We were able to finally let the girls free after saving their eggs for hatching recently. They went right back to the big coop for their first night of freedom. I figured they would want to stay in the coop they were living in since they are creatures of habit but they went back home.
In the photos is our starter incubator. The eggs incubate for 21 days and they come out of the turner for the last 3 days. There is a water channel in the bottom to add water to try and keep the proper amount of humidity. If its too humid the chicks may not be able to break out of the shell and could have some deformities such as crooked toes. Also too high of humidity can cause them to break the membrane in the shell and literally drown.
The egg turner keeps them from sticking too the side of the shell.
With this incubator the only trouble we're having is getting the temperature just right. The temp should be 99.5 degrees but it keeps climbing up and we keep lowering the touchy and sensitive temp adjustment knob. 104 degree temperatures will do nothing but cook the eggs.
The eggs are placed in the egg turner pointy side down as there is an air pocket at the top. After a week in the incubator we will have to take the eggs out and candle them all with a high powered flash light to find the eggs that have a growing embryo in them and weed out the non fertilized or eggs that the embryo died (indicated by a ring around the inside of the egg) We have to take these ones out or they could pop and make a mess from being "over cooked." So not all 40 eggs will be hatching and it's pretty exciting for our first attempt.
We're setting up a brooder box hidden in a hallway by our front door to keep the little peeps under close supervision and warm as they grow. It's pretty fun but you wouldn't think there would be so much to learn. We're gonna raise these kids as new egg layers then when they hatch were going to fill it up again for round two. I would really like to get a young Easter Egger rooster eventually so we can breed them too.
In the photos is our starter incubator. The eggs incubate for 21 days and they come out of the turner for the last 3 days. There is a water channel in the bottom to add water to try and keep the proper amount of humidity. If its too humid the chicks may not be able to break out of the shell and could have some deformities such as crooked toes. Also too high of humidity can cause them to break the membrane in the shell and literally drown.
The egg turner keeps them from sticking too the side of the shell.
With this incubator the only trouble we're having is getting the temperature just right. The temp should be 99.5 degrees but it keeps climbing up and we keep lowering the touchy and sensitive temp adjustment knob. 104 degree temperatures will do nothing but cook the eggs.
The eggs are placed in the egg turner pointy side down as there is an air pocket at the top. After a week in the incubator we will have to take the eggs out and candle them all with a high powered flash light to find the eggs that have a growing embryo in them and weed out the non fertilized or eggs that the embryo died (indicated by a ring around the inside of the egg) We have to take these ones out or they could pop and make a mess from being "over cooked." So not all 40 eggs will be hatching and it's pretty exciting for our first attempt.
We're setting up a brooder box hidden in a hallway by our front door to keep the little peeps under close supervision and warm as they grow. It's pretty fun but you wouldn't think there would be so much to learn. We're gonna raise these kids as new egg layers then when they hatch were going to fill it up again for round two. I would really like to get a young Easter Egger rooster eventually so we can breed them too.
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