March hatch along. My first incubation ever

[Redheadhomestead]

Ooooooook so we’ve got a big time update today.

I saw my first egg rock around on its own!

So tomorrow is lock down so I wanted to give the incubator a good look tonight. I candled them one last time and while I did I noticed the water filling tray had some film floating on the top of the water and that pink mildew in the tray. Thinking quickly I added all the eggs from one incubator into the second incubator so I could clean the first incubator out- I dried it completely and wiped it all out. Then once back up to temp/humidity I switch all the eggs back to the clean incubator, then I cleaned the second one the same way and put the eggs back once it was all done.

I filled the clean incubators with distilled water (which i regret not doing from the get go.) Been using that good ol fashioned city water from the faucet.


After doing this I will change how I incubate going forward

1. I will pack the 12 egg incubator to the brim stacking eggs etc maybe 14-18 eggs that way when the few undoubtedly quit early or weren’t fertile to begin with I can toss them and finish with 12 viable eggs. Side note the egg turner seemed to work smoothly even with that many eggs, just gotta be very careful handling

2. Definitely using distilled water from the start

3. This one is pretty obvious and I’m sure the majority of people do this but I’ll always do a thorough check on the day before lockdown.



Hatch day is Friday into Saturday and I have to work both days so that sucks, but I’ve got some cameras on them now so we shall see! Just adding some random pics of the issues tonight

 

[junior67]

Ooooooook so we’ve got a big time update today.

I saw my first egg rock around on its own!

So tomorrow is lock down so I wanted to give the incubator a good look tonight. I candled them one last time and while I did I noticed the water filling tray had some film floating on the top of the water and that pink mildew in the tray. Thinking quickly I added all the eggs from one incubator into the second incubator so I could clean the first incubator out- I dried it completely and wiped it all out. Then once back up to temp/humidity I switch all the eggs back to the clean incubator, then I cleaned the second one the same way and put the eggs back once it was all done.

I filled the clean incubators with distilled water (which i regret not doing from the get go.) Been using that good ol fashioned city water from the faucet.


After doing this I will change how I incubate going forward

1. I will pack the 12 egg incubator to the brim stacking eggs etc maybe 14-18 eggs that way when the few undoubtedly quit early or weren’t fertile to begin with I can toss them and finish with 12 viable eggs. Side note the egg turner seemed to work smoothly even with that many eggs, just gotta be very careful handling

2. Definitely using distilled water from the start

3. This one is pretty obvious and I’m sure the majority of people do this but I’ll always do a thorough check on the day before lockdown.



Hatch day is Friday into Saturday and I have to work both days so that sucks, but I’ve got some cameras on them now so we shall see! Just adding some random pics of the issues tonight

where one egg was rocking did you remove the turner today after you cleaned it out? I would remove it since rocking is normally a chick getting into position. So if your incubator ran warm they could be a day or two ahead.

 

[Redheadhomestead]

That’s a good thought I did not remove the tray today. I had planned on letting them turn through the night and taking the tray out tomorrow (technically lock down is tomorrow at 5pm) but what you’re saying makes perfect sense and now I’m wondering

It was a VERY minor twitch not any heavy rocking the only reason I noticed it was because everything else was so still.… so you think I should take the tray out tonight and forego almost another full day of rotation?

 

[junior67]

That’s a good thought I did not remove the tray today. I had planned on letting them turn through the night and taking the tray out tomorrow (technically lock down is tomorrow at 5pm) but what you’re saying makes perfect sense and now I’m wondering

It was a VERY minor twitch not any heavy rocking the only reason I noticed it was because everything else was so still.… so you think I should take the tray out tonight and forego almost another full day of rotation?

it is up to you but taking the tray out a day early won't harm them. You can candle and set them with the sloped side of the air cell facing up. Then wait to bump up the humidity until tomorrow. a lot of times since my lockdown is morning or mid day I will candle and take out the turner on day 17 then up the humidity later on day 18.

 

[Redheadhomestead]

Great to know

 

[junior67]

Mine are on day 18 around 2:30 tomorrow so that is when I start lockdown as well. I am so excited to have baby chicks again!!!!!!!!

 

[Redheadhomestead]

Cam 1 and 2. I went ahead and removed the turner so we shall see

 

[junior67]

Cam 1 and 2. I went ahead and removed the turner so we shall see

Oh jealous you have 2 on yours! LOL I only have 1 and will have dividers in my incubator this time so will be hard to see the other 3 sections.....

Can't wait to see those chicks!

 

[Auntiejessi3]

Oh jealous you have 2 on yours! LOL I only have 1 and will have dividers in my incubator this time so will be hard to see the other 3 sections.....

Can't wait to see those chicks!

What kind of dividers?

 

[Redheadhomestead]

I call them dividers but it’s just the egg turner divider.