The Little Incubator on the Prairie -- an incubation diary

[backyardflock1]

Do you store your eggs in a brooder? I keep mine in a 50-60 degree area, as that is what it said to do to store eggs. Would doing either make a difference, as I am learning, and would love to learn more from the BYC community . Where do you store your fertile eggs? I am saving up the eggs from my 2 hens, as they started laying fertile eggs a couple of days ago (at least 1 did) and I now have 4 eggs.

 

[PrairieChickens]

I just stored mine on the counter. I tried looking up optimum conditions for storing eggs prior to incubation, and pretty much I just got what I already knew... Store them pointy end down and don't keep them more than 10 days before incubating or you'll see a reduced hatch rate. I couldn't find anything about temperature (though I know I've read it somewhere once, long ago), so I just figured a room with a fairly stable temperature, no drafts or direct sunlight. The way I figure it, chickens have been assembling clutches of eggs for thousands of years without the benefits of thermometers or climate control, so the eggs should be able to handle a reasonable range of temperatures while they're in stasis.

 

[backyardflock1]

true, thanks! I hope my hatch will go well, want to build the flock, and we will probably soon get some starter pullets. Also any suggestions on a certain chicken coop brand (or did you build your own?) Because we have a nice but small coop, and would need to get a bigger one.

 

[PrairieChickens]

I stumbled across something while researching another aspect of incubation, and according to this author, eggs should be stored in a room that's about 50 F and humid. In any case, the fresher they are going into the incubator, the better.

Our coop actually came with the property when my parents bought this house. It's a garden shed that was converted by a previous owner. We're working on expanding as well, but we can't afford to buy coops, so it's all salvaged material construction and retrofitted sheds that are already standing on the property.

 

[backyardflock1]

I am wondering if I should incubate the eggs or go get some just born chicks

 

[PrairieChickens]

This is my first time incubating, so I can't say one way or the other which is best. Incubating does add another step and 3 week delay, but gives you much more control over the care your chicks receive. My main reason for wanting to incubate is to be able to freely replenish my flock from my own stock and so that I can have greater accessibility to breeds and varieties that are hard to get.

 

[PrairieChickens]

January 25th, 2014

Accidentally left my camera at my dad's house, so no candling pic tonight. Nothing new to see anyway--candled a few eggs and as one would expect at this stage, they are not very interesting. I probably won't candle again until day four when real development starts to appear.

For some reason, my incubator is losing humidity faster than it should. According to the directions that came with the incubator, I should only have to add water a couple of times a week, but my humidity has dropped below optimum levels twice already. I have opened the incubator a couple of times to candle eggs, but the drops in humidity occur over long stretches of time where I am not fussing with it. I've checked for places the humidity might be escaping, but no obvious leaks, and filling the reservoir further causes the humidity to rise too much. It's a minor problem--it just means I have to add water more often than I expected and keep an eye on the humidity to make sure it doesn't creep too low. With a little bit of attention, I've been able to maintain the humidity level reasonably well.

My hens laid 5 beautiful eggs today. I resisted the temptation to sneak them into the 'bator.


With a flock like this, who knows what might pop out of those eggs!

 

[PrairieChickens]

January 27, 2014

Day four of incubation for all but two of my eggs, and candling reveals the first real signs of development. I really need a proper light for this, as my flashlight can barely peer through the lightest of my eggs, but this will suffice for now. Oddly enough, the photos that show development the clearest are the ones in which the flashlight's light was not completely obstructed.




And here is a photo with the red removed, so you can see the embryo better.



Only 17 days to go! I will candle again in three or four days.

 

[rayray983]

Nice pics this is my egg candling on day 4 as well

 

[philyaw539]

How is the incubator working out for ya? How is it holding it's temparature? I'm really thinkin' 'bout getting this incubator!!