LynnaePB
Free Ranging
I candle way too much, but nearly all my candling is done by just gently resting the end of my candler over the air cell, very rarely do I actually touch the eggs (I always wash my hands before doing this anyway though). The candling didn't seem to affect my last couple hatches in the 360 (no quitters). I got one quitter in my brinsea right now but I'm guessing it's more likely from the less stable temperatures in it or just bad luck.
My 4 older silkie eggs in the nurture right 360 are doing great and I took out my turner today for them. The eggs range from 15-18 days old (they are each one day apart). I probably should have been setting eggs every week instead of throwing them in the day they were laid but I didn't actually expect them to be fertile since I was getting zero fertility for so long. I think they are close enough in age a staggered hatch won't be too detrimental. I"m going to wait until I see an internal pip to raise the humidity. These eggs have more pigment than I'm used to in my silkie eggs and the day 15 eggs air cell is on the small side despite mostly running dry (probably averaged around 30% humidity). I'll hand turn the youngest egg for another day but I'm not too worried about it since after day 14 turning isn't as important. Really hoping for some babies this weekend!
My 18 silkie eggs in my brinsea octagon eco 20 are on day 8 right now. 11 healthy looking little ones, one very early quitter (probably day 2-3), and 6 clears. I'm actually really happy with this. It looks like my clumsy inexperienced cockerel managed to fertilize eggs from 3 of my 4 laying pullets that were laying at the time I was collecting the eggs. I'm saving up more eggs now. I'm hoping he'll manage to get that last pullets eggs fertilized as well.
Of the 7 pullets I have in my paint breeding pen right now 5 are broody as of today, I guess that's silkies for you.
The good thing is if the power goes out it'll be pretty easy to bring some of the girls inside and let them sit on the eggs until it comes back on.
Wow the silkie crosses were 2 months old when they were set? I'm amazed you got any to develop!
I've only been incubating silkie eggs lately so can't comment on standard size eggs. A lot of my silkie eggs hatch on day 20, I keep the temperature closer to 100 than 99.5 though so that may be the reason they hatch a little early rather than their size.
Good luck with your hatch, I hope it goes really well despite a lot of the eggs being shipped!
My 4 older silkie eggs in the nurture right 360 are doing great and I took out my turner today for them. The eggs range from 15-18 days old (they are each one day apart). I probably should have been setting eggs every week instead of throwing them in the day they were laid but I didn't actually expect them to be fertile since I was getting zero fertility for so long. I think they are close enough in age a staggered hatch won't be too detrimental. I"m going to wait until I see an internal pip to raise the humidity. These eggs have more pigment than I'm used to in my silkie eggs and the day 15 eggs air cell is on the small side despite mostly running dry (probably averaged around 30% humidity). I'll hand turn the youngest egg for another day but I'm not too worried about it since after day 14 turning isn't as important. Really hoping for some babies this weekend!
My 18 silkie eggs in my brinsea octagon eco 20 are on day 8 right now. 11 healthy looking little ones, one very early quitter (probably day 2-3), and 6 clears. I'm actually really happy with this. It looks like my clumsy inexperienced cockerel managed to fertilize eggs from 3 of my 4 laying pullets that were laying at the time I was collecting the eggs. I'm saving up more eggs now. I'm hoping he'll manage to get that last pullets eggs fertilized as well.
Of the 7 pullets I have in my paint breeding pen right now 5 are broody as of today, I guess that's silkies for you.
The good thing is if the power goes out it'll be pretty easy to bring some of the girls inside and let them sit on the eggs until it comes back on.Wow the silkie crosses were 2 months old when they were set? I'm amazed you got any to develop!
I've only been incubating silkie eggs lately so can't comment on standard size eggs. A lot of my silkie eggs hatch on day 20, I keep the temperature closer to 100 than 99.5 though so that may be the reason they hatch a little early rather than their size.
Good luck with your hatch, I hope it goes really well despite a lot of the eggs being shipped!
I have hatch fever over here!
it freaked me out too because the basket was moved in the incubator. Then it started moving so I was a little freaked out. I lifted the basket and there was a little grey and brown chick under it 
