So excited! Starting my very first incubation in my new Brinsea Mini Advanced

[nab58]

I received an incubator for Xmas and found it impossible to wait for spring to try it out.

I started 3 blue, one pink and 3 brown red sex link eggs from my hens today. I only have one rooster so I know the father is my very handsome EE, Reese.

The temp is holding steady at 99.1. I have them turning every 45 minutes with one side of the water resevoir filled. We have a wood stove so the humidity in our house is
pretty low.

So tomorrow is day 1, right? Why does the incubator show day 21 of tomorrow is day 1?

I weighed the eggs befor starting but didn't candle them. Should I re-weigh and candle tomorrow or should I wait for day 7?

I can't wait to see what I get!!

The dad and the pink egg layer

The blue egg layer

My red sex links

My incubator. I have a web cam pointed at it so I can monitor while at work

 

[MeepBeep]

Really nothing to see with candling until day 3ish... And you might also not see too much weight change in the first few days, after day 3 things really start to kick into gear though...

As for how often to candle and weigh, them, well s often as you want, the only thing to consider is the more you handle them the more potential risk of dropping or contaminating them... So handle them with freshly cleaned hands and very carefully and the risk is minimal...

I personally try to weigh every 3 days, sometimes I candle and/or weight every day all depends on my mood during that hatch and also how well they appear to be progressing...

 

[nab58]

Thank you so much for your reply!

Do you think I should turn off the "cool down" option seeing I'll be opening the incubator to weigh/candle and considering its winter with potential cooler ambient air?

 

[georgiagail]

I doubt if this matters much since you'll likely not keep the lid off the incubator for very long anyway doing this.

Best thing (and probably the hardest thing) is to set this great little incubator, candle at 5 days, toss infertile eggs, then wait things out until hatching day.

Gail

 

[MeepBeep]

Do you think I should turn off the "cool down" option seeing I'll be opening the incubator to weigh/candle and considering its winter with potential cooler ambient air?

Not a problem, broody birds regularly get up and walk around the eggs won't cool that much in the short period of time, or even in an extended time in reality with the low number of eggs you have... I regularly spend 30+ minutes candling and weighing eggs with no issues when I have a full incubator...