Week 3 Expectations

User avatar
KimChick
Head Chicken
Posts: 1454
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:00 am
Location: Rideau Lakes
x 1313

Week 3 Expectations

Post by KimChick » Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:15 pm

The eggs in the incubator are just starting Week 3. Humidity is being kept at 40-45% and is pretty constant in the old, still air styrofoam incubator.
I candled them last night and put "?"'s on those that I wasn't sure what's happening.
I saved/printed info given re: humidity at lockdown, inserting water through tube, etc.
So, the question is, (because I can't find the post that has the answer) - When would I smell a rotting egg?
Because I'm not smelling anything rotten, yet.
1

User avatar
Kbr42
Head Chicken
Posts: 1436
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:37 am
Answers: 1
x 1857

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by Kbr42 » Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:36 pm

If something is rotten @KimChick you would have smelt it when you opened the incubator. If it doesn't smell bad than it isn't. Check if there is any liquid on the outside of the eggs and if not, you should be good to go. You must be very close to lockdown. Candle the eggs before you lockdown to make sure there isn't any cracks in the shell and raise the humidity.

Good luck! Pls post results. My lockdown starts in 3 days....lol

Cheers,
1

User avatar
Killerbunny
Poultry Guru - total zen level
Posts: 7869
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2015 12:04 pm
Answers: 4
Location: Brockville
x 10155

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by Killerbunny » Wed Apr 18, 2018 8:06 pm

Kbr is right. You would smell it across the room LOL! It's a sort of ammonia/rotting fish smell which I hope you never experience.
Best of luck guys!
1
:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

User avatar
WLLady
Stringy Old Soup Pot Hen of a Moderator
Posts: 5613
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm
Answers: 5
Location: Rural near West Lorne and Glencoe
x 8527

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by WLLady » Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:18 pm

If you arent stunk out with a closed incubator nothing is rotten!!! Lol. I have had one and it reeked. Horribly...i could smell it before i could find it. It wasnt oozing or anything. But the stench was unbelievable. I fou d it by sniffing each egg....very gently...
Starting week 3? Is that day 15? Or...? Lockdown at 18....
2
:giraffe: Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars

User avatar
KimChick
Head Chicken
Posts: 1454
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:00 am
Location: Rideau Lakes
x 1313

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by KimChick » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:17 am

WLLady wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 9:18 pm
If you arent stunk out with a closed incubator nothing is rotten!!! Lol. I have had one and it reeked. Horribly...i could smell it before i could find it. It wasnt oozing or anything. But the stench was unbelievable. I fou d it by sniffing each egg....very gently...
Starting week 3? Is that day 15? Or...? Lockdown at 18....
Yes, that was Day 15; today is Day 17; tomorrow is Lockdown.
I'm finding that I have to add water more often to keep the "dry incubation" humidity at around 45%. So, tomorrow, I'm thinking I'll have to add even more water to get it to ~55%.
Any thoughts? I'm aiming for somewhere in between OntarioChick's and Killerbunny's lockdown humidity.
0

User avatar
KimChick
Head Chicken
Posts: 1454
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:00 am
Location: Rideau Lakes
x 1313

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by KimChick » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:22 am

Kbr42 wrote:
Wed Apr 18, 2018 7:36 pm
If something is rotten @KimChick you would have smelt it when you opened the incubator. If it doesn't smell bad than it isn't. Check if there is any liquid on the outside of the eggs and if not, you should be good to go. You must be very close to lockdown. Candle the eggs before you lockdown to make sure there isn't any cracks in the shell and raise the humidity.

Good luck! Pls post results. My lockdown starts in 3 days....lol

Cheers,
Hmmm.... when I turned the eggs either last night or this morning, one egg had some moisture on it. I attributed it to probably the cushy spongy screening that I put on top of the metal screen. The cushy stuff can absorb moisture because I have washed it and had to squeeze out water for it to dry before placing it in the incubator.
0

User avatar
WLLady
Stringy Old Soup Pot Hen of a Moderator
Posts: 5613
Joined: Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm
Answers: 5
Location: Rural near West Lorne and Glencoe
x 8527

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by WLLady » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:06 pm

if you are at 45% now i personally would not add any more water, because as soon as they pip that will skyrocket....
and if your hands didn't stink like stench after touching a damp egg then it was just condensation. (which would mean your humidity is likely a bit high...). i just had a turkey egg go bad last night. OMG....i had to pull everything out of the hatcher (it was just locked down the night before and didn't smell at all, and didn't slosh or anything) and clean the bottom and put in new paper and then put the rest of the eggs back in! i scooped 4 late stage eggs from under jennies that were being difficult and killing their hatching poults, and it's those eggs that seem to be going bad. so 2 went out last night and i'll check the other ones today. they should hatch tomorrow IF the power outages didn't arrest them permanently....
and once i pulled those 2 eggs out i swear i had to wash my hands in bleach AND soap and at least 4 times to get the stench off me. just glad they didn't explode all the way-because when i fired them into the field they sure did!!!!
2
:giraffe: Pet quality wheaten/blue wheaten ameraucanas, welsummers, barred rocks, light brown leghorns; Projects on the go: rhodebars, welbars

User avatar
KimChick
Head Chicken
Posts: 1454
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:00 am
Location: Rideau Lakes
x 1313

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by KimChick » Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:19 pm

WLLady wrote:
Fri Apr 20, 2018 1:06 pm
if you are at 45% now i personally would not add any more water, because as soon as they pip that will skyrocket....
and if your hands didn't stink like stench after touching a damp egg then it was just condensation. (which would mean your humidity is likely a bit high...). i just had a turkey egg go bad last night. OMG....i had to pull everything out of the hatcher (it was just locked down the night before and didn't smell at all, and didn't slosh or anything) and clean the bottom and put in new paper and then put the rest of the eggs back in! i scooped 4 late stage eggs from under jennies that were being difficult and killing their hatching poults, and it's those eggs that seem to be going bad. so 2 went out last night and i'll check the other ones today. they should hatch tomorrow IF the power outages didn't arrest them permanently....
and once i pulled those 2 eggs out i swear i had to wash my hands in bleach AND soap and at least 4 times to get the stench off me. just glad they didn't explode all the way-because when i fired them into the field they sure did!!!!
Thanks, will keep that in mind.
0

User avatar
Kbr42
Head Chicken
Posts: 1436
Joined: Wed Jan 10, 2018 10:37 am
Answers: 1
x 1857

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by Kbr42 » Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:59 pm

@KimChick Chick how did your hatch go?
0

User avatar
KimChick
Head Chicken
Posts: 1454
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:00 am
Location: Rideau Lakes
x 1313

Re: Week 3 Expectations

Post by KimChick » Mon Apr 23, 2018 9:52 pm

Kbr42 wrote:
Mon Apr 23, 2018 6:59 pm
@KimChick Chick how did your hatch go?
Tomorrow is Day 21, so it is imminent! I am sitting on the edge of my seat and going nowhere tomorrow! Also wondering if any will hatch tonight. Not knowing if the rooster gets around to all the hens, I have no idea how many of the eggs I chose were fertilized. But there have been no rotten smells. This is getting exciting!
6

Post Reply

Return to “Incubating and Hatching”