SEVERAL questions about incubating eggs,..

[bernie131]

Ok,..here goes,..1st,..can you handle them too much?,..example,..candleling them every few days,.what if the temperature is too high or to low for a day? My heater went out one day and got a new heating lamp and I woke up and it registered 109F,..(overnight),..also is it ok to incubate duck eggs with goose eggs? As my heater was going out it registered around 93F-97F for a few days,..I checked with my other thermometers and they said something different,..I have 4-5 thermometers and they always say something different,..maybe because of the placement where I check them,..if you see anything floating around,..does that mean that the egg is breaking down and will probably go bad? I guess enough for now but really need as many responses as I can get,..even if you answer just one of the questions,...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Ok,..here goes,..1st,..can you handle them too much?,..example,..candleling them every few days,.what if the temperature is too high or to low for a day? My heater went out one day and got a new heating lamp and I woke up and it registered 109F,..(overnight),..also is it ok to incubate duck eggs with goose eggs? As my heater was going out it registered around 93F-97F for a few days,..I checked with my other thermometers and they said something different,..I have 4-5 thermometers and they always say something different,..maybe because of the placement where I check them,..if you see anything floating around,..does that mean that the egg is breaking down and will probably go bad? I guess enough for now but really need as many responses as I can get,..even if you answer just one of the questions,...

Your first question depends on who you are talking to. There are two main types of hatchers. Hands on, and hands off. The hands on hatchers will say yes, don't handle the eggs more than necessary. My group, hands on will argue that. I candle daily for the most part. I hand turn, 3xs a day, so usually I end up giving them a look on one of those turns. If you don't drop them, handle them roughly or with dirty hands, there should be no issues.
If the temp goes too high, over 103 for any amount of time it will fry them. 109 is extremely dangerous, if the internal temps of the eggs got to 104 for any amount of time, they'd be done. It all depends on how high the internal temps went and amount of time They were at those temps.
Too low temps will cause delayed development and delayed hatching. Extremely low for the average will result in deformed chicks, low hatch rates.
Dark spots just floating are usually quitters. No veining and no independent movements from embryo, are signs of quitters. Blood rings, the same.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

http://hatching411.weebly.com/
http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity

I'm sharing my two hatching guides for you to peruse.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Your first question depends on who you are talking to. There are two main types of hatchers. Hands on, and hands off. The hands on hatchers will say yes, don't handle the eggs more than necessary. My group, hands on will argue that. I candle daily for the most part. I hand turn, 3xs a day, so usually I end up giving them a look on one of those turns. If you don't drop them, handle them roughly or with dirty hands, there should be no issues.
If the temp goes too high, over 103 for any amount of time it will fry them. 109 is extremely dangerous, if the internal temps of the eggs got to 104 for any amount of time, they'd be done. It all depends on how high the internal temps went and amount of time They were at those temps.
Too low temps will cause delayed development and delayed hatching. Extremely low for the average will result in deformed chicks, low hatch rates.
Dark spots just floating are usually quitters. No veining and independent movements from embryo, are signs of quitters. Blood rings, the same.

Everything she just mentioned. I'm chiming in to ask if you've calibrated your thermometers/hygrometers because you mentioned that they are reading different temps. Even calibrated thermometers can read different temps within an incubator...BUT not with that much variance in readings.

What I'm wondering is if the thermometer that read 109 hasn't been calibrated...maybe (hopefully) the eggs didn't get to 109 temps.

 

[JaeG]

Someone on here candled some of her eggs every day as an experiment. They all hatched just fine and there was no difference between them and the ones she only candled on the correct days. I myself find it too tempting and candle lots and the eggs that were developing all hatched (though I haven't hatched that many). It's just so amazing watching those little babies growing so fast. My eggs were under broodies too!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Ok...I see I read your post incorrectly. There was a variance of temp within the thermometers...but the variance I was thinking about was the temp on the days your heater was going out. Sorry about that.

I've had eggs survive being cooled for extended amounts of time...but the embryos died the one time the temp got too hot.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Everything she just mentioned. I'm chiming in to ask if you've calibrated your thermometers/hygrometers because you mentioned that they are reading different temps. Even calibrated thermometers can read different temps within an incubator...BUT not with that much variance in readings.

What I'm wondering is if the thermometer that read 109 hasn't been calibrated...maybe (hopefully) the eggs didn't get to 109 temps.

I ment to address calibration as well and totally forgot! Good back up!

Someone on here candled some of her eggs every day as an experiment. They all hatched just fine and there was no difference between them and the ones she only candled on the correct days. I myself find it too tempting and candle lots and the eggs that were developing all hatched (though I haven't hatched that many). It's just so amazing watching those little babies growing so fast. My eggs were under broodies too!

I did that! 20 eggs. I had a group of daily candled and a group of 7/14/18, and I did one extra candle, but shush don't tell anyone...lol That was my first 100% hatch. But to be fair, I should mention these were my own eggs, not shipped. I think shipped eggs with damaged air cells, one should take consideration with because extra handling of already damaged eggs would, I would think, carry a probability of causing more problems.

 

[wynn4578]

Everyone has addressed your other questions and did pretty well but I figured I might as well throw my 2 cents in.

1. You would have to handle the eggs ALOT to handle them too much.

2. If eggs get too hot or too cold it will damage them. I think they damage quicker over heating. Some people even do a cooling cycle on their eggs once a day but I've never tried it myself. Chicken eggs hatch just fine without daily cooling.

3. I know there are many people that advocate using a bunch of thermometers when incubating and I think a bunch of people mess up what could be a successful hatch because of it. Like anything a simple solid method make incubation more successful. If you have too many thermometers ( especially if you're new to hatching you're going to be adjusting and fiddling with things you need to leave alone. not saying they're wrong I'm just saying I don't think it works for most. My opinion, you need 2 thermometers that have been calibrated. I can calibrate my controllers so I use my controller and and calibrated temp gauge that hangs just inside the door on the center shelf.

4. I incubate ducks geese and chickens in the same incubator all the time. Be aware that they each have different incubation times and the incubation times between different breeds of ducks can vary. The same is true for geese. Duck and goose eggs have some extra steps that need to be considered as well.

5. Are you seeing something floating around or possibly something moving around. One is a bad egg. The other is a developing egg.

 

[JaeG]

I ment to address calibration as well and totally forgot! Good back up!


I did that! 20 eggs. I had a group of daily candled and a group of 7/14/18, and I did one extra candle, but shush don't tell anyone...lol That was my first 100% hatch. But to be fair, I should mention these were my own eggs, not shipped. I think shipped eggs with damaged air cells, one should take consideration with because extra handling of already damaged eggs would, I would think, carry a probability of causing more problems.

I'm glad you did post it because I was getting worried I was candling too much and did some research! I'm still bad, not that I get to hatch eggs very often, but it's just so fascinating and I love showing the kids, especially when you can see movement.

 

[bernie131]

OMG,....OMG,....Finally I see what you guys are talking about,..I see the veins and blood spot and I am so giddy that I am going crazy,...I have 20 eggs but only 4 are showing being fertile,..eggs 4-20 to 5-1 was not fertile,...now 5-11 to 5-16 are,...one of them but something went wrong with one of them, never saw a blob shaped like that, all on one side almost looks like a crime seen,..the other turned eggs turned green inside and I could smell them going bad,..what is with this last one,..I will try to send pics,...