[redspookycooky]

Well i`m on hatching attempt number 2, and we are due to hatch Wed.
Not convinced i`m going to get anything out of these (Maran eggs so too dark to candle) cos there are some strange shaped eggs, but guess its all a learning curve.Will let you know if i have any success.
If these don`t hatch then at least my next lot of eggs will be more likely to be fertile as they have just hatched 10 out of the 12 they had incubating.

[joyfull]

are you hatching using a broody or an incubator?

[Vecten]

I've never candled an egg in my life. In hundreds of hatchings I have never had an egg explode but I guess one day it may happen. I have always worked on the principle 'why bother to count your chickens before they hatch'.

Most of the rules we blindly follow were established by large breeders, hatchings chicks in large air conditioned sheds, hence the rules on humidity etc. The egg candling was so they didn't waste money and time on unfertile eggs. With the small amount of eggs I hatch that's not so important.

[redspookycooky]

Hi i`m using a home made incubator, my last hatch failed mainly because of infertile eggs(i think) 5/7 were infertile and the one that did get to hatching stage i think i killed it by trying to help it hatch, but i`ve learnt my lesson and are leaving well alone this time.

[joyfull]

if your next lot isn't successful (and fingers crossed it will be) then check the humidity and temp of your inccy.
Sorry I can't offer anymore advice as I always hatch with broodies (that's the beauty/problem- depending on if you want eggs or broodies -   of having several silkie crosses in with my lot   )

[redspookycooky]

Hi the last two years we used a broody but unfortunately we lost all our chickens with the bad winter we just had so are starting again and just fancied trying to hatch our own.Just had a quick candle to see if we can see anything but its not looking good as 7 are infertile again (we were given some badly mis shaped eggs), 3 have  a bacterial ring in them( she gave us dirty eggs so think that was the problem) the last 2 are really dark so can`t see much, but letting them go to the 21 days just incase.,
Luckily i`ve been offered proven fertile eggs and an automatic turner incubator, wish i had a bit more luck but unfortanetly thats the way it goes .

[redspookycooky]

Well hatching day and no signs of anything(what i expected unfortunately) except a  horrible smell, definetly think this chicken hatching thing is not meant to be:(
Awaiting my next lot of eggs(proven fertile) so if that lot don`t work then definetly the incubator thats the problem and if thats the case my chick hatching days are over (

[redspookycooky]

WOOOHOOO heard chirping today in one of the eggs, fingers crossed all goes well with the hatching

[Casey76]

Well hatching day and no signs of anything(what i expected unfortunately) except a  horrible smell, definetly think this chicken hatching thing is not meant to be:(
Awaiting my next lot of eggs(proven fertile) so if that lot don`t work then definetly the incubator thats the problem and if thats the case my chick hatching days are over (

Can you take a photo of your incubator, so we can have a look?  Maybe we can suggest something.

Are you using a wafer thermostat.

PS... remove the stinky egg asap... explosion risk... very, very nasty to have to clean up (and it will nasty your other eggs too!)

[redspookycooky]

If this chick fails to hatch then its definetly the incubator, but i was convinced none of these would hatch due to oval shaped eggs huge eggs  spotty eggs and 5 being infertile but i`ve been proved wrong and one is chirping.
If it goes wrong i will photo what i`m using and go from there.
Can`t find the smelly egg, the smells in the incubator but i can`t pin it down to one egg so cos its that late in the day and don`t want to mess in the incubator with this one chick chirping i`ve had to risk leaving it.