Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: RICH_Chicken on April 24, 2015, 16:37
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Hi all,
I incubated my first set of eggs last month and got zero hatch which was disappointing! I've got a new batch in now which look promising however this last couple of days there has been a rotten egg smell coming from the incubator? And I'm worried? Will that mean all eggs are no good? Also what do I need to do? It's starting to make the kitchen smell! The last eggs there was not a smell like this! HELP!!!
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Find the culprit and remove. However, if it has been like this for a while it might have done any good'uns in :(
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Daft question....how would you find them? Smell??
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Yep smell - it will be the one you have to hold at arms length and fear dropping :ohmy:
How long have the eggs been in? I don't suppose you have candled them?
Also where abouts in the world are you? ;) :)
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Haha thanks! They have been in about 15 days and candles a few and they had movement in 😀😀😀 but I'm a novice this is only my second atttempt! I live in UK (Yorkshire)
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When you candle you should look for a red spider like pattern. Occasionally you can see an eye but it is the red spider you should go by. Movement is not a good indicator, it could just be yolk and stuff rolling about inside. And you are fine - this is the easy bit just wait until they chip the eggs, then you'll get excited followed by panic :lol: :lol: :lol:
Oh Yorkshire, that's a bit far for me to offer you eggs :)
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Found the culprit egg no.2 had cracked and was extremely smelly! So removed and cleaned down the incubator and hopefully we can carry on!
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Don't candle them any more - they now need to settle ready for hatching and at day 18 onwards don't move them at all, just let your incubator do its stuff and watch the water levels. I used to get in such a state at day 21 that if it was a week day I'd make sure I had the day off!!
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Can I ask do I switch incubator off soon as the chicks are due Saturday? Or just leave it on throughout??
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leave it on :)
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Thanks
Will keep everyone updated as I'm not sure what's going to happen as its only second batch I've tried and didn't get a single one from first batch 😢 and had a few rotten eggs in this lot! So fingers crossed! 🙏🏻 on the plus side I'm learning more each time 😀
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Good luck! :D
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Do you know what breed/s you are hatching?
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Think they are warrens/isa that's where we got the eggs from a farm which had them. Why you ask?
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Some breeds can take a touch less or a little longer to hatch. :)
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Ok thanks for info, will keep everyone updated! Not long left hopefully fingers crossed!