Doing it wrong (so you don't have to)

[chiques chicks]

Finally candled and rearranged last night. Only twelve developing. The temperature in the incubator seems to be on the low side even when set to it's highest setting. interesting,

Im not moving them to another incubator, although that would have been an option. I'm going to let this paly out.

 

[Coreenelane]

Well you have given me hope. Put together a styro incubator and have had problems withtemp. all along, the thermometer was reading as high as 108. Thought I cooked them until I picked up cheap thermometers from the pet store and discovered that the accurite read 10 degrees higher than it really was. Now I am trying to salvage what I can, the insids are now getting darker and I can see movement., the air space is getting larger and my hope is up. 3 days to lock down and I don't expect any early piping since the temp. had been on the cool side. Had 13 eggs and one was clear and a couple might not be developing right.

 

[chiques chicks]

Thermometers and all other meters need calibrated. There are several threads and articles on here that explain how.

I rarely give up. If they are dark and developing, I continue on with the hatch.

Don't forget to increase the humidity on lockdown! Then sit on your hands and wait. It is always tempting to " just peek ". Resist! It can really mess with humidity.

My first ever hatch was very successful. My next several were 0, using the same techniques. Turns out the eggs I was trying to hatch didn't ship well. They also were poorly handled in transit.

I have since developed a system that works for me and my schedule. It isn't a huge hatch rate all the time, but is dependable for me.

Actually, my normal incubators are all homemade. One uses a figural thermostat, one uses a modified water heater thermostat on a metal plate and one uses a wafer thermostat. All have their plusses and some minuses.

 

[chiques chicks]

Locked down today. Will check humidity later

 

[kss1113]

Can't wait to hear how the hatch goes.

 

[chiques chicks]

A couple have started to pip again on day 19. For some reason I always have this happen regardless of temperatures.

Humidity is only around 60%. Bottom of incubator flooded plus for cut in half soda bottles. No sponges and I'm not opening it now.

 

[chiques chicks]

After giving it a few days to see how they developed, five lived, two died shortly after hatch.

Keeping humidity up during hatch was almost impossible and the incubator had trouble maintaining temperature in the cool basement.

This incubator is best used in a warm room and possibly on a water filled tray to increase humidity.

Half the eggs set were discarded after a week, half the remaining hatched, and 5/7 of those have survived for days.

 

[ForrestGump]

I had trouble keeping the humidity up for my last hatch as well (they hatched last weekend). Despite the lower humidity, the chicks had no problem hatching. Unfortunately a couple of them pipped on the bottom or theirs got rolled upside by other chicks and three of them died. It seems like the drowned from being upside down.

 

[kss1113]

There needs to be something that we can use that will keep the eggs up right when the other chicks hatch and try to roll them around. I found they had trouble with that the Last Hatch too. Any ideas?

I had trouble keeping the humidity up for my last hatch as well (they hatched last weekend).  Despite the lower humidity, the chicks had no problem hatching.  Unfortunately a couple of them pipped on the bottom or theirs got rolled upside by other chicks and three of them died.  It seems like the drowned from being upside down.  

 

[feedman77]

There needs to be something that we can use that will keep the eggs up right when the other chicks hatch and try to roll them around. I found they had trouble with that the Last Hatch too. Any ideas?

If you have room can you put them upright in cut down egg trays.