The NEW Crazy 24hr AUCTION thread

[CyndiChick]

I am trying the dry hatch method now, with quail eggs... Humidity staying at 30% with rice in the incubator. Temp staying at 100.5 steady. I am a little worried tho bcoz on candling I am not seeing any development and it is day 13 today I just can't figure out what I am doing wrong! So frustrated!

 

[emvickrey]

I started dry incubation a couple months ago. Mainly because I couldn't get the humidity up to where I normally kept it when using the styrofoam bators. I built a wood cabinet bator and so far it's been impossible to get the humidity up. But I've had good hatches. The temp stays 101.5 in the cabinet and when I transfer the eggs for lock down I put them in a Hovobator and I add water to the center well. They do fine. I would like to get 100% hatches but I'm still getting used to this new method.

I never did a dry incubation before. I always kept the humidity in the 40% - 50% range then depending on what was hatching I might raise it 5%. It always raises on it's own when they start hatching anyway.

 

[CyndiChick]

I am in Florida, and these were shipped eggs but the temp and humidity have been what I read up on. I am just frustrated bcoz I have tried 3 hatches of chickens and either had no development or development to day 18 then nothing. Was so hoping this quail hatch would go better.
And you already knew they were shipped lol got them from you!

 

[jnjmanning]

I am in Florida, and these were shipped eggs but the temp and humidity have been what I read up on. I am just frustrated bcoz I have tried 3 hatches of chickens and either had no development or development to day 18 then nothing.

Was so hoping this quail hatch would go better.
And you already knew they were shipped lol got them from you!

Hatched eggs are too much of a gamble if you are learning your incubator. You need to find a GOOD local source of eggs. Ones that you can pick up yourself. Get your incubator hatching good with those before you even begin to try shipped eggs. I hatched 2 batches of my own and 2 batches from a friend, fine tuning my process with each batch. Then I went to shipped eggs. I got 11/12, 15/21, 6/9, 0/13, 4/9......these were my shipped eggs. I know it has NOTHING to do with what I am doing or my incubator. My last 2 unshipped batches were 100% on both. Shipped eggs are a risk. Eggs can be fertile, and then be x-rayed and kill all or half or a few. Or you can have a bacteria left in your incubator from a previous hatch. I always clean after every hatch with oxine. Plus I dip my shipped eggs in an oxine mix, they lay to dry before placing in the incubator. So my advice would be, get good 100% hatched with local eggs before you even attempt shipped eggs.

 

[CyndiChick]

I hatched some of my OEG eggs just didn't have a good rate. I can't find eggs locally... Only one person sells any but I have seen her chickens and I don't think I want to go there. (overcrowded and not very clean conditions). I am still looking but so far our options are limited.

 

[ki4got]

I hatched some of my OEG eggs just didn't have a good rate. I can't find eggs locally... Only one person sells any but I have seen her chickens and I don't think I want to go there. (overcrowded and not very clean conditions). I am still looking but so far our options are limited.

I might suggest, if you're not already, find and join a florida thread... there may be region-specific (north, central, south, etc) and then find someone there that has hatching eggs not far from you.

 

[yinepu]

I am in Florida, and these were shipped eggs but the temp and humidity have been what I read up on. I am just frustrated bcoz I have tried 3 hatches of chickens and either had no development or development to day 18 then nothing.

Was so hoping this quail hatch would go better.
And you already knew they were shipped lol got them from you!

First let me say that I agree with others here who have suggested local eggs first to work out the bugs in your bator..

Now on to you rother problems..

have you completely disinfected your incubator (bleach solution or oxine)?
if not .. do that before you set another egg.. AND do it between each hatch.. you have to get every nook and cranny of the incubator... bacteria is capable of hiding everywhere.. so get it as clean as possible..

Second.. does your bator have ANY vents?... if so leave them open throughout the entire incubation AND hatch.. if it's a homemade bator and doesn't have any vents.. MAKE SOME... and I mean a lot of them.. my coolerbators have holes drilled along the top and bottom edges as well as the lid being open a good half inch and stays that way even during hatch...

for chicks to die that late (day 18) tells me your problem with those is either a bacterial issue or carbon dioxide poisoning .. disinfecting will help with any bacterial issues and leaving vents wide open throughout incubation and hatch prevents carbon dioxide from building up...

for the non developing eggs.. you are either getting infertile eggs or the eggs are being damaged in shipping... buying some local eggs SHOULD rule out the damaged issue.. but when you do find locals take some padding or even a pillow with you inside of a box to set the eggs on.. it will reduce any vibrations you would get during the drive bringing them home..

I would also suggest investing in some oxine for egg dipping.. it helps a lot with eggs from unknown sources as well as if the eggs were washed by the previous owner.. granted you can't do anything about the bacteria which may already be IN the egg.. but you can make sure the eggs are as germ free as possible on the shell if you are having bacterial issues..

I rarely dip eggs.. the ones that I do are shipped because a lot of times I do get improperly washed eggs from sellers who think they are doing a good job but are infact ruining the eggs because they didn't know the correct way to wash them... (just got a shipment last week of weeping eggs.. they were probably washed by the seller since every darn egg was weeping on arrival)..

 

[jnjmanning]

First let me say that I agree with others here who have suggested local eggs first to work out the bugs in your bator..

Now on to you rother problems..

have you completely disinfected your incubator (bleach solution or oxine)?
if not .. do that before you set another egg.. AND do it between each hatch.. you have to get every nook and cranny of the incubator... bacteria is capable of hiding everywhere.. so get it as clean as possible..

