Eggsplorer II: Mission SMORE

Houston...Houston...are we cleared for liftoff?

This is Commander Moxon at the controls. Advising ready for take-off on Mission SMORE. Noting movement and large air cells in the following eggs:
Silkie
Millie
OEG
seRama
Easter Egger

Repeat we have 2 silkie eggs, 1 Millie, 1 OEG, 1 Serama and 5 EE.

Expecting pipping in the next day or two. No pipping yet. Must get mission underway prior to pipping.

We are ready for s'more of this fun!

Ground control....do you read? Are you prepared? Southern Pacific? Northern Pacific? East Coast? Central? Southeast? Southwest? All aboard!

10....9....8....7....6........

(photo compliments of NASA)

Northern Pacific: On line and waiting.

Ooops, Mali ground control? Do you read also? (nearly forgot!)

Commander Moxon--are you aware of the situation in Houston?

OH...ummm.....errr....yes, of course I am. I was momentarily distracted by the excitement surrounding the mission. Houston is of course doing the best they can, given the climatic conditions. We are using the alternate top-secret take-off site in Iowa, of course.

But I am sure Houston is in radio contact...

i don't htink they have power in Houston. but i can speak for the upper texas panhandle... ready and waiting!

now, do you relaly think the CF owuld consider participating in such folly? REALLY!

Oh, I'm sure ground control in Houston has backup generators. Don't they? Battery-powered hand held radios?

And yes, REALLY!

Southern Patrol: On line and waiting.. "Ten Hut".. "Salute"!

Ah-hah! Lieutenant Harmony! Eggscellent to see you!

Moxon must report an incident. Imminent hatching eggs were moved from RCom 20 incubator into still air Little Giant incubator in order to make space for new frizzle and silkie eggs. Still Air LG had been steady all evening at 99.5 and when crew retired for the night. Upon wake-up-call this morning, still air was at 106. Temperature is being adjusted now.

Please advise, are eggs likely dead?

Depends on how long the temp was up a temporary rise of temp is okay but extended would probably not be good i would candle a couple to see if theres movement or signs of life. You may just have to wait and see if they hatch. I would advise to try and not move your eggs at this critical point again unless necessary. I set my eggs and only open the incu to add water or candle and moniter my temp. and humidity. I've never moved them i was told not to open my incu at all except for the above as it could interfere with the hatch and possibly kill the embryo's. I hatch at about 85 to 95% i don't count the duds [the infertile ones] and i no longer open the dead ones because it's hard to tell why they died and it's too emotional.

This was my last hatch in july i got a 95% hatch on these and i hatched 45 thier in 2 other containers. [in my kitchen]

claire, err, i mean comander. what planet did you find the silkie and frizzle eggs

Commander Moxon thanks Lieutenant Harmony for her helpful explanations and commends her for her highly adorable life forms in the picture. In fact, Moxon is highly envious of Harmony's life forms!!

Shuttle crew is very sad about potential loss of eggs and is unsure how long temperature was elevated. Temp is now 98.1 which is low but probably better to have slightly low than 106, and crew must depart for day job. :-)

JKJ, the planetary locations of said life forms must be kept highly secret, so as not to cause interplanetary traffic jams. However, code for said planet can be revealed as BYC.

Moxon over and out.

Attention Commander Moxon, deadly temp is 108. Please prevent future mishap by opening bator twice a day for fifteen minutes to allow eggs to cool down [no need to handle/candle]. Mother hen does this for her poo breaks.

Also, please wait a couple of days before you candle for early dead embryos. To prevent tossing a good egg...

nice hatch there Leiutenant!

tf

Ah, Covert Agent TF, thanks! I did quickly candle the two EE eggs to check for movement and they both still had movement after temperature anomaly. Incubator set on 98.1 when leaving shuttle location. Will open bator twice a day in future. Am calling McMurray today to see how fast they can send me a Brinsea Octagon 40. They are about 2 hours drive from me. Maybe I could go pick one up.

NO MORE EGGS FOR YOU!

McMurray doesn't have Brinsea Octagon 40s. I ordered one by 2-day shipping from Randall Burkey. Paid extra but it should get here in time for my other eggs. Whew...

