Yesterday was day 21

[Christie Rhae]

Quote:

I just eggtopsied for the first time.

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Oh, I am not looking forward to doing that! The book I use, Storrey's Guide to Raising Chickens, says that you should so that you become familiar with what goes on during the hatches, so I am going to when I have waited long enough to be convinced they are actually not going to hatch. I think I will wait to day 25... which is Tuesday. Mmmmadie13, are you removing all of the eggs with the supposition that they are all dead?

@ Julie, I don't have a hydrometer. I have one of those Styrofoam incubators with the channel for water and the plugs on top. I think the humidity was okay; I am pretty sure the temp dropped after I took the first batch of babies out (I had to bc they were hitting their heads on the hot elements) and didn't go back up as quickly as it should have. Next time I do this, I will definintly invest in a hydrometer

@ ChickenDelighted, did any of the eggs hatch? Mine are still sitting in the bator making me sad

I think I have the same incubator. It did not come with a humidity guage. I got one from Petco for not too much money.

 

[Mmmatt13]

Quote:

I just eggtopsied for the first time.

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​

Oh, I am not looking forward to doing that! The book I use, Storrey's Guide to Raising Chickens, says that you should so that you become familiar with what goes on during the hatches, so I am going to when I have waited long enough to be convinced they are actually not going to hatch. I think I will wait to day 25... which is Tuesday. Mmmmadie13, are you removing all of the eggs with the supposition that they are all dead?

I did an eggtopsy on each egg after seeing the first one. They were all dead.

I saw that on the ones I opened all the way up, the yolk had not been absorbed... What does that mean?

I had one that was very stinky and the liquid inside was chunky and gross, ew.

 

[scatteredeggs]

i'm hatching quails. unlike chicken babies, quail babies do not hv reserves and can't stay long with out food and water. this is my first hatch using a DIY styrofoam incubator i myself made.
eggs started hatching on the 16th day. I think on the second week my temp dropped to 97-98. Some experienced hatchers here said the lower temp is not fatal but may delay hatching.
my point is, as soon as chicks are fluffed, i open the incubator and move the babies to the brooder. temp drop is not much, but humidity is. i mist with warm water, i hv wet paper towels inside the incubator too. those help the humidity go back up quickly. i'm basically on the 3rd day of hatching and eggs are still rocking and pipping and zipping.