Second.. does your bator have ANY vents?... if so leave them open throughout the entire incubation AND hatch.. if it's a homemade bator and doesn't have any vents.. MAKE SOME... and I mean a lot of them.. my coolerbators have holes drilled along the top and bottom edges as well as the lid being open a good half inch and stays that way even during hatch...

for chicks to die that late (day 18) tells me your problem with those is either a bacterial issue or carbon dioxide poisoning .. disinfecting will help with any bacterial issues and leaving vents wide open throughout incubation and hatch prevents carbon dioxide from building up...

for the non developing eggs.. you are either getting infertile eggs or the eggs are being damaged in shipping... buying some local eggs SHOULD rule out the damaged issue.. but when you do find locals take some padding or even a pillow with you inside of a box to set the eggs on.. it will reduce any vibrations you would get during the drive bringing them home..

I would also suggest investing in some oxine for egg dipping.. it helps a lot with eggs from unknown sources as well as if the eggs were washed by the previous owner.. granted you can't do anything about the bacteria which may already be IN the egg.. but you can make sure the eggs are as germ free as possible on the shell if you are having bacterial issues..

I rarely dip eggs.. the ones that I do are shipped because a lot of times I do get improperly washed eggs from sellers who think they are doing a good job but are infact ruining the eggs because they didn't know the correct way to wash them... (just got a shipment last week of weeping eggs.. they were probably washed by the seller since every darn egg was weeping on arrival)..

Excellent advice. I dip all my shipped, and I use oxine like it is the only thing
i have!

 

[ki4got]

but when you do find locals take some padding or even a pillow with you inside of a box to set the eggs on.. it will reduce any vibrations you would get during the drive bringing them home..

One thing I've used with good success, especially for eggs that have already been incubated a bit, is Finch seed... all small round seeds, primarily red, proso and white millet, no sunflower - the oil may cause problems on the shells. (wild finch feed is usually cheaper but pet finch seed works well too. parakeet seed will work as well but has hulled oats usually that are also a bit oily). I like the seeds better than anything else since they're smooth and almost slippery feeling, so they soak up a LOT of the vibration while driving.

that being said, I've had no problems even just keeping eggs in an egg crate on the floor in the back seat too! and these eggs have travelled probably 2 hours or more to get from their home to mine. (meeting my friend mid way). the last 6 SFH eggs I picked up from her are all fertile and growing, due to hatch next Monday.

and personally, when i'm getting eggs from someone I don't have any info about/from, i'll just ask if they wash eggs, and if they do, I request that they don't and let them know i'd rather have dirty eggs than washed ones! dirty eggs hatch way better than washed ones tend to.

 

[CyndiChick]

First let me say that I agree with others here who have suggested local eggs first to work out the bugs in your bator..

Now on to you rother problems..

have you completely disinfected your incubator (bleach solution or oxine)?
if not .. do that before you set another egg.. AND do it between each hatch.. you have to get every nook and cranny of the incubator... bacteria is capable of hiding everywhere.. so get it as clean as possible..

Second.. does your bator have ANY vents?... if so leave them open throughout the entire incubation AND hatch.. if it's a homemade bator and doesn't have any vents.. MAKE SOME... and I mean a lot of them.. my coolerbators have holes drilled along the top and bottom edges as well as the lid being open a good half inch and stays that way even during hatch...

for chicks to die that late (day 18) tells me your problem with those is either a bacterial issue or carbon dioxide poisoning .. disinfecting will help with any bacterial issues and leaving vents wide open throughout incubation and hatch prevents carbon dioxide from building up...

for the non developing eggs.. you are either getting infertile eggs or the eggs are being damaged in shipping... buying some local eggs SHOULD rule out the damaged issue.. but when you do find locals take some padding or even a pillow with you inside of a box to set the eggs on.. it will reduce any vibrations you would get during the drive bringing them home..

I would also suggest investing in some oxine for egg dipping.. it helps a lot with eggs from unknown sources as well as if the eggs were washed by the previous owner.. granted you can't do anything about the bacteria which may already be IN the egg.. but you can make sure the eggs are as germ free as possible on the shell if you are having bacterial issues..

I rarely dip eggs.. the ones that I do are shipped because a lot of times I do get improperly washed eggs from sellers who think they are doing a good job but are infact ruining the eggs because they didn't know the correct way to wash them... (just got a shipment last week of weeping eggs.. they were probably washed by the seller since every darn egg was weeping on arrival)..

Every part of my incubator gets cleaned with bleach every time in between use (including the egg turner if I'm using it). And rinsed well. I leave the two vents open (is a farm innovators incubator), monitor temp and humidity every couple hours, its in a place with little temperature fluctuation. Its a forced air, so there is circulation. I use three thermometer/hygrometers in it. Two down on egg level, one on the window on top so I can check temp differences, etc. Perhaps I will give the oxine a try. WHen I've done eggtopsies, there hasn't been bacteria or signs of it in most of them. The ones that made it today 18 I think drowned in the shell because I hiked the humidity up too high (added more water before giving it enough time to equilibrate). Some I checked from my OEG weren't fertile, some were but didn't develop. I haven't recieved any washed eggs so far as they have all been from folks here on BYC who know better. The eggs are allowed to sit in the room where the bator is for at least 24 hours before I candle to check air cells. If the air cell is detatched, they get set with the fat end up for 72 hours prior to being placed in incubator (assuming the cell reattatches or I decide wth and do it anyways.) I wash my hands before candling, which I do on day 3, 7, 14, and 18 for chickens. These quail I candled on arrival and on day 12. I don't handle the eggs alot, and I don't mess with the incubator alot. I don't have any hens that are going broody (EE and cochins are all too young atm) so I can't stick them under one of them either LOL
(And maybe I should have posted this somewhere other than the auction thread... my apologies!)