Some questions about incubating eggs...

[amynbrent]

I have been incubating eggs for several months now and have never had an issue so I was never prepared for things that could go wrong. Last weekend we had some major winds, we were not home so our neighbor called and said power was going in and out. When we got home only one clock was flashing all the others were correct. My bater seemed fine to, temp and humidity fine. Tomorrow is day 21 and by now the eggs usually move or you can hear chirping....nothing. Also I have never made it to day 21, they all hatched day 19 & 20. I candled them before lock down and some were bad, a few looked good and a few iffy. How long do I wait past day 21? Also this is the first time I used an egg turner and during the developement of these eggs and they didnt look how they normally do to me, I dont know if this is because they develop different standing up in the turner than they do laying down. I have never lost any chicks and I'm afraid this time I might. I also have some more in another incubator that go on lock down tomorrow.

 

[Abacus]

what kind of incubator do you use? If you use the cheap styrofoam ones, then you might have lost them with the power going in and out. They are NOT good at keeping temps during storms/cold weather. I used them last year and did okay...then fired them up this year and it was AWFUL! One set I was doing great with...then I got sick.....and lost the WHOLE batch because the temp in the house dropped and I was too sick to do anything about it (old drafty farmhouse). Now I use a cabinet incubator and it works WONDERS.

Sometimes I wish a sign would fall from the sky and tell me exactly what happened with batches...."you used too much water"......... "your kids played with the incubator and messed up your temps"........ "HAHAHA just did it for a laugh and to see your face when you got 0 eggs!"

 

[amynbrent]

it is a cheapy one from TSC. I have been looking online at different models on ebay. Found a cabinet style one that sorta looks like a little dorm room fridge. It's what I want, it's $250. I just have to find a way to justify buying it with the hubby. I have been selling eggs and hatching chicks and selling those so I'm in profit mode now so maybe I can get enough to buy it and hatch even more...lol. My kids as well as myself have done some pretty stupid stuff in the past like put the lid on crooked, forgot to put the window back in, even forgot to put water in for the humidity and they all survived. I even left an egg out after candling for prob an hour and it lived and it's actually the most beautiful chicken I have! My good luck was bound to end, now I have probably lost 40 eggs plus 10 duck eggs.

 

[peepblessed]

I have been incubating eggs for several months now and have never had an issue so I was never prepared for things that could go wrong. Last weekend we had some major winds, we were not home so our neighbor called and said power was going in and out. When we got home only one clock was flashing all the others were correct. My bater seemed fine to, temp and humidity fine. Tomorrow is day 21 and by now the eggs usually move or you can hear chirping....nothing. Also I have never made it to day 21, they all hatched day 19 & 20. I candled them before lock down and some were bad, a few looked good and a few iffy. How long do I wait past day 21? Also this is the first time I used an egg turner and during the developement of these eggs and they didnt look how they normally do to me, I dont know if this is because they develop different standing up in the turner than they do laying down. I have never lost any chicks and I'm afraid this time I might. I also have some more in another incubator that go on lock down tomorrow.

They do develope a little different early on with standing vs. laying. If the eggs got cool during the power out that could slow them down a bit. I did not here peeping until late on hatch day with my last hatch. I definitely would give them more time. I am never able to see movement toward the end but other say they do so... Hope they hatch!

 

[amynbrent]

I hope so too....I always talked to my eggs....I'm such a dork. So close to hatch day I would get close to the bater and say "Hey babies, you can come out" in a high voice. Then the eggs would rock back and forth and you could hear chirping. Again, I'm a dork

with these being in a turner I didnt spend alot of time with these. I'll prob wait until day 25 or would that be too long?

 

[peepblessed]

I hope so too....I always talked to my eggs....I'm such a dork. So close to hatch day I would get close to the bater and say "Hey babies, you can come out" in a high voice. Then the eggs would rock back and forth and you could hear chirping. Again, I'm a dork

with these being in a turner I didnt spend alot of time with these. I'll prob wait until day 25 or would that be too long?

That is so neat that you talk to your eggs! Mama hens do. It can't hurt to wait until day 25 unless they smell bad.

 

[Abacus]

I have never done well with duck eggs in those cheap incubators and that is even misting them everyday. I was getting 2 out of 12 to hatch. If you can get the cabinet incubator...I recommend it...then put them in your cheap one to hatch