Setting first eggs tomorrow - 3/23

[Deerling]

Can anyone join me?! I would love to have a incubating buddy.

And I would love any and all tips and pointers. I have been reading everything I can - Incubating 101, every thread that pops up on here

... But I still feel like I don't know anything!

Like our incubator (a new Genesis 1588) is set to 100 degrees. I thought 95.5 was the ideal? I am sure experience is the best teacher. We are using inexpensive barnyard mix eggs (but the person we got them from has absolutely beautiful birds in her laying flock!) and a dozen store bought fertile eggs (10 days old). I think I might turn this into an journal of sorts on our first hatch.

Thanks!
Jordan

 

[Partyfowl]

I

After setting my eggs yesterday I started to get really nervous...I'm telling yah haha
First they wouldn't stay with the x side up (I don't have a turner I'm doing it manually). So I spent last night cutting up egg cartons so they can rest on top of those so be easily turned and kept track of.
Then I woke up this morning and noticed the incubator was at 102 degrees....I turned it down but do you think this will be a problem? It is a still air incubator...

If your using a still air 102 is perfect. If your using one with a fan they need to be at 99.5. Lethal for one with a fan is 103. And 107 for still air.

 

[missnu01]

I've still got 4 left to go...I don't see why they wouldn't make it, they have holes large enough for me to see inside the egg, but they're just sort of sitting there. Ohh the waiting.

 

[LazyC Cockfarn]

I had my first incubator hatch 4 weeks ago, i have had hens sit in eggs in the past, my grandpa put some of his layen hens eggs in with some of my game bird eggs. his started hatching on the 20 day and only one of mine hatched until the 23 day then mine hatched. I was worried to death mine wasn't going to hatch. only 5 eggs didnt hatch I'm about ready to do it again. also I love your rooster pic

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I haven't any fertile eggs to join you with but will bump this up and we'll see if you can get some joiners!

 

[AQHAchick22]

I'm setting my first eggs this evening and I'm scared out of my mind and feel like I don't know anything!
I'm also using barnyard mix eggs (my buff orpington roo with some red stars, another buff orpington, and a leghorn...) so it's not the end of the world if it didn't work out but I would feel terrible

 

[Toast n Jelly]

I'm setting my first eggs this evening and I'm scared out of my mind and feel like I don't know anything!
I'm also using barnyard mix eggs (my buff orpington roo with some red stars, another buff orpington, and a leghorn...) so it's not the end of the world if it didn't work out but I would feel terrible

Hang on a second I'm going to find an url to give you that will help:

Here it is. Good luck and you'll do just fine!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

 

[AQHAchick22]

Hang on a second I'm going to find an url to give you that will help:

Here it is. Good luck and you'll do just fine!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Thanks! I've read that like 10 times already and keep on going back to it whenever I'm unsure of something. I still feel a bit worried though. I'm sure I'm worrying more than I need to be.

 

[Partyfowl]

Can anyone join me?! I would love to have a incubating buddy.

I will be your buddy!!
I set 16 last night sat 3/23. 3 marans. 3 araucanas. 3 brown leghorns. 3 rhode islands. 2 golden lakenvelder And 2 polish. They are shipped eggs. 3 had detached airs. And 2 were cracked. Hoping for at least 40%. I've been hatching for about 5 years now and each time I still get anxious!

 

[Deerling]

I'm setting my first eggs this evening and I'm scared out of my mind and feel like I don't know anything!
I'm also using barnyard mix eggs (my buff orpington roo with some red stars, another buff orpington, and a leghorn...) so it's not the end of the world if it didn't work out but I would feel terrible

Thanks! I've read that like 10 times already and keep on going back to it whenever I'm unsure of something. I still feel a bit worried though. I'm sure I'm worrying more than I need to be.

Me too! I am thinking this is the kind of thing you really have to learn by doing. I'm worried about killing them by accident and feeling awful, too.

I guess if you think about it they probably would have been breakfast otherwise. Your mixes sound lovely! And how exciting to be hatching your own eggs.

I keep reading that over and over again, too. A lot of my eggs looked really porous, so I'm keeping the humidity at the manufacturer's recommendation (mid 50s). I'll see how the air cells are at 7 days and adjust from there, I guess. I'm trying not to stress too much.

I will be your buddy!!
I set 16 last night sat 3/23. 3 marans. 3 araucanas. 3 brown leghorns. 3 rhode islands. 2 golden lakenvelder And 2 polish. They are shipped eggs. 3 had detached airs. And 2 were cracked. Hoping for at least 40%. I've been hatching for about 5 years now and each time I still get anxious!

Yay! How cool! It will be nice to have someone with experience! Very neat selection of breeds, too. Once I have hatching down a little better I am hoping to get some marans and heritage RIR. Some of our eggs right now are polish mixes. Very tricky with shipped eggs, especially detached air cells. One of mine had one and one seemed loose... I don't know if that's a thing, haha. It was the store bought eggs, so no real surprise. I marked them and put them in anyhow.

Everyone feel free to post progress and pictures! I've already failed in keeping pictorial records, (busy week, my mom is visiting!) but maybe I'll start now. Thanks so much for joining me! And Toast n Jelly, thanks for the bump