# 28 more in the incubator



## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Well my last chicks are now a week old. They are doing great and looking good. Decided to try a round 2 of eggs to see how well I can do! I can't really fit many more birds in my run and coop but I have a co-worker who has plenty of room for more. So decided to just go for it! I fired the Bater back up on Sat evening and let it preheat so to speak and Sunday I set 28 eggs which I had been collecting since Thursday night. I picked through the eggs and chose the better looking ones of them all and placed them on Sunday night! By Monday morning the incubator was still a few degrees shy of good temps. But today when I got home temps were back to normal. Humidity is a bit high at 57% but it's been raining out for 2 days so hope it goes down! Hoping for another good hatch but see how many eggs are left after day 7 as the hens always don't lay a fertile egg all the time. Here is a pic of the chicks that I recently hatched. They are 7 days old


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Oh, oh. It looks like the bug has bitten another one. What happens when the co-worker is full up and you still want to put eggs in the bator?


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Lol I won't do any eggs that I can't find a place for. Kind of depressing but it will have to be that way lol


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## seminole wind (Aug 22, 2015)

Another addict in the making!


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Lol once this batch is done I am putting the incubator up and not doing any unless someone wants some babies. And by that time I should have a new incubator with Turner. Hard to get the eggs turned at the right times when the wife and I both work


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Uh huh, we've heard that before. Actually I believe we also said the same thing then next thing you know some how the bator was set up and growing peeps. I never did find who was doing that. I'd like to thank them for filling my coop up over and over again.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Too funny. I am having a little problem with the humidity this round. It's been raining here for almost 5 days and humidity in the air is very high. Took the water dish out and still humidity is 50-55% humidity is the same . hope its gonna be OK . another question I have is how many of you circle your air sacs and what way do you place them after day 18? Last batch just laid flat. Read that it is just to tell if the chick is pipping in the right spot but not sure on that


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

I never did anything special with mine. Most of mine were in a turner of one kind or another.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

I didn't do anything like that with my last batch either. Guess I worry too much sometimes lol. I just want to do it right. I'm hoping to have a good candling session after day 7 and Im hoping at least 90% of the eggs I put in there were fertile and developing. Even with 2 roosters in with my girls we still get a few unfertilized eggs


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Well it's been 6 days so far and decided to candle tonight when I turned the eggs. Turns out I actually placed 29 instead of 28. I counted 4 times lol. But all eggs I candled looked to be good fertile eggs. All but 2 had a good string of veins and looked like they are supposed too. I removed the 2 that didn't turn out. The both had blood rings. I do expect a few more to not fully develop just because thats nature but heck if they look this good now who knows. I'll keep you posted


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

You are now obligated to follow right behind me when I tell someone their thermo sucks. You wouldn't believe how many ignore that when I say it to them. You did and now you're working on your second hatch.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Thank Robin. Yes only 2 eggs with blood rings out of 29 is a really good number. I'm still surprised they were all fertile. Even my loyal roos miss a hen once in a while


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Maybe you didn't collect eggs from the girls that laid infertile eggs.

You had 100% fertility even counting the two with blood rings. Not shabby.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Eggs are still looking great! Weather is changing drastically here. Hard to keep humidity steady but all candled and are looking good! Temp has been fluctuating a degree or 2 with the house changing temps (50°at night and 87° during the day) bit hoping for a good hatch! Sometimes the eggs don't get turned from 6 am until 3 PM if the wife has to work late and then again at 9-10 PM. I know the turning hours aren't steady but doing our best! Will keep everyone posted!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

When my turner quit and I had to hand turn, I forgot on a regular basis and still ended up with a good hatch. 

Do you have a room in the house where the temp is more steady? I've heard of folks who will even put theirs in a closet to keep the bator in a more stable environment.


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## chickenqueen (Jan 9, 2016)

You said this was your last batch and then going to get a new set-up.Know what will happen?You won't be able to resist trying the new set-up and you will have to try it out.Been there,done that.This will be your "Summer of Chicks"!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

chickenqueen said:


> You said this was your last batch and then going to get a new set-up.Know what will happen?You won't be able to resist trying the new set-up and you will have to try it out.Been there,done that.This will be your "Summer of Chicks"!


Or will set up both just to "compare" success rates between the two?


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Well as things go right now I have a couple people wanting some chicks when they are ready . so ya I may have to compare my next incubator to my old one. I wouldn't bother buying a different one if I could have an auto egg Turner in the one I have. We will see how it goes


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Well we are off to a wedding today and won't be home until tomorrow. This morning I woke up to a chick in the Bater and 20 more have pipped. Looks like my step daughter is gonna have a busy day today


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

She's being rewarded for taking good care of the peeps while you're gone. Enjoy your wedding and then come home to some instant chicks.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

I know she gets to be the lucky one lol. O well I guess. According to my calendar they should be hatching through Monday


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

22 new babies so far


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Wow, that's still using the old machine? Think about it, you're set up now for staggered hatches. One for getting them to day 18 and the other for the last three days.


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## tonykummrow (Mar 26, 2016)

Lol still the original brower still air incubator. I didn't candle at day 18 as I was pressed for time that day but only had 4 that didn't hatch or even pip for that matter. So I guess I was fairly successful. Very exciting having these little cuties arrive.!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

And not to beat a dead horse, what you use to keep track of temp is vital to the success you are now seeing.


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