Tamara where did you learn to open the incu twice a day for 15 minutes all i've researched and been told by people who hatch on a regular basis have all said don't open the incu except for candleing or replaceing water.

I have heard once a day for 15 minutes--some research program got an improved hatch that way. But I haven't heard twice a day. I wish my lazy, good-for-nothing broodies would get off the nest twice a day--maybe the only one still laying would lay an egg there, where I can find it.

Is it possible for them to remain permanently broody--cause I swear my Welsummer and Marans have been at it for over a month. They come out in the afternoon, eat a little, poop a little, wander around and socialize--then pop back in the nest box for the next 24 hours. Poor Buttercup the Buff Orpington has is really bad--she seems far more dazed than the others, but then she has only been at it a couple weeks.

Awww...buttercup the buff orpie. She sounds so cute. I have yet to have anybody go broody. I figure maybe it's late in the year. I dunno. Good thing I have the incubator. Soon I hope to have silkies hatching who will be broodies for me.

claire, my cochin bantam went brodie saturday.

That's super! But of course you are down in zone 8b, soakin' up the heat still. It's in the 40s overnight here now.

too cold for me. my new baby is spoiled. she fusses very loud when i put her down

just a little research and a lot of observation. my last hatches i did that way, and they were fine. of course i live in a very dry climate, so i have to have a hgrometer in there, and add water daily even if i leave it closed. but when dealing with cheapo incubators, there seems to be a high risk of eggs overheating, particularly in the central area where it gets the hottest. and my broodies get up twice a day...

now, once the hatching time is near, NO OPENING ITAT ALL. the rH is too critical the last three days. i would only open to add water if it dropped. and then i also plug the vent holes.

i have less than a year experience, but i have also taken the experience of everyone else here and a few local breeders into account, plus what i have read, and just have what seems to work best for me, with the bators i have...

I have a Brower top hatch incu and it's Finicky as all get out and the temp fluctuates sometimes for no reason.
I wonder if that would help with this sensitive thing i get good hatch's but as allways wonder if i could do better.
Thanks for the info.

Late to sign in - by Northwest signed on and ready for take off!

DIDN'T I SAY TO WATCH THAT TEMP? TURN IT DOWN!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~****************************~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CF

I get to learn soon how to do it first hand. I know I know fall hatches are not that good, but I need the learnin.

BUT CF, I did turn it down! It jumped overnight without my intervention.

The Brinsea holds a steady temp, always.

It's the darn styrofoam bator. That's why I have the new octagon 40 coming...

If I like doing it I am going to order the one you got Claire.

The R-com 20 is awesome - all you have to do is set the temp once and keep refilling the water tank every couple of days.

my point. if it is easy as I have CRS then it is for me.

My first hatch of the eggs I got from the original flock went very well. The second (current) hatch is not going as well but, I let the water run out twice (oops) and the eggs were mailed and a bunch of them never even started to develop - they are totally clear. So I think it was a combination of factors. I am hoping this next frizzle/silkie hatch in 3 weeks will go better. But as far as operation, it is dead easy.

I am not familiar with CRS but it doesn't sound good.

Cant remember crap

Too funny! I thought it was medical.

You do have to remember to fill the water reservoir every other day. Put a sticky note on the bathroom mirror or something...

lol. the bathroom mirror do I have to look in it.

LOL, not really, how about the fridge door? LOL!

Commander Moxon providing early evening report here.

Incubator temperature upon arrival home was 100.2 degrees. Within tolerable limits. Slightly tweaked control knob to reduce again. No pipping. Some distress among shuttle crew. We remain hopeful.

Proceeding into exterior shuttle bays to check on flocks.
Over.

which bator was that high?

over.

I don't trust the styrofoam ones i had one and i could never get the temp to stay stable. I murdered 60 eggs tryin to hatch in it and got only 3 chicks out of 3 hatchs. I gave it away and the person i gave it to had the same thing happen it went in the trash.

I've done okay with the Little Giant styrofoam with fan and egg turner. Main problem is the RH--so I supplement with damp sponges.

But what I really want is a Brinsea!