incubator decision... please help

[Picco]

All I have thought about for the past three months has been penedesencas. I bought some eggs and put them in the incubator but got horrible results; only one chick hatched! I used a LG styrafoam model and had problems with temperature fluctuations and low humidity. I recently found out another breeder has eggs available and I would like to give it another go. I just emailed him to see if he will incubate the eggs but that will probably get expensive. I don't want to use that incubator again. Should I buy a new one or should I use a broody hen. I have a one year old bantam cochin hen that started sitting yesterday, Her mother was an amazing broody but this hen is unproven. My aunt has two broody hens, one is very young but the other has hathced eggs before. The problem is the chicks that she hatched were killed, I'm not sure if it was from her though. What should I do? Penedesenca eggs are expensive and since I lost out on the last ones I don't have too much to invest (i'm a college student). If any one has a good reliable incubator in the Saratoga NY/Manchester VT area and would like to hatch them for me or sell/loan it to me know. Thanks!

 

[Picco]

The breeder doesn't ship chicks so I can only get the eggs. I could put them under the young hen and see how that goes while having the crappy incubator running just in case. What should I do?

 

[BirdBrain]

I am sorry your hatch turned out so bad. Do you have any idea why your temps and humidity fluctuated so much? Do you need a better thermostat? The bad hatch could also be due to shipping. I guess I would try the broody and keep the incubator going just in case if you have no other alternative. I was really pulling for you and am disappointed that your hatch turned out the way it did. You know the old adage--If at first you don't succeed, try try again. Even if you have a less than stellar hatch you may get enough to start your own flock.