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

[Brookhavens]

Im with you on the incubating been a nervous wreck! First time though. My brood y just hatched 4 babiesw a week ago and my other broody due to hatch her 6 eggs friday. so much easier that way. 3 more days with the bator I dont know how you guys do it

When you have no broody's it's all you can do...lol. The last 3 days are the worse!! I have been fine up until tonight. I am going to candle mine and put them in lockdown in a few minutes. I can feel my blood pressure rising already.

 

[Brookhavens]

I have been incubating my shipped eggs upright, I am debating if I should lay them on their sides for lock down or hatch them in an egg carton...the air cells are still bad on two eggs. I have 4 out of 12 left. Two round, two pointed for the tracking of male/female we all agreed to keep track of. My two control eggs are round...

I always hatch in the cartons. Keeps the hatched chicks from bumping and rolling the others around. I also found that the chicks like to crawl back into the empty spaces to rest and dry. Plus it makes for easier clean up.

 

[Texasmja]

I think the egg might not have been good??? I did candle a couple as she had one egg sitting out from under her...I thought it might have had a blood ring?? The others I saw definite movement but not that one...
Do you think she knew it wasn't good or something?

Yes she knew, my mommy duck did that and that egg was rotten.

 

[Brookhavens]

I have a broody in the garage with 10 eggs under her due this Thursday I think...well I have never hatched under a broody so I don't knowwhat to expect...
Today i found the remains of a shell...she ate one of the eggs??? Now there are nine...do they do that?
She has food and water right there next to her....

She may have crushed it by accident or maybe she knew there was something wrong with it??

 

[Roxannemc]

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DEb its stress time...lockdown!!! HAHA Humidity Wet some rags or wash rags almost dripping wet...lay them in there sort of part open.I use 2 open to about 3 inches wide and 4 inches long. Position my straw over the rag when iadd water .. Put the second rag under one of your vent holes so again you can add water with a straw easliy .it is hard to get the humidity up and keep it at first A sponge never gets it for me. Once they begin to hatch and one opens up then the humdity goes up on its own and it will be easier. REMEMBER the humidity goes up from the SURFACE moisture not how DEEP the water is. GOOD LUCK! Cant wait to hear waht you get!

 

[Roxannemc]

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Listen we all do that, up down up down no sleep at lockdown!!!

 

[Roxannemc]

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Do you have water in it? If you do you might cover the bottom partly with tin foil someone said on here it work i never tried it . Blocks some of the humidity Also if none have pipped yet iwould crack the bator for a minute to get some humiditiy out. Its sort of they drowned or shrink . ARe you in florida? 70 isnt really that bad some places I am in Mo and hatch at 70-75% with pretty good results.No drowned or sticky chicks yet.

 

[chicks4fun]

When you have no broody's it's all you can do...lol. The last 3 days are the worse!! I have been fine up until tonight. I am going to candle mine and put them in lockdown in a few minutes. I can feel my blood pressure rising already.

What day did you start your eggs? I started them in the bator Sept 26---do I start lock-down tonight or tomorrow?

 

[CluckyCharms]

I have been incubating my shipped eggs upright, I am debating if I should lay them on their sides for lock down or hatch them in an egg carton...the air cells are still bad on two eggs. I have 4 out of 12 left. Two round, two pointed for the tracking of male/female we all agreed to keep track of. My two control eggs are round...

I decided to let mine play the 'get out of jail free' card and now I wish I hadn't - they were just fine where they were in the carton (and so was I). The second I took them out of the carton they started rolling around and jumpin up and down all over the incubator. Had I left them in the carton I wouldn't have been any the wiser and thus would not have lost any sleep the past two days.

 

[chicks4fun]

Funny, I though this lock-down stress was just because I'm new to hatching. Yet, as I read through it seems like everyone feels this way. I haven't posted much but really happy to read the posts, thanks.