Incubating eggs for first time

3064 Views 60 Replies 12 Participants Last post by ksalvagno, Nov 13, 2021

ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · Jul 13, 2021

So I got the bug to try incubating eggs. I got the Kibonnixs incubator. Figured it was best to start small. So I set my first eggs today. I hope I have a fertile rooster and get some chicks. I thought I would keep track of progress here. I couldn't find anywhere if 12 chicks can hatch and dry ok in the incubator.

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AndersonRanch

· #2 · Jul 14, 2021

Yay! Welcome to the addicting club lol
Candle them between 7-10 days ans again before lock down. Most likely not all 12 will make it to lockdown. Doesn’t mean you did anything wrong or the chickens it’s just the way it goes. But even if they do all make it 12 will be ok. They will be all snug in there. I have moved eggs around to free up incubators and have had 12 hatch in there. It looks a little iffy but they all did fine.

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daisymay

· #3 · Jul 14, 2021

i dont see why not, they should be okay but remember when they hatch they make the incubator dirty especially with all the down, it gets in the motor and hard to clean. but if thats all you have then it should work. i love my brinsea ecoglo brooder so much safer then heat lamps and cheaper to run. not that im using it but when i did i loved it.

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Kass

· #4 · Jul 14, 2021

Are you asking if they can all fit?
Some may hatch earlier and some later. Whenever one is dried off and poofy you can take it out and put it in the brooder. Dip its beak in the food and water so they know where it is even though technically they are still absorbing the yolk for the first day or so.

Good luck with everything! Hatching chicks is very exciting

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #5 · Jul 14, 2021

You can open the lid during the lockdown? I could see the chicks fitting if you could remove egg shells or chicks.

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AndersonRanch

· #6 · Jul 14, 2021

No you really shouldn’t open it during lock down, but if the other eggs have not piped yet you can open really fast and pull them out. I promise they will be fine in there. There is still room for them to lay on top of the empty eggs and shuffle those half broken eggs around. But if you are worried about it move the incubator to the bathroom during lockdown. The issue with opening it is it allows cool dry air in and if one has piped it will dry the membrane out and you have a shrink wrapped chick. That is NOT fun to deal with! The outer membrane turns to leather so they can’t break threw and the inner membrane will turn to a cement around the chick. But if they are in the bathroom and you get worried you can turn the shower on with hot water, get it nice and humid in there and then you can open it. It’s still a risk but it’s not instant doom if one has piped on the bottom of the egg and you can’t see it.

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Suzzetthegoatlady

· #7 · Jul 15, 2021

It would be suggested to keep the baby chicks in for a little longer after ready to go out because the peeping and walking on the other eggs encourages the other chicks to start hatching, after two days take them out and put them in the broader that's my advice

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #8 · Jul 16, 2021

Thanks for all the advice! I'm excited about doing this. So far temp and humidity have been fine and the automatic turner working.

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Sfgwife

· #9 · Jul 16, 2021

We always keep another thermometer and hygrometer in the bator as well as the one that comes in it. Sometimes they are not real accurate. Good luck and enjoy it! It is fun.

We love the heat plates for the brooder over a lamp. The first few days before they go in the “wagon” brooder that is outside we keep them in a big rubbermaid tub and do use a lamp. But it is because there is just not enough room for the plate in it.

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jul 20, 2021

I candled the eggs last night. It appears all 12 have that dark spot. Most of them I also saw the veins but I have 2 dark shell eggs that were hard to tell. So at this point I'll consider them all viable. We will see in a week if they all will remain viable. But it is exciting that things are progressing.

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Kass

· #11 · Jul 20, 2021

Yay! That's so exciting! Sounds like everything is going well. I can't wait to see them. They'll be here before you know it

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #12 · Jul 27, 2021

Today is day 13 and I candled the eggs. I'm hoping I'm doing this right. Here are a couple pictures of what I think are good eggs.

Automotive lighting Astronomical object Art Gas Sky

Automotive lighting Amber Wax Flame Fire

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #13 · Jul 27, 2021

Here is a picture of what I think is a bad one. I possibly have 2 bad eggs now. Both pictures are the same egg.

Automotive lighting Amber Astronomical object Gas Tints and shades

Automotive lighting Astronomical object Flame Fire Gas

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daisymay

· #14 · Jul 27, 2021

wow your fancy, i use a flashlight. usually they wont explode so if your not sure just wait a bit longer, but if no veins or if it looks yellow then the egg is bad.

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #15 · Jul 27, 2021

The light is on the Kebonnix incubator. I tried a flashlight to see if I would see the same thing but I couldn't seem to get the light blocked off on only the egg. I guess you need a small flashlight and the one I used wasn't small enough.

Moers kiko boars

· #16 · Jul 27, 2021

Have you tried any other eggs, like duck, turkey or peacock? Are they all incubated the same & candled the same?

Sfgwife

· #17 · Jul 27, 2021

Moers kiko boars said:
Have you tried any other eggs, like duck, turkey or peacock? Are they all incubated the same & candled the same?

Turkeys take longer in the bator. 28 days.

.

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Moers kiko boars

· #18 · Jul 27, 2021

Thankyou @Sfgwife 🥰

Kass

· #19 · Jul 27, 2021

Looks right to me. Obvious veins in the first ones. No signs of life in the last.

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ksalvagno

Discussion Starter · #20 · Jul 27, 2021

This is my absolute first time with hatching eggs. I used the eggs from my chickens. I have a Cochin/Light Brahma mix rooster and he is a nice boy in that he never attacks. My girls are Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Golden Laced Wyandotte, Barred Rock, Cuckoo Maran and one I'm not sure. The 4 black ones were all supposed to be Cuckoo Maran but once they start growing, it was obvious they all were not. The girls were hatchery chicks from TSC and the rooster was free.

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