Simulated Natural Nest Incubation~Experiment #1 So it begins....

[Beekissed]

What breed did you hope to get?

Plymouth White Rocks....some of Bob's line.

Ha! Love it!

I have 11 in a standard styrofoam incubator, day 12. Candling them today, they all look about the same: mostly dark with some possible veining, plus the air cell. Last week I saw embryos with heartbeats in three of them, a still embryo in the fourth, and not at all sure of the others (more or less dark, with air cells).
I apparently have no clue how to candle. :-/

Me neither. I think I would have to be doing it over and over for some years before I got instinctively good at it....and maybe not even then. I've found some things in life you just have it or you don't.

Sort of like being a nurse and finding a vein...you either have the "feel" for it, or you do not and no amount of trying over and over through the years will give it to you.

What does a heartbeat in an egg look like?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU AND YOUR SON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Thank You for your responses! I've been told by others that a hen if she is going to go broody will usually be over two years old.......does that sound right?

Yeah, "Broody Envy" too!!!!

I've noticed they are usually in their prime of sexual vigor...anywhere from 8 mo. to 12 mo. when I get my first brood out of them.

Bee are you using the wigglers for your thermometer?

Yep! Wouldn't even attempt this without it now, after seeing the difference between wiggler temps and egg surface temps.

 

[elorraine52]

I use a LG and dry incubate at about 15/20% until lockdown and then I raise to 40/50%. My hatch rate is about 90%. I don't have problems with chicks not hatching after pipping. I do have some develope and then die after lockdown.

My incubator is still air and I hand turn 2 times a day.

may I ask what temp do you run your LG? I've seen info on here that you should run it at 102* b/c it is a still air as opposed to one with a fan. Can't find my incubator info and can't remember, I think I ran it at 99.5* before but it's been 3 years....thank-you in advance

 

[Beekissed]

may I ask what temp do you run your LG? I've seen info on here that you should run it at 102* b/c it is a still air as opposed to one with a fan. Can't find my incubator info and can't remember, I think I ran it at 99.5* before but it's been 3 years....thank-you in advance

That's what I read too....101-103 on temps for the LG. The reviews for their product was none too favorable unless it was tweaked with a fan and some glass beads in the bottom to hold heat more uniformly.

How do you all do with this incubator?

 

[aart]

99.5 for fan, 101 for still air at top of eggs is the general recommendation for LG's.

Lots of tips and tricks there's a monster thread out there to contain them all...lol.

I had 2 fairly successful hatches with one.

 

[rayray983]

I have 2 LGS and I've had 4 hatches in each my hatch rate is 80 to 90% I did tweak my LGS installed old PC fan cause I don't see spending 50 bucks for stuff I already had around house and as long as room temp is stable there's no issue with temps I'm currently in lockdown on eggs that I am just tilting the whole incubator instead of turning each egg individually had to place a sheet of glass under it and tilt the glass to much air flow lowered the temp by just tilting the incubator I run my temp at a steady 100 degrees the lg is not a set and forget incubator it needs to be monitored And like any skill incubating is something you are either good at or your not my experience with the lg is a good one but I did a lot of research and planing and wouldn't trade mine for the world

 

[enola]

That's what I read too....101-103 on temps for the LG.  The reviews for their product was none too favorable unless it was tweaked with a fan and some glass beads in the bottom to hold heat more uniformly. 

How do you all do with this incubator? 

I love my LGs. I have 3 - 2 for incubating and 1 for the hatcher. I finally wore one out last year. It ran non-stop for 2 and 1/2 years. One tip I have - glue a quarter sized button on the thermostat adjustment knob. Then when you need to adjust the thermostat, just turn it a TINY little bit. Wait at LEAST 2 hours before tweaking it again. Because I have had such good luck with LGs I cannot justify investing several hundred dollars in a larger incubator............ well maybe when I get

 

[enola]

My own place.........

 

[LindaB220]

I have had some that lay their first 12 eggs then go broody. Most all that I have had go broody anytime from laying for a couple of months up till their 2nd birthday. Some go broody once and never again, some go broody every year, some stay broody most of the year! Just depends on the pullet/hen. Also, some breeds are much more inclined to go broody such as Silkies, not so much Hatchery leghorns although there are always exceptions.

I've heard that the dorkings do that. Lay a few eggs and immediately go broody. Hmmmm

 

[aussie pete]

hi - all this talk of chics & hatching got me started so set 24 eggs (purebred light Sussex)
today is day 16 ,candled day 14 ,22 going great ,removed 2 clears.
not bad as my roo is 5yrs old.
am trying out a different time to incubate,as we r entering autumn here down under ,

hope for a good hatch, i can grow out over winter to sell as POL in spring

cheers Pete

 

[Beekissed]

hi - all this talk of chics & hatching got me started so set 24 eggs (purebred light Sussex)
today is day 16 ,candled day 14 ,22 going great ,removed 2 clears.
not bad as my roo is 5yrs old.
am trying out a different time to incubate,as we r entering autumn here down under ,

hope for a good hatch, i can grow out over winter to sell as POL in spring

cheers Pete

That's extremely good for an old roo! Mine was starting to shoot blanks by then, but he was just a hatchery stock bird. Your LS are just gorgeous!

Is that how long into the hatch you usually candle, Pete? I know I really couldn't see anything definitive until about then, so it won't do me much good to candle until then.