Setting Thursday March 25.. Anyone want to join me??

[GreenGoddess]

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Welcome to the thread! Wow! $3, that's awesome! I've got you added and will be updating the list in just a moment...

Goddess

 

[rhondaa]

oh my i feel like a new mother...i can't wait. i go in there and check on the babies every 15min......Ahhhhh! I also have race horse foals due any day. Hacthing eggs and waiting on baby horses is wearin my husband out. This is the 1st for me on both animals. AS if i did not have enough to do i have 5 kids under 9.They can't wait..i guess i can't blame them, I can't wait either.. HAPPY HATCHINGe

 

[GreenGoddess]

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Welcome to the thread and I have you in the list... I was in your shoes this time last year.. Unfortunately, my batch of 14 eggs resulted in 0% hatch rate.. I was very new and very eager.. My son was 10 and he was also very excited so i can understand where you are at.. Are you using a homemade bator or store bought? Different people will tell you different humidity levels.. Yours seems to be in the average range.. I personally am keeping the humidity between 35%-40% and then lockdown I will bump it up to 65%.. You say it is still air.. If you had a forced air, your temp would be right on target.. but, a still air needs to be 102 so you may want to bump it up just a bit.. If you keep it low, you may get slow growth or a lower hatch rate... Please please please.. Don't make the mistake I did on my first attempt.. Again, my son and I were both very excited and LOVED to see those little fellas bouncing around.. I was OBSESSED with candling.. And between that and because i was using a well constructed bator made out of poor materials, I lost all of them! This time, i am just keeping a close eye on the temps and humidity but not going to candle every chance I get.. My bator takes about 2 hours to go back to 100.0 after I lose heat from opening the door.. I know it will be really touch not to look at those little cuties as they grow but you can always look up the different stages of development online and keep the bator with YOUR eggs closed... And yes, you can't imagine how long 3 weeks is until you've set eggs! LOL

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

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I saw in a post earlier that someone put a gallon size ziplock bag folded into a clear coffee cup and then placed it in the bator.. That would allow you to see if there is any leakage BEFORE it ruined your hatch... Just an idea (for you or anyone else interested)...

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

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LOL.. You really are going to drive him nuts for the next 21-24 days! Good luck on both the hatch and the foal!!

Goddess

 

[Ga Grain]

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Well by the time I got home from work today, it seems that the temp has settled in at 101.5 at 30%. Good enufff for me I reckon. I don't see any point in pulling them out and putting them back a bunch. I might try to candle them in a week or so just to make sure they look ok, though I really don't know that I would know what to be looking for. I'll do some more research on that one. Other than that the main concern is that I'm doing them in the spare bedroom so I dont have to deal with the weather changes outside, but my dear lovely wife was very plain in explaining that if they start to smell at all, we all go outside for the duration....Febreeze wont' hurt them will it???

 

[MrsCluck]

Hi all just a qucik update awaiting delivery of my candler but been doing some research on the net to see what I should be looking for. Found some good sites and curiosity got the better of me and used my torch to candle the 2 white bantum eggs I set for my neighbour - all looking good can see veins - very exciting. Didnt try to do the brown or blue eggs as dont think the torch will be strong enough at this early stage. Also was worried about having the incubator open even though it was for split seconds while I got them in and out. Hope everyone else's are going well.

 

[GreenGoddess]

Just another update for those of you who are interested.. This morning I woke up and the temp in the bator was a little bit higher than I normally keep it but nothing to worry about.. i just turned the light off for a few minutes and brought it back down... Well, I went outside to finish weeding the spot for my garden so i can finish getting it ready for my growing plants and my 11 year old son checked the bator for me.. It was 100.0.. About 30 minutes later, the garden was finished and I came in the house and checked the bator.. The temp was 96.3!!!!! I couldn't believe the temp dropped 3 degrees in such a short amount of time.. Then I realized why!! My son accidentally hit the extension cord that everything is plugged into and it fell down.. The fan cord is not very long so it unplugged itself when he knocked the extension cord down!! (it's one of those that you reel out and plug 4 different things in the top).. So, I plugged the fan back in and put a folded blanket on top of the bator to keep heat in.. In about 20 minutes, the temp was back up to normal.. UGH!! I am so glad i found the problem quick and to prevent it from happening again, i put a step stool in front of the bator so my son don't have to stand on tip toes!! Sheesh!! Only 18 days to go!!

Goddess

 

[gckiddhouse]

My Buff Orpinton, Penny, is officially broody!!!

I am so glad!! She will take half the pressure off me and get as close to half the eggs as possible! When they all hatch, she will get ALL the babies and I will have NO BROODER!! Yay!!

I have 13 babies in a brooder right now and I HATE IT! They create so much dust and aren't ready to be outside yet. I can't stand it!! I want them OUT!!

I just don't have a great brooder pen for them. Wish I did.

I love hatching eggs, fuzzy butts and chickens! I am not that fond of chicks between the ages of 3 weeks and 6 months. But with a broody, I won't have to deal with them.

We have a little construction to do in the hen house to create a suitable place for her to have babies, but I am so relieved!

 

[GreenGoddess]

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Glado hear all is going well... I need a candler so badly but just cannot afford it right now so I used my tiny little mag light.. It has an LED light in it so it does work pretty well... I keep having to sit on my hands though because i am trying to hard NOT to candle.. I just don't want to mess the temp and humidity up... lol

Goddess