homemade incubator take longer than the 21days?

[chickenreyna]

From what i have observed from friends & my first experience i almost a banty egg in my homemade incubator without a hygrometer beginning of October until i tried helping it unzip.. And it was several days after the estimated duedate. it appears they dont hatch until day 24~25. Does anyone else agree? what is the best success you guys have got With highest hatch rates.. how many times turning the eggs 3 or 5?

 

[Pyxis]

It's not that the incubator is homemade - your temperature is too low. What temperature are you keeping the incubator at, and does it have a fan? Have you calibrated the thermometer to make sure it's accurate?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

It's not that the incubator is homemade - your temperature is too low. What temperature are you keeping the incubator at, and does it have a fan? Have you calibrated the thermometer to make sure it's accurate?

Hi chickenreyna! I agree with Pyxis. I have a couple of home made incubators. The eggs will take approximately the same time to hatch as a regular incubator. If you have chicken eggs that are taking that long hatch...you are likely exeriencing issues with low temperatures in your incubator.

 

[chickenreyna]

It's not that the incubator is homemade - your temperature is too low. What temperature are you keeping the incubator at, and does it have a fan? Have you calibrated the thermometer to make sure it's accurate?

I cant get it above 96 :/

 

[chickenreyna]

Humidity is good on all notes

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I cant get it above 96 :/

What is method is being used to heat the incubator? Are you using a wafer thermostat or a digital thermostat? And what is the method for heating?

 

[Pyxis]

I cant get it above 96 :/

That's way too low, especially if you don't have a fan. At temps that low, embryos that do begin to develop are likely to develop deformities due to the low temperature.

What is method is being used to heat the incubator? Are you using a wafer thermostat or a digital thermostat? And what is the method for heating?

X2, how are you heating it?

 

[chickenreyna]

with a 40 watt glass bulb. I tried 60 watt, but it was staying in the eighties! And to answer the other ?, I have a hygrometer thingy, (similar to one in this picture that displays humidity and temperature..)

 

[chickenreyna]

Well, my first go around during September, i had a really fast junky put together box outside in my garage and out of five eggs one almost unzipped and hatched until i helped it, Im pretty sure that was cause of it not hatching but it was a full grown baby bird feathers and all (( when i candled it before lock down u could see its movement so i pretty sure with it being 96 its going to atleast hatch one of the eggs since i almosr did it without thermometer or anything to detect humidity or temperature BUT i guess you never know?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Well, my first go around during September, i had a really fast junky put together box outside in my garage and out of five eggs one almost unzipped and hatched until i helped it, Im pretty sure that was cause of it not hatching but it was a full grown baby bird feathers and all (( when i candled it before lock down u could see its movement so i pretty sure with it being 96 its going to atleast hatch one of the eggs since i almosr did it without thermometer or anything to detect humidity or temperature BUT i guess you never know?

Keeping the box outside would allow for too great of temperature swings. Incubators are best kept in a place/room/small building that remains a steady temperature.

Have you calibrated to make certain that both your thermometer and hygrometer are accurate? This is incredibly important. I haven't found a digital temp/hygrometer that reads accurately.

To hatch successfully and consistently, you've got to be able to keep the temps at least at 95.5. I keep mine just slightly higher at about 100 to accommodate for cool spots and very slight temp variances.

I have 2 -25 watt lights in the incubator I made. This allows the heat to be kept at a very stable temperature and it allows for the rare occasion when one light burns out. (It does happen) Do you have a picture of your incubator? That might help so we can give advice.

Here's a pic of mine. Easier to show you than to explain it...lol. I've found a much smaller fan, similar to the ones used in incubators that I'll be installing instead of the fan in the picture. But it gives an idea to this setup I'm using. The wafer thermometer on the left side is very sensitive.