# My turn to incubate



## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

For christmas I got a little giant, with egg turner, I have been dying to get started. Saved up about 40 eggs picked out the best and started yesterday. Got my boys to help put them in and get it started. Now the real wait begins. My kids even marked the calender hope it goes well.
Wish us luck.


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## robopetz (Oct 16, 2012)

Good luck and keep us posted. What are you hatching?


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

What ever comes from this group. Rhoad Island red and black sex link


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## robopetz (Oct 16, 2012)

Nice, can't wait to see what you get. I have a polish and a silkie in the bator right now. Oh and some button quails too.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Well darn.....today is day 21 and nothing happened. Everything was looking good till this point. I will let it go a few more days before I call it quits.

The good news is while at TSC I was picking up some chicken supplys. I scored a deal on 12 chicks for 1 dollar each, white egg layers pullets. They are about a week old, salesman said he needed them gone, to make room for day olds.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Two of my 40 eggs are cracked and have little windows in the shell I see movement. My kids have been bummed about nothing hatching, hopefully they have something to be eggcited about before they go to school tomorrow.


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## HomeSkillet (Mar 1, 2013)

I'm hooked, hope there are more that make it!


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Here is the first one, found them this morning, and a second one when I came home just now.


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## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

Awesome! congrats! I love seeing new babies .


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## kaufranc (Oct 3, 2012)

ThreeJ, the kids must be excited now!


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Well I thought I was going to have a third chick, but they never made it out of the shell. I have only gotten 2 chicks out of 40 eggs. I won't know more untill I crack a few open, maybe see what went wrong.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Opened up the eggs today.... only 2 were not fertile, the rest were all in different stages of development. All the way from early to late. Any one have any ideas on what I need to do different. 5% hatch rate doesn't seem to good.


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## VIVI (Mar 23, 2013)

How are the babies?

VIVI


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

ThreeJ said:


> Opened up the eggs today.... only 2 were not fertile, the rest were all in different stages of development. All the way from early to late. Any one have any ideas on what I need to do different. 5% hatch rate doesn't seem to good.


Sorry to hear. Hopefully you can figure it out for the next round. Awesome score on the chicks!


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

My only 2 I hatched are doing well and the 12 from TSC also.....and I am going to try 22 more eggs in the incubator. I do have a digital themometer on the way with hydrometer.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

I found the problem.... themometer that came with the incubator was 5 deg. off. The temp was 5 deg. cooler then it should have been. I am hoping for a higher success rate with the next 22 eggs.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

ThreeJ said:


> I found the problem.... themometer that came with the incubator was 5 deg. off. The temp was 5 deg. cooler then it should have been. I am hoping for a higher success rate with the next 22 eggs.


Always good to find out.


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## ReTIRED (Mar 28, 2013)

This NEXT TIME...._*TRY*_ the "Dry-Incubation Method".
AND...for sure... CALIBRATE the thermometers and hygrometers.
_Instructions _for calibrating are _readily available. _Just do a "Google Search" for "Calibrating Thermometer" and/or "Calibrating Hygrometer"

I think you'll have MUCH BETTER "luck" with DRY-INCUBATION.

_just my opinion.....
_Bruce ( ReTIRED )


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## tigernielscremer (Apr 1, 2013)

*Try this out*

You should try keeping all the eggs in the incubator at once, so that all of them will hatch on the same day. I heard you can keep eggs in the cellar for a while with 12 degrees celcius until you have a full load to push into the incubator.

Good luck with your 22 new eggs.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

tigernielscremer said:


> You should try keeping all the eggs in the incubator at once, so that all of them will hatch on the same day. I heard you can keep eggs in the cellar for a while with 12 degrees celcius until you have a full load to push into the incubator.
> 
> Good luck with your 22 new eggs.


I keep mine in a closet in cartons, and turn the cartons two to three times a day.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

tigernielscremer said:


> You should try keeping all the eggs in the incubator at once, so that all of them will hatch on the same day. I heard you can keep eggs in the cellar for a while with 12 degrees celcius until you have a full load to push into the incubator.
> 
> Good luck with your 22 new eggs.


I did save eggs for 3 days to get my 40 and they all went in together.
Same with the 22.
Kept them in the garage at a temp of 55 degrees F.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

ReTIRED said:


> This NEXT TIME...._*TRY*_ the "Dry-Incubation Method".
> AND...for sure... CALIBRATE the thermometers and hygrometers.
> _Instructions _for calibrating are _readily available. _Just do a "Google Search" for "Calibrating Thermometer" and/or "Calibrating Hygrometer"
> 
> ...


I would have thought the thermometer that came with it would have been closer. I do have a better one now and it is acurate. I did do the Dry Incubation method. And would have had better results with a accurate thermometer.


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## ThreeJ (Jun 28, 2012)

Sunday was the due date for my 2nd hatch.....Well I found 6 chicks that morning and another 4 when I got home. Right now I am up to 12 out of 22 eggs. I will give it a few more days....


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

ThreeJ said:


> Sunday was the due date for my 2nd hatch.....Well I found 6 chicks that morning and another 4 when I got home. Right now I am up to 12 out of 22 eggs. I will give it a few more days....


I always hope and fear all mine hatch...


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