Help please!!

[SuzyB]

Just got home, day 21 in my incubator, long story on previous thread. Have water pots filled as manufacturers instructions and temp is correct. Have had kitchen roll under the eggs for last 4 days - got home and its dripping wet! Has not been wet at all before now.

Is this something that should happen or has something gone very wrong?? Not sure what to do - can anyone advise?

Thank you

[SuzyB]

I should add, there is no sign of condensation on the sides of the inccy.

[julesapple]

Could your kitchen roll have touched the water and soaked it up? I can't think of any other reason why the paper would be wet but no condensation. Change the paper and measure the humidity again (bet you've done that already) and hopefully the Grape experts can help.

We've just increased the humidity in our bator as Hatch Day is Saturday (we think....)

Race you!

Jules

[SuzyB]

No, the water is in a central pot with tall sides. I suppose there is the possibility of one of the cats wandering round on the table and knocking it though. The eggs definitely werent wet apart from where they were touching the kitchen roll and have no cracks or holes.

Changed the paper straight away, no wetness now.

Have no way of measuring humidity, have just been following instructions on how far to fill up the posts and when.

The more I think about it the more I hope it was a cat knock, the paper was wet on two opposite sides which would be in keeping with a slosh - you think?

Crikey, I wish this was over and done with, one way or the other!

[julesapple]

Crikey, I wish this was over and done with, one way or the other!

Well, out of 30 eggs we are down to 15. One was crushed, another two cracked badly, and the rest just didn't develop. We have our doubts about another three that are left in bator.

Like you, I really wish this was over & done with. We aren't going to get any more eggs this year I don't think. It's a bit nerve-wracking to say the least, although lovely when the fluffballs turn up. I'd rather be pregnant, much easier!

Jules

[Nicos]

Nerve wracking ain't it????..I'd make a rubbish daddy

* passes cigars as has never smoked...continues pacing ......

[sheena]

I'm totally depressed by incing, getting fed up with the turning ritual, thank god I've only got 4 days left of it.
Out of the 23 eggs I set, I got 10 dudds
Totally gutted that got 0 out of 2 black Brahma's but ecstatic that the only Lavender Araucana looks like it's coming along well - now to just hope it's a girl.

I'll go with being pregnant over this, it's got to be the longest 3 weeks of my life!

[SuzyB]

I was really excited getting the incubator - looking at your numbers out of 30 eggs Jules Im thinking my paltry (or should that be poultry!) 4 eggs are probably destined not to be!

I had high hopes of doing some eggs from scratch but the traumas of the past 3 weeks, plus as you say Sheena, the turning, I think I might just wait for my next broody!

[its hilly]

Don't forget to stop turning on day 18 Sheena.
Good luck with your remainders.
I've tended to get 40 to 50% hatch from posted eggs. So I dont risk really expensive ones any more as its too disappointing if you only hatch one. (Well it is if it's a boy, although I wouldn't sell Nick my sole Lavender Araucana for any amount of money) Getting far better rates from my own eggs, or local ones. But then you can't always get the breeds you want. Hey ho. At least mine has the auto-turner, I'd go nuts turning 30

[julesapple]

Thankfully our bator does the turning, because I'm way too forgetful. I'd love to get more eggs to hatch this year, but I'm thinking ahead. Small fluffy things + winter weather = bad combination.

These 30 eggs had a bit of a rough start, which might be a contributing factor to the viability, what with Daisy not downsizing and the broken bator problems. All 30 came through Royal Mail too.

We've got a young Lavender Araucana cockerel if anyone would like him, by the way. He's very lovely.

Please God, just a couple of Coronation Sussex girls would be perfect (pushing it a bit, but if you could make one apricot......pleeease)

Jules

[RichmondHens]

What are the eggs doing Suzy? Anything?

Despite it being a grisly thing to do, if they don't hatch, you should break them open to see what went wrong. It's all valuable lesson learning for next time. I know Jules had a thread on this recently and not everyone can bear opening their unhatched eggs but it's worth doing as you can pinpoint any problems that could be eliminated next time.

[SuzyB]

No movement this morning, but sat next to them for 10 minutes, I thought I could hear something. Whether thats my imagination and wishful thinking I dont know but they werent moving.

I came to the conclusion last night that the water in the base of the incubator must have been a naughty child opening it and struggling to get the lid back on and spilling it as neither of my cats are weighty enough to have knocked it. Said child has not come clean yet but its the only explanation.

I know I need to look in the eggs to see what went wrong because I do want to try again (glutton for punishment) but Im hoping my dad will do that bit because I dont think I can do it myself.

[sheena]

Oh believe me, i've been going nuts turning this lot. Decided it's not worth bothering with the duds anymore, so they came out this morning leaving plenty of room for the remaining 13.

I didn't get any of my eggs by post, I got a batch of 11 eggs from the lady I bought the incy off. Which were sat for 2 days until I could get the other 12 Buff and Mixed Orp's from another lady 8 miles away. So I guess I was lucky as I did get the egg's I wanted and few that I hadn't considered before.

Not doing too bad I think if I am being honest, from my mish mash of egg's I got a hopeful start (fingers crossed).
1/2 RIR
0/2 Black Brahma's
1/1 Lav Araucana
5/7 Mixed Orp's
2/2 Ixworth
2/5 Buff Orp's
1/1 Light Sussex
1/3 Unknown Orp's

I'm missing a couple, but can't remember what they are at the mo. I'll check later when I turn again.
i'm also a bit confused as to what day would be day 18, they were set on the 29th June, so I'm thinking day 18 may be 16th or 17th. Which one do you think??

[SuzyB]

I take that back about the wet kitchen roll being due to a child! Same again when I got home tonight. Its condensation coming from the back pipey bit of the incubator, dripping down til it reaches the kitchen roll. Im presuming thats what that bit does, collect the condensation but should it be so much.

Its a Brinsea mini eco - does anyone have any experience of these and whether than should happen? I'll candle them tonight and no doubt, will give up then.

[sheena]

Could that be the thermostat that is hanging down? Mine has one too, but isn't a Brinsea so can't be of much help there i'm afraid.

Would it be too much to put extra kitchen towel in there? I don't know if this might be the answer, just taking a wild guess at the mo.