I have two incubators; a Hovabator and a Little Giant. Both are still air, foam incubators. In the past, I have incubated eggs in them, followed the included instructions "to a T," yet had rather poor results. The best results that I have ever had was about 20% hatch from eggs that were 100% fertile. I normally average around 10% to 15%. Not good.... not good at all!!!
I've described my problems over and over to those who have more experienced with egg incubating than what I have. I was virtually always told that it sounded like a moisture or humidity problem... a lack thereof. I even tried (at the advice of one of the "experts") lightly spraying the eggs with a spray bottle; beginning it on the day that I stopped turning the eggs. No good..... no good at all!!!!!
Then, I read the article by Bill Worrell which is entitled "Dry Incubation." The article is viewable on the Backyardchicken site here: Dry Incubation by Bill Worrell. I feel this article to be a "must read" for those of us who incubate our own eggs. And, especially for those of us who use the small foam incubators.
As I read Mr. Worrell's article, I was in awe of the fact that the problems that he had experienced were exactly the same as mine!! We even had very close similarities in failed hatch rates!! I then began telling my wife about Mr. Worrell's article. Less than half way through my "re-telling", it was as though a light "came on" in her eyes. "That's the exact same trouble you've been having", she exclaimed!
She was excited and could see my excitement as well! I told her that I sure wished that it were not so late in the year (with winter comming on and everything); I'd set a few eggs and try it. She encouraged me to set some of our Mille Fleur eggs anyway. She said that they were a small chicken and it wouldn't be hard to keep them in the house until they got big enough to be outside anyway.
So, I did it!! And, I followed Mr. Worrell's instructions to the letter. My wife says I am quite the stickler for following instructions to the letter! And, here's what has happened.... so far!
I put 5 eggs in the incubator the first day. Seven days later, I added 6 more and candled the first 5 eggs. The first 5 were 100% fertile (nothing new about that). Seven days later (14 days from the first 5), I dadded 5 more eggs, re-candled the first 5 and candled the next 6. The second 6 were 100% fertile; still nothing new. When I candled the first 5, the inside of the egg was black; still nothing new. But, what I saw next was new!! In the top of the first 5 eggs, there was a clear spot.... an air pocket.... just as Mr. Worrell said was needed!!
When I had candled eggs on day 14 in the past, the entire egg would be "black." In other words, the place where the air sack was supposed to be was filled with fluid. And, just as Mr. Worrell concluded, when the chick would break through the membrane into the area where the air sack was supposed to be, the chick would get a gush of fluid instead of air! Therefore, a large percentage of the chicks would drown at this point. And, the ones that did hatch out were soaking wet and very weak.
But, with these first 5 eggs that I've used the dry method of incubation, all 5 were pipped late last night (I had already taken them out of the egg turner and put them in a second incubator that I am using as a "hatcher/temporary nursery"). And, this morning there were two of them hatched out!! So far, that's a 40% hatch rate... more than double what my best was when following the bator's instructions. And, instead of wet, weak chicks that took 8 to 24 hours to get strong enough to get around well, these guys popped out relatively dry, very strong, and in just a couple of minutes they were running around without any problem!!!
This experience has made me decide a couple of things. And, they are in concrete!! First, I will never try to hatch any more eggs in my incubators unless I use the dry incubation method. Second, I am going to install a fan in the incubator that has the egg turner. Hopefully that will boost my hatch rate even more.
As soon as the first 5 have finished hatching, I will let you know what the final hatch rate was. I'll also post some pics of the babies!
Robert
I've described my problems over and over to those who have more experienced with egg incubating than what I have. I was virtually always told that it sounded like a moisture or humidity problem... a lack thereof. I even tried (at the advice of one of the "experts") lightly spraying the eggs with a spray bottle; beginning it on the day that I stopped turning the eggs. No good..... no good at all!!!!!
Then, I read the article by Bill Worrell which is entitled "Dry Incubation." The article is viewable on the Backyardchicken site here: Dry Incubation by Bill Worrell. I feel this article to be a "must read" for those of us who incubate our own eggs. And, especially for those of us who use the small foam incubators.
As I read Mr. Worrell's article, I was in awe of the fact that the problems that he had experienced were exactly the same as mine!! We even had very close similarities in failed hatch rates!! I then began telling my wife about Mr. Worrell's article. Less than half way through my "re-telling", it was as though a light "came on" in her eyes. "That's the exact same trouble you've been having", she exclaimed!
She was excited and could see my excitement as well! I told her that I sure wished that it were not so late in the year (with winter comming on and everything); I'd set a few eggs and try it. She encouraged me to set some of our Mille Fleur eggs anyway. She said that they were a small chicken and it wouldn't be hard to keep them in the house until they got big enough to be outside anyway.
So, I did it!! And, I followed Mr. Worrell's instructions to the letter. My wife says I am quite the stickler for following instructions to the letter! And, here's what has happened.... so far!
I put 5 eggs in the incubator the first day. Seven days later, I added 6 more and candled the first 5 eggs. The first 5 were 100% fertile (nothing new about that). Seven days later (14 days from the first 5), I dadded 5 more eggs, re-candled the first 5 and candled the next 6. The second 6 were 100% fertile; still nothing new. When I candled the first 5, the inside of the egg was black; still nothing new. But, what I saw next was new!! In the top of the first 5 eggs, there was a clear spot.... an air pocket.... just as Mr. Worrell said was needed!!
When I had candled eggs on day 14 in the past, the entire egg would be "black." In other words, the place where the air sack was supposed to be was filled with fluid. And, just as Mr. Worrell concluded, when the chick would break through the membrane into the area where the air sack was supposed to be, the chick would get a gush of fluid instead of air! Therefore, a large percentage of the chicks would drown at this point. And, the ones that did hatch out were soaking wet and very weak.
But, with these first 5 eggs that I've used the dry method of incubation, all 5 were pipped late last night (I had already taken them out of the egg turner and put them in a second incubator that I am using as a "hatcher/temporary nursery"). And, this morning there were two of them hatched out!! So far, that's a 40% hatch rate... more than double what my best was when following the bator's instructions. And, instead of wet, weak chicks that took 8 to 24 hours to get strong enough to get around well, these guys popped out relatively dry, very strong, and in just a couple of minutes they were running around without any problem!!!
This experience has made me decide a couple of things. And, they are in concrete!! First, I will never try to hatch any more eggs in my incubators unless I use the dry incubation method. Second, I am going to install a fan in the incubator that has the egg turner. Hopefully that will boost my hatch rate even more.
As soon as the first 5 have finished hatching, I will let you know what the final hatch rate was. I'll also post some pics of the babies!
Robert
