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

[Zombified]

Increase temp! 100-101

Lol already on it.

 

[Zombified]

Okay, Bee, my grandpa had a thermometer and a heat lamp. The temps stayed solid at 100.4 all night. They stayed that way all morning while I napped until 2-ish, and when I checked, it was at 101.1, so I went ahead and adjusted it slightly.

I think the box was too open. I have the lid over it about 2/3 of the way, and that helped keep the temps stable. It was a dramatic difference, lol. Now that I have a good idea of how best to keep the temps, I'm gonna go give the eggs a cooldown period. I've only candled a couple, but I have been turning them and shifting them around. It's kind of random, but kind of not. I'm using my hand to feel the temperature differences between each egg. Hotter eggs go further away from the heat, colder eggs are moved closer. I just keep in mind what side they were on in the morning, and make sure they end on the opposite side before I go to bed.

 

[Beekissed]

Okay, Bee, my grandpa had a thermometer and a heat lamp. The temps stayed solid at 100.4 all night. They stayed that way all morning while I napped until 2-ish, and when I checked, it was at 101.1, so I went ahead and adjusted it slightly.

I think the box was too open. I have the lid over it about 2/3 of the way, and that helped keep the temps stable. It was a dramatic difference, lol. Now that I have a good idea of how best to keep the temps, I'm gonna go give the eggs a cooldown period. I've only candled a couple, but I have been turning them and shifting them around. It's kind of random, but kind of not. I'm using my hand to feel the temperature differences between each egg. Hotter eggs go further away from the heat, colder eggs are moved closer. I just keep in mind what side they were on in the morning, and make sure they end on the opposite side before I go to bed.

Keep in mind, the temps you are getting on a thermometer are showing surface temps and when you feel the eggs you are feeling surface temps. I didn't get the temps right for incubation until I placed the thermometer inside of a water wiggler. When I did that, I found that when the thermometer showed 100.5, the surface temps were around 106-107....if you keep the surface temps at incubation levels, it's likely they are several degrees cooler inside the egg itself.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

I love you BF!

 

[Beekissed]

I love you BF!

Where you been??????

Playing with those chicks?

I love you too! So very much! Miss you and worried about you lately.....

 

[Oldmomma]

Just a short hello, my washingbator seemed like it was running well but after 10 days I candled and nothing so I think I had dud eggs. Gonna see if I can get a few fresh eggs from family hens and try again. Temps held steady except when air con was on then I had to cover it with a towel so maybe once I get a place where surrounding temp can be stable I will try again.

 

[TexasLisa]

Just a short hello, my washingbator seemed like it was running well but after 10 days I candled and nothing so I think I had dud eggs. Gonna see if I can get a few fresh eggs from family hens and try again. Temps held steady except when air con was on then I had to cover it with a towel so maybe once I get a place where surrounding temp can be stable I will try again.

Oldmomma, I am sorry that you lost your eggs.

That is so frustrating. I hope you find your house soon!

Lisa

 

[Oldmomma]

Its ok they were eggs from market so I have no clue if they were fresh farm or fresh factory cause I had a few chicks in eggs last time I was here. My mil could have mixed them in with store eggs but asking her about something from even yesterday I might not get correct answer. Im gonna wait til im settled since I know it will work temp wise at least. Plus I got 15 little ones trying to escape their pen on the balcony now. Need some camo net or something im waiting on hubby to send money so I cant even buy tulle lol for now. Patience is my strong point.

 

[LOVEIGEE]

Where you been??????

Playing with those chicks?

I love you too! So very much! Miss you and worried about you lately.....

Yes'um...put them outside Sunday.....even the 2 week olds came out yesterday to play.....

Here is the integration pen inside the big run just for them........I'll post some more pictures of them outside soon! I love you too!

 

[Zombified]

Awww. Sorry there weren't any babies in those eggs, Oldmomma. ): But at least you have all those little ones! Lol.

Another of my ducks went missing. Once again, no carcass, no feathers, no blood... Nothing but an empty nest of cold eggs. This time, though, I picked up the eggs. It was my favorite duck, too. ): My Mallard that imprinted on me. I found little Pyrrhos when she was only about a day or two. My dad and I had helped what we think was her mother and siblings through our backyard and into the field behind our yard, where there's a small pond that wild ducks frequent. Then an hour later, we find this little thing peeping helplessly in my neighbor's bushes.

This one really hurts. I'm going to keep a couple of her babies, provided they make it through this rough hatch.

In happier news... One of Thoth's eggs made it! This little miracle will also be staying with me if she survives.

I think there's one of Eris's eggs that's still iffy. I'm not for sure if it's dead or not, so it's still in the nest. The rest of Thoth's are also in the nest just in case there's another one growing in there, but I really don't think so. Everyone send your thoughts and prayers to Thoth's #12 baby and help her see this hatch through.

I do have a lot of worries about this nest. First of all, all of Eris's eggs are only about a week from being due. (I actually think these are Nyx's eggs; she laid hers after Eris did, and I know that if they were Eris's, they should have hatched by now.) Pyrrhos's eggs still have another three weeks I'd guess. And Thoth's lone baby only looks about 4-6 days old. Everyone's going to be hatching at different times. Which means the humidity is going to change pretty drastically in the incubator. How will these three different hatch dates effect the eggs?