Setting eggs tomorrow .... 2/25!

[karmlacres]

Setting 12+ eggs tomorrow. Need to see what my hen has for me come tomorrow, but it'll probably be a total 15 eggs. Yea! My last hatch was not a success so I've spent the past 6-8 months getting smarter about the process.

I had my incubator temps and humidity where I wanted them until I put the PC fan on the roof of the incubator. I had had it in the back of the incubator box, sitting on the metal mesh floor.

Debating about putting it back where it was. Any opinions/advice? Should I just keep trying to stabilize or should I put things back (which means I still have to re-stabilize since I've adjusted the temp setting.

It's an LG. At present, I'm trying to reset things since I moved the fan this morning. Kind of wishing I'd just left it where it was. I still have some time. Will be setting around 11am tomorrow (24 hours since their arrival).

Anyways, super excited. I'll have a mix of Marans (9 of two different types), BL Red Wyandottes (2), Orphington (just 1 egg set) and my presumed-to-be-mutt hen's eggs (probably 3). My girls have picked 3 out of the mix of eggs to be "theirs".

<Crossing fingers that this goes well!>

 

[Lroach711]

I'll be setting 11 eggs tomorrow along with you

& I believe we got eggs from the same seller!(heathersboers) I got 4 BLRW, 3 blue/splash Orpintons, 4 French blue copper marans. It's my first hatch so we'll see how it goes. I'm using an LG too, but with no fan. I don't have any opinions/advice since this is my first hatch but I defintaley wish you good luck on your hatch!!

 

[karmlacres]

Yes, we did get them from the same source!

Good luck to you on your hatch! My first hatch I was without a fan. Of 6 eggs, one developed a chick but it didn't make it. I think I lost it when the incubator was unplugged and temps got down to 70

2 were hairline fractured and stuck them in "just to see". One was filthy dirty. I had meant to clean it up some but forgot.

I can get the humidity up if I block off part of the hole behind the fan. Makes me leary doing this because then I don't know what I'm going to do to raise it at lockdown (other than add more water surface. I'm not confident I'm getting even temps now in the incubator. The fan is blowing straight down now instead of across the box. 3 thermometers all reading differently, not sure which to use but going by the LG thermometer.

 

[Lroach711]

I have one of the holes in top of my LG plugged..my humidity is staying in the mid 30's. I bought a digital thermometer/hygrometer & an old school thermometer as well that are in there at the moment..both seem to be right on. I've read where people have used paper towel or sponges soaked in warm water to increase humidity in lockdown. I have 2 vent holes in the top of mine so I guess I could plug up the 2nd one too? my LG is pretty old..it was a flea market buy that I'm borrowing from my father in law. So far it seems to be holding its temp great though..I've had it set up for 3 days and only fiddled with it a little initially. If I get into this hatching thing maybe I'll buy my own and get a fan

 

[karmlacres]

I believe it's holding the temp. The last attempt stayed steady. I'm questioning which thermometer is right. I'm kind of going with the LG one since it seemed to work fine last time. Things just got really wonky when I mounted the fan in the "fan space" in the LG lid. If I don't tape up the second hole, then my humidity is around 40 (or a tad less). Getting nervous about it all and worried I've got a setting wrong. Really hoping for some chickies this time!

 

[Scarecrow1966]

Set my first batch of eggs tonight - I've had my homemade incubator going for over two weeks, but now that I have eggs in it I keep questioning every little thing about it. Here's hoping all our hatches come out great.

 

[JustAChickenLittle&More]

I really don't like the bators with the fan. I bought two new bators and they are great because they keep the correct temperature and they won't go any higher. The water has holders that are pre-measured. But..it seems like the fan causes me to have a little less of a hatch then my old hova-bator. Heck I started off with a toaster oven and I had almost 100% hatches with that. That was about 4 years ago. My toaster oven had a temp setting that started at 200 degrees, but before I put the eggs in it, I turned it about half way down from 200 degree and got it set to 101 on the temp. You ought to have seen the healthy babies I got. I didn't know what splay leg was until I got a bator. Truthfully. Is that weird or what?
Just in case your wonderin' I used the little pan underneath the rack and kept it filled with water.

 

[LarissaCluck]

I set some tonight, so I'll be right with you! It's my first try.


Sooo nervous!

 

[WallTenters]

Woohoo!!! I'm with you! A little over two dozen eggs - mostly Dominiques, a couple of bantam Americaunas, I think two or three EEs and one Maran.

 

[ajacskr]

I just set 63 eggs. I divided them between 3 inkys. Can I join in?

27 French Black Cooper Marans
8 Silver Cockoo Marans
12 Barred Rocks
16 Easter Eggers

None of my incubators have fans and none of them were bought new. All three had been used before I got then. 1 Came from the flea market, 1 from the feed store, and the 3rd one my mom and dad bout probaly 25 years ago. All three have been running for 3 days and seem to be holding temp just fine.

I know why split into 3, well the FBCMs are from the Bev Davis line and I spent way too much money on taking a chance with them all in 1 bator. So to better my chances I decided to use all three and not fully load any of them. Last hatch was not the best that I have ever had, only got 16 of 40 and it seemed like the ones at the outer edges were the ones that did not hatch. So this time I put my digital therm/humid guage right in the middle and then circled it with eggs. None of the eggs wound up on the outside edges.

Here to everyone having a GREAT hatch. 21 days and counting.