egg had caused my other eggs to quit because of bacteria. I've candled like this all year, have had great success with hatching....I love...hatching!
Going to put my Ameraucana eggs that I got today in right now...black Ameraucana, and probably some blues.

 

[speedy2020]

Belinda's Funny Farm :

Quote:
You may want to turn your egg more than twice a day if you can. The better way is use a 2x4 or something similar and move around from 1 side to other.
My LG have hole on top and I have my water tray with sponge below it. I use the hole to fill up the water. This reduce disturb the temperature inside the incubator.
As for candle the egg, 10 days seem to be the best for me. I used the cut out Parent Choice milk bottle cover the mini 13W fluorescent light bulb (I can send you photo if you like). If you have brighter light source, I am sure you can see much early date. I will candle again around 15 days and throw away eggs that not develop.
I do like to get some delaware and I may have some RIR to exchange if you head down in Seattle or ship.

So you are saying to not physically turn each egg, but to use a 2X4 under the incubator and just move it from side to side slightly tilting the incubator? Is that enough movement for the eggs? I have been turning each egg completely over to the other side. I would love to see a photo of your candler. Thanks for the advice.​

Candler:

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Quote:
So you are saying to not physically turn each egg, but to use a 2X4 under the incubator and just move it from side to side slightly tilting the incubator? Is that enough movement for the eggs? I have been turning each egg completely over to the other side. I would love to see a photo of your candler. Thanks for the advice.

Candler:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/63890_candler1.jpg
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/63890_candler2.jpg

Cool idea, I have just been using a little led flashlight that I picked up at TS.

 

[toadbriar]

Belinda's Funny Farm :

Quote:
My eggs should hatch on the 15th. Do duck eggs take longer than 21 days? How was it purchasing eggs of ebay?

I had some good experiences with ebay eggs! I definitely beat the 50% hatch rate people say is best hoped for from shipped eggs. Buyers seem to like leaving feedback for egg sellers, and that's really helpful to read through the reviews because they'll say if there were breakages, good packaging, extras, and even hatch rate. I had some good surprises to find the seller's flock carried some colors I wanted but didn't expect - awesome! And yeah duck eggs take an extra week, ~28 days (tho mine busted out around day 26 last time.)

Good luck and think of me still waiting anxiously when you've got your armfuls of warm peeping fluffies

 

[Cynthia12]

Quote:
That's great. Let me know how it goes. I am nervous about my first candling. Is it okay to have them out of the incubator for a couple of minutes while they are being candled?

I'm a candling addict. Can't help it, love to look on the third day, and from then on, I'm candling quite often until lock down. Good thing, because I just came across a seeping one...a first that got put in the bator without me noticing it..had two others that had started and caught them before putting them in. That isn't a good thing to have in the bator. I got it out before it contaminated my other eggs that are further along by a week and a half. I would have been pretty sad if that bad egg had caused my other eggs to quit because of bacteria. I've candled like this all year, have had great success with hatching....I love...hatching!
Going to put my Ameraucana eggs that I got today in right now...black Ameraucana, and probably some blues.

Well, got my eggs in last night, got up this morning to two weeping eggs..what's going on? I've not had this problem until this last two times..hope there isn't a problem with any more..only 10 eggs to work with now in that Ameraucana bunch, I really want these to work, the guys roo is beautiful! The color of the eggs are ..bueautiful..pure Ameraucana..not EE's...so, I'm praying hard over my new eggs.

Tell my I'm not the only one that prays over their eggs and babies. This guy was so good in every way on E-bay..he even called me from MO. to let me know that the eggs were on their way! Wanted my phone # because when he called to get it, they hurried and just put him through..so asked me if I wanted the number on the box. He has excellent ratings. Now I know why. All the way from MO to Utah and no broken eggs..should have seen how they were pkged! Anyway, hoping they are fertile as can be and the PO didn't mess them up too bad.

I cross fingers too. So, in a few days, I hopefully will see the start of some little veins in them. I'm so excited for these. In the meantime...I go into lock down for my Blue and Splash Marans..excited to see them too!

 

[Belinda's Funny Farm]

Okay! I candled 4 brown eggs yesterday and this is what I think I saw. 1 egg clear, 2 eggs with yolk sack but couldn't see any veining and 1 egg with yolk sack and dark spot in middle and possible veining and I think I saw some movement. The eggs were 3 full days in incubator when candled. The clear egg was the last egg I gathered from my hens to put in incubator. The rooster had been dead 8 days by then so maybe it is infertile. I have never candled before and not really sure what I am looking for but I have looked at other peoples pictures and my yolk sacs seemed smaller than others at 3 days. Plus as I turned my eggs while candling the yolk sack moved to top of egg each time. Is that normal. I put all eggs back in incubator and will leave all eggs in without discarding any clear ones until I candle all 19 eggs on day 7 or 8. Does that sound right?

Appreciate any input!

Thanks!

 

[Drk_Wlf]

Belinda's Funny Farm :

Okay! I candled 4 brown eggs yesterday and this is what I think I saw. 1 egg clear, 2 eggs with yolk sack but couldn't see any veining and 1 egg with yolk sack and dark spot in middle and possible veining and I think I saw some movement. The eggs were 3 full days in incubator when candled. The clear egg was the last egg I gathered from my hens to put in incubator. The rooster had been dead 8 days by then so maybe it is infertile. I have never candled before and not really sure what I am looking for but I have looked at other peoples pictures and my yolk sacs seemed smaller than others at 3 days. Plus as I turned my eggs while candling the yolk sack moved to top of egg each time. Is that normal. I put all eggs back in incubator and will leave all eggs in without discarding any clear ones until I candle all 19 eggs on day 7 or 8. Does that sound right?

Appreciate any input!

Thanks!

That sound normal to me, the last batch I hatched out, the yolk sack moved around when I was candling. Don't worry about it not looking the same as other people's pictures, they probably have a more powerful candler than you. My old led flashlight died and I just got a new brighter one and I can see the fetus a lot better now, but still not as good as some of the pics I have seen. I still have trouble seeing the veins in a 3-4 day old egg.​