Problems with incubating

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angelobutter

angelobutter

Songster
9 Years
Jul 27, 2010
724
62
196
Cornish NH
Hello,
I have been having problems with my incubators the past few years. two years ago about half the chicks didn't hatch and after waiting and waiting sure enough when i opened them up to see how far they did develop they had formed 100% but the liquid left in the shell was "foamy" and very sticky. the ones that did hatch had the same foamy sticky goo on them, so i sterilized my incubators thinking maybe something bad had grown in them a fungus or something but the next year i had not quite as bad but still had about 20 % of the chicks not hatch and the foamy sticky goo. temp and humidity stayed in the normal the whole time, can't figure it out. any suggestions? maybe my gauges are broken or something ? would like to get my hatch rate up.
 
I havent seen foam but it could be due to drowning , so if the humidity is to high they can drown befor hatch and if its to low they can as well. Dending on where you live and the humidity there I would say after carefully and complelty cleaning the bator , I wash it with anti bactirial dish soap then rinse it super well then I clean it again with mild bleach water and again rinse it very well then lay it out in the sun to sun dry sunlight kills some buggies that other things dont. Then you need to have 2 hydrometers and make sure there accurate , have 2 thermometers and make sure they are accurate , Set everything up the way you did the last time and see what the meters tell you , is the humidity around 35%-40% thats probly what you should shot for the first batch and see what happens. What are your temps , still air they should be 101-102 at egg level and forced air should be 99.5 .
 
sourland said:
I would run a calibration/check on both the temp and humidity gauges/sensors.
Click to expand...
x2
your welcome to all my notes here..... and below is a paste from them https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

CALIBRATION! YES! It’s IMPORTANT!
Calibrate the thermometer/s you are using for your Incubator. I use 3 thermometers! You need to make sure your thermometer is reading correctly, Even one degree may cause serious problems with your hatch! A simple method without specialized instruments and knowledge is to compare your thermometer/hygrometer with other devices. If your thermometer (or the one you compare it with) goes at least from 0°C to 100°C you can also calibrate it with crushed ice. The thermometer should read 32 degrees in a mixture of crushed ice and a little water. If it reads, say, 30 degrees, then you can either adjust the thermometer until it is correct (if the style of the thermometer permits adjustment), or else you will at least know your thermometer reads 2 degrees too cool and adjust your thinking--and your incubator--accordingly.
​
More information on Calibrating your thermometer/hygrometer ~
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-styrofoam-quotstill-airquot-egg-/step4/Calibrate-your-thermometerhygrometer/
http://www.swowea.org/Thermometer%20Calibration.pdf

Probe thermometer & water weasel (Water Wiggler, Water Snake) found on Amazon or Ebay make for EXCELLENT internal temp guides! The perfect internal temperature of an embryo is 99.5 degrees. If you can't find a water wiggler you can make your own with ziplock filled with water folded in half and insert the probe in the center middle.
​


Examples of thermometers and hygrometers
I personally like to keep a digital one that also keeps track of “highs and lows” along with 2 incubator thermometers AND a PROBE! It depends on how scientific you plan your hatch!
More Important than make/model is CALIBRATION.
It NEEDS TO BE SPOT ON!

​
 
Ya i will have to get new temp and humidity gauges. I cleaned the incubators both with antibacterial soap and bleach water and rinse and dry. I am just looking for more predictability since i want to buy some more "high end" eggs to hatch. I am at the point of throwing away all the incubators i have now and just buying new ones but that kinda stinks cause i have 6 of the hovabators with all the "extras" so it would stink to start from scratch again. well I will try again this year and see if i get better results. I don't work anymore so i can be home to monitor everything 24/7. and i will get/ calibrate all my gauges. I usually do have two in there though. one old school type and one for like reptile tanks where it is digital. anyways hopefully this year will be better and if not anyone want 6 possibly killer hovabators ? lol
 
Ya that makes sense, I will run a test batch with my own chicken eggs before buying any. and then decide if i need to buy a fancy one. thanks
 

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