Uh Oh, Maybe I should have waited.... HELP!!

[warmfuzzies]

You can candle the eggs at about eight days if they are brown, earlier if they are white. Search candling on this forum, you will find all sorts of pictures and advice to tell you what to look for.

No, you should not put anymore in untill your others are completely done. They only do this when they have seperate hatchers to move the chicks into on day 18.

The reason for this is, you have to stop turning on day 18, and raise your humidity a little, to keep the chicks from sticking to the shells once they start pecking out. If you did this while you had younger eggs in their also, you would jepardize their hatch.

So wait untill your first batch is done, clean your incubator, and start over.

What you really need to do is get your temp and humidity right, and then read EVERYTHING on BYC you can about incubating and hatching. Read all the links in the sticky at the top of the 'hatching' section, and read all the threads you can.

Also, if you are using the LG thermometer, GET ANOTHER ONE!! They are wrong, at least everyone I have talked to said they threw them away. Mine was up to 5 deg. too high! So I used an oral mercury type thermometer, but it is kinda a pain. If you have one, use it untill you can get another one.

I dont want to scare you, but I lost about a third of my eggs due to high temps from trusting those Little Giant thermometers. Search Thermometer to get peoples recomendations.

Sorry for the long post! Oh, and dont give up on your eggs yet! I wanted too, but now I have 22 peepers!

 

[Mom2Munchkins]

I hope one day I know what I'm doing! I feel bad asking all these questions that I should already know the answers to.

On the Little Giant sticker, it says Still Air Incubator, but then there's a red sticker too that says Forced Air Fan...Circulated Air Incubator.

I bet you all wanna reach through the screen and strangle me!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote:
Unless you have a separate hatcher unit...do Not put any more eggs in after 2 weeks! At day 18 to 21 you have to raise the humidity to about 60 % and that wouldn't be good for the newer eggs.
You should candle the eggs at 7 - 10 days and will see if any are clear and if you're in doubt just leave them be until the next candling. Do you have the instructions that came with the incubator? Usually they will tell you the basics.
If this hatch dosen't work that's okay...it'll give you some experience and the time to study up on hatching and make the next time better.

 

[daisychick]

Quote:
when you plug it in do you hear a little motor running....cause if you do that would be a fan. If you have a fan you have a forced air. So see if you can figure out that first cause then you can adjust your temps according to the type of incubator.

 

[Mom2Munchkins]

Yes, I hear something running. it says on the red sticker Keep at 99.5 for all eggs, and thats what it stays at.

 

[warmfuzzies]

Yup you have a forced air. They add that red sticker when they put the fan in. Keep it at 99.5, or as close as possible.

 

[daisychick]

well that is good you have forced air which helps keep things more even temp wise and is sounds like your temps have been great!! Soooo that is good news. So all you need to do is test your humidity and keep it pretty stable and then the hard part.....keep the lid closed and wait!! I think you will be fine!

 

[Mom2Munchkins]

I see someone on here says they use a sponge. Do you think I should just lay a sponge in there rather than putting water, that way I can get more of an idea when I get the hydrometer of just howmuch moisture needs to be in there?? I mean soaking or wringing out a sponge sounds easier then trying to empty those trays.... Or does the water have to be UNDER the eggs??

 

[the_eagle69]

Truth is we would like to reach through your screan and get your humidity down and get eveything perfect so you have a great hatch.

I have 3 LG's 2 running and one on stand by. Best of luck and keep us all posted.

 

[daisychick]

I don't know about the sponge thing. I just put water in my tray and the levels stay great. I would think you would have to add to the sponge just as many times as you would the trays....but I honestly have no experience with the sponges....sorry.