Setting Eggs Sept. 24th-Oct. 4th-Last Hatch of the Year. Anyone care to join me?

[Brookhavens]

Can I join this thread too? I'm new to the forum, and new to hatching eggs. I just set a dozen of mixed barnyard eggs on Sept. 24th. I bought a used LG and a used Hovobator real cheap...and wanted to test them out before ordering eggs to hatch next spring. The neighbor had some layers...so I told him I would try to hatch some out for him...learning experience for me and no guaranttees for him LOL


The bators didnt come with fans or turners, so I bought a fan for the LG and got it running. Am hand turning the eggs...but I can see where I will want to purchase a turner before I hatch my own eggers. The LG is very tempermental and I'm glad I don't work outside the home...I have to constantly keep an eye on the temp. I worried about the humidity too until I read here about dry incubating. The humidity stays around 20-25%...hope that is ok. Will up humidity to 50% last 3 days and stop turning. Would really like to hatch out some Sumatra's next year. I used to have them when I showed in 4-H Poultry in S. California many years ago.

Welcome aboard!!! I think the humidity really depends on where you live. You may want to up the humidity to the low 30's for first 18 and then 55-60 for lockdown. Again it depends on where you live. Here's a really good read on DRY HATCHING

 

[Texasmja]

Are the aircells better than they were when you set them? I would start turning pretty soon. Those veins are going to start attaching fairly quickly now.

In 3 eggs the cells are pretty bad, the others are better than they were. I am afraid to kill them

. Do you think by day 10 they will be better?

 

[Texasmja]

Are the aircells better than they were when you set them? I would start turning pretty soon. Those veins are going to start attaching fairly quickly now.

Another thing I noticed is their development is a lot slower or behind compared to my last hatch. The veining is real sparse...

 

[Brookhavens]

In 3 eggs the cells are pretty bad, the others are better than they were. I am afraid to kill them

. Do you think by day 10 they will be better?

I would worry about not turning them until then. When you look at pictures of the day by day development of the embryo you can see that by then everything is pretty well formed and from then on the chick is focusing on getting bigger. I worry that if you don't start turning soon the chick may become glued to one side. The loose aircells are probably not going to get much better than they are but the chicks now have a better chance of developing. Don't risk your good eggs for a few questionable ones.

 

[Brookhavens]

Another thing I noticed is their development is a lot slower or behind compared to my last hatch. The veining is real sparse...

Were the last ones shipped too? Were they a different breed?

 

[Texasmja]

Were the last ones shipped too? Were they a different breed?

They were the same breed, but not shipped.

 

[Texasmja]

I would worry about not turning them until then. When you look at pictures of the day by day development of the embryo you can see that by then everything is pretty well formed and from then on the chick is focusing on getting bigger. I worry that if you don't start turning soon the chick may become glued to one side. The loose aircells are probably not going to get much better than they are but the chicks now have a better chance of developing. Don't risk your good eggs for a few questionable ones.

I am going to start turning them tomorrow, I am dreading it. Oh well, I am putting it in God's hands.

 

[Tmmv1]

Nice numbers. What is your ratio of roosters/hen? That has a lot to do with the fertility of eggs.

Hi
I am not quite sure about the ratio

. My nephew bought the eggs for me from a random person while passing his allotment hehe

 

[Roxannemc]

Quote:
Guess he is a total optimist!! But 12 is like REALLY far out on what will hatch! .I have only seen about 2 ppl on here in 6 months who got 11 of 12 or just a couple that didnt. I had 4 that didnt a few hatches ago got 10 ...out of 8 hatches. My Others were 0,0, 1,5,3,5,10 and 0 (last one iddint rreall ywatch the humsity sort of burning out on hatching so could have been me, or not. Maybe you'll 10 if its a SUPER hatch.More likely yes.... 4-6 most ppl on here consider that a good hatch with shipped. from 12 eggs.

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

update: 23 eggs cooking 7 are turkey. 3 bantum. may be grabbing some eggs tomorrow they'll be jersey giants if i get em