Walk with me please

[dragonchick]

OK I have my incubator, and my eggs. The incubator I got for $10, and it came with an egg turner. I need to make sure the turner works correctly. I know the motor runs as I did plug it in. I didn't see it moving the cups but then it was only on for about 10 sec to test the motor. Its a still air Hobavator. I have 5 eggs from my neighbor that should be fertile if her roosters had anything to say about it. Right now the eggs are sitting on the table since last night. I turned them by hand this evening. I have everything except the water wiggler thing and I hunted my area high and low for one. Anything I can use to sub it?

I am attempting to get the incubator heated up and the humidity stable before I put the eggs inside.

I will need some hand holding as this is my first time attempting incubating and hatching. The eggs are mutts but they will be MY mutts.

 

[paddock36]

I have never used a water wiggler. I have a digital thermometer/hydrometer that I bought a long time ago from ebay, but I believe you can also get them at Lowes if you have one in your area.

 

[dragonchick]

I have a digital thermometer and the regular one that came with the incubator. I also have the hydrometer from a humidor. Its been calibrated using the salt method. How much water do I need to start with in the wells or do I start dry and add a little at a time until it comes up?

 

[starforever61]

Quote:
That's exactly how I feel! Lol! I have sex links and my eggs are weird! Daily I get:

One beautiful brown one.
One speckled white one.
One with calcium deposits.
And one with poop on it.

Lovely.

But we still get buyers.

Good luck hatching! My rooster is too old to fertilize any eggs.

 

[dragonchick]

Quote:
That's exactly how I feel! Lol! I have sex links and my eggs are weird! Daily I get:

One beautiful brown one.
One speckled white one.
One with calcium deposits.
And one with poop on it.

Lovely.

But we still get buyers.

Good luck hatching! My rooster is too old to fertilize any eggs.

Just like any other male, as long as he can walk, he can get the job done

 

[babsbag]

Quote:
I just hatched out some adorable mutts. I read somewhere that the mutts might be easier to hatch out than purebreds as genetically they may be superior. I don't know if that is true but I hatched out all the viable eggs that I set. Maybe it was beginner's luck.

I wouldn't worry to much about the water wiggler. I used a homemade for a few days, and then a plastic egg filled with goo, and finally just used a thermometer (3 of them) and a hygrometer and called it good. Just know that the temps in your eggs won't change as fast as the air temp, which is a good thing.

I ran my humidity around 30-35% for the first 16 days and then gradually raised it to 65-75 for the last 3. I started raising it early as I wanted to make sure I could maintain that humidity BEFORE I needed to be in lockdown. And I am glad I did, as the eggs starting pipping on day 19. Remember, it is the surface area of the water that determines the humidity, not the depth of the water. I am not sure about the water trays in your incubator as I have never used that brand. I would just keep adding water, but at this point you could also take some out if need be.

Also, it is very important to have ventilation in your incubator so you can't close all the vents. That is not an option for getting the humidity to stay up. I used sponges in my pans of water, and at lockdown I put in a bigger pan and 3 sponges and a wet rag. I could fill the water through the vent holes using plastic tubing and a syringe.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[dragonchick]

I tested the egg turner overnight and it works perfectly so I am heating the bator and setting the humidity so I can set the eggs. I will set them this afternoon. Will this be day 1 or will tomorrow be day 1?

 

[dragonchick]

OK my first problem has arisen. With the turner in there I have no room for the silver dollar size hygrometer. Where do I put it so it reads accurately? in one of the unused turner cups?