Speckledhen, A Question for You!!

[ncgnance]

You seem to know just about all there is to know about incubating as well as grown chickens, and I respect your advice, and everyone else's. I read in a book called "How to Raise Chickens",that you should let the incubating eggs cool for about 20 minutes a day, as the mother hen leaves the nest for about that amount of time each day to eat, drink, defecate, etc. What do you think about this, and have you ever done tried it? I'm incubating six eggs and am wondering if I should try letting them cool like the book suggests.

 

[speckledhen]

I have never actually done it on purpose where I block out a section of time to cool down the eggs, however, knowing that it is true that the hen will leave the nest for up to about 45 minutes a day (mine did!), I just dont sweat it when I have to add water or candle eggs. I take my time, dont rush so I don't drop the eggs, etc. because that small amt of cooling off isn't going to hurt a thing. I suppose that the only reason it could be a bad idea is that the thermostat may have a tough time regulating if you open up the bator too much and make wild swings in temps or something. Logically, we are trying to mimic natural incubation so it wouldnt hurt to try that, if you wanted. If anyone else has tried it, please speak up here!

 

[jab91864]

That is a very good question. I'd never really thought about it.

Julie

 

[turnerstar31]

well the way i look at it is when my temps drop at night becuase my house does have drafts i don;t freak out about it because i figure the mother chicken gets up during the day so they are not always going to be under the perfect temperature. I have never actually cooled them down to be honest i usually just let them go and try not to look to much. i check them about once a day so i don;t drive myself nuts

 

[ncgnance]

Thank you so much!! It makes sense to me, if it happens naturally that it might benefit the eggs in some way. I was thinking of taking the eggs out of the bator and putting them in an egg carton for a little while each day or so, but don't if I really have the nerve to try it. My other hatch only produced 3 chicks out of 15 eggs, so I'm really hoping for better luck this time.

 

[Kentucky~Momma]

To be perfectly honest, with the incubator dh built, we put our eggs in and don't open it until day 18, then we candle and move from there. Otherwise, I was going nuts. I put them in and forget about them until the calender tells me to move them.

 

[rooster-red]

Having my first hatch under a broody hen taught me a few things that will apply to using my bator this spring.

Temp & humidity is never dead on perfect, I see no reason to obsess over it, just try to keep the levels as close to ideal as you can while still opening the bator as necessary to candle & turn eggs.

 

[ncgnance]

Thanks, all of you. I am going to try not being so uptight about incubating. Maybe it will get easier as time goes on.

 

[ginasmarans]

The directions that came with my old Brower galvanized bater says the same thing, but since my Hovabater had a turner,I don't open it daily.