Styrofoam Incubators Club

[SpinningJenny]

if the mass is moving without you manipulating the egg, it is alive in there.

I can't really see if it is moving independently, or just floating around slowly because I moved the egg... I'll check again on Tuesday and see if it's grown enough to tell!

 

[raisingdaisies]

It's hard to tell, especially because holding still for long enough to make sure it's not you is hard!

We are putting our quail on lockdown this morning, due to hatch in 4 days!

 

[SpinningJenny]

It's hard to tell, especially because holding still for long enough to make sure it's not you is hard!

We are putting our quail on lockdown this morning, due to hatch in 4 days!

Exciting! Good luck! Hope to see pictures!

 

[beetandsteet]

Hello everybody!
Going to try and follow too!

(Ok, well...after taxes are done)

Glad to have you here! LOL gotta love Uncle Same a comin' for his money

 

[beetandsteet]

Ok, I get it now, I can see the air sacs now! Thanks for the tip, all I had to do was tilt it a bit and there it was, plain as day. And here's a photo I took, too. I'm SO impressed with how much is actually detectable with just a flashlight! (But I'm not going to candle excessively - Promise!)

Another inquiry: I have an oblong, cream coloured egg that seems to be a pretty opaque shell like the Easter Egger blue ones I have; I can't make out any details with just the flashlight, but I see a darkish area that moves slightly, the yolk I presume. This mass looks darker than when I candled on Day 1. Is that any indicator of development? A darkening mass? I know I have to wait to know for sure with the dark eggs, but I was just wondering if I could take that as maybe a good sign, or if maybe it means the egg is a dud.

Definitely a living embryo. It looks great! EE eggs are very hard to candle, you may not see much until day 10 or so.

 

[beetandsteet]

I've read a lot about the humidity levels not being too high, and dry incubating, which I'm basically doing, and they aren't old enough to really start marking air sacs (I start that in a couple days, at 7d), BUT I'm getting a 30% read on one hygrometer (analog) and on the other digital one I have (which I think I trust more) the humidity isn't reading, indicating the humidity is below 20%. Is that too low? Should I try the damp cloth trick? I'm using the Hova-Bator 1620 and the temps are very stable with two different thermometers reading the same consistently.

A few days at too high or too low humidity won't hurt the embryo. I'd say add a bit of water to bring the humidity up to 35% or so. Humidity is not as precise a thing as temperature, so don't sweat it. You've already had a ton of stress with this hatch I know!

 

[MeepBeep]

But I'm not going to candle excessively - Promise!)

Candling honestly causes no harm, you can do it as often as you want... Just make sure your hands are clean, you don't drop the egg and/or you don't let it cool off for many hours at a time...

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Quote: Hi and thanks!

Taxes are done...for another year.

In my case it's the Canadian government. But you know, until now, I never thought about the fact that we don't have any monicker for the government up here...

It's just "The government" or "Ottawa." No uncle here...lol. (darn)
I don't have a specific incubator, I made mine out of a Styrofoam cooler. Still I'm sure we share some of the same issues and similarities.

 

[beetandsteet]

Candling honestly causes no harm, you can do it as often as you want... Just make sure your hands are clean, you don't drop the egg and/or you don't let it cool off for many hours at a time...

^^^^^ My philosophy on candling exactly!

 

[beetandsteet]

Hi and thanks!

Taxes are done...for another year.

In my case it's the Canadian government. But you know, until now, I never thought about the fact that we don't have any monicker for the government up here...

It's just "The government" or "Ottawa." No uncle here...lol. (darn)
I don't have a specific incubator, I made mine out of a Styrofoam cooler. Still I'm sure we share some of the same issues and similarities.

Maybe the Canadian government can be an Aunt ha!
Awesome on making your own incubator! Can you tell me how you did it? I'm compiling plans and ideas on making an incubator--a project for this summer when I have a little more time!