Incubators Anonymous

[PD-Riverman]

OOPS! How did I forget I set an incubator full of eggs????

That was one of the best hatches I ever got (almost 100% hatch rate!), and the chicks were all vigorous and healthy!

I did something similiar------well kinda-----I had a styrofoam and put 14 eggs in it-----in the egg turner------I checked the water--monitored the temp-----on day 18 I went to remove the egg turner-----which Had Never Been Plugged In------I think 8 hatched.

 

[Lacrystol]

...

The issues you listed missing eyes cross beaks those ARE GENETIC.[/quote

Re-read my FIRST sentence.

And NO those issues are NOT just genetic related!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: Here is a QUOTE from your post plus could cause some hatching issues, like deformity, I have seen chicks born with missing eyes, missing beaks, one leg shorter than the other, over grown heads, crooked beaks all because they were not turned properly the number of times.

They are not caused by not turning eggs. That is not listed as an option. Deformities like missing an eye, cross beak, splayed legs, no skull, strange legs ALL are genetic. If you read from the link it will tell you the issues with improper turning..... like hatching upside down or an inability to hatch..... I have that happen maybe 5% of the time..... I think that is about normal for eggs, even when I turn 6 times a day.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...malpositions-and-deformities-in-chick-embryos

Copied from the above link

Beak abnormalities, such as crossed beak, parrot beak, or short upper beak, which can be a result of genetic traits, poor hen nutrition, exposure to pesticides, hatching eggs exposed to near freezing temperatures.​

Small or missing eye(s), ​

which is normally a result of high temperature during incubation, especially during the early stages. ​

(I AM ADDING it is genetic too)​

Exposed brain, ​

which is normally a result of high temperature or prolonged heat spikes during the early stages of incubation. ​

(I AM ADDING it is genetic too, humans are born this way too)​

Intestines outside of abdomen, ​

which can be a result of high temperature during mid-incubation, or hatching eggs exposed to near freezing temperatures.​

(GENETIC TOO humans do this too)

Crooked (wry) neck, ​

which can be either an inherited genetic trait, or a result of poor breeder nutrition​

Crooked toes, ​

foot and leg problems, which can be a result of excessive in-breeding, poor breeder nutrition, or an inherited genetic trait.​

END QUOTE from link

My personal experience has been when I see these issues it is GENETIC and when I change birds it goes away, like the example I gave earlier. It was one hen and cock and when I took her out and put her with another cock it STOPPED. I didn't change anything and it just stopped because it was genetic. NOT always caused by genetics but it is never caused by not turning eggs.

AGAIN I AM NOT ADVOCATING TURNING YOUR EGGS ONCE A DAY. I don't have a choice right now.

If you would like to read more about turning eggs here is a study. Interesting read. I do turn mine 45 degrees so that is a good thing. It says turning 96 times a day is optimal LOL.... I would like to see a hen do that to each eggs.

http://japr.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/3/447.full


What I have done has been over years of working with chickens. It works for me right now. for anyone NEW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE research research research before you decide what you are going to do. There are a lot of myths/half truths/or just wrong info out there. Find your information from a trusted source. IT is always trial and error and do what works for you. BUT they are JUST CHICKENS and don't need a lot of fussing over.... REALLY!

 

[Lacrystol]

Let me tell you a true story.

I once filled a still air Styrofoam incubator with eggs and then forgot all about it. I mean COMPLETELY forgot about it for 21 days! No temperature adjustment, no water in the well, no turning of eggs.

I remembered it when I started hearing some mysterious peeping in the house and followed the noise to it's source. OOPS! How did I forget I set an incubator full of eggs????

That was one of the best hatches I ever got (almost 100% hatch rate!), and the chicks were all vigorous and healthy!

Of course I wouldn't want to repeat that incident, and I do make sure there's water in the wells and that the eggs get turned. Normally when I don't add enough water, I get shrink wrapped chicks. I figure that one time was a fluke and the ambient conditions happened to be right with the temp and humidity. The no-turning part of it mystifies me, though, unless I had elves in the house doing me a good turn (pun intended haha).

OMG, that's SCARY, WOW, lol, OMG, your story is amazing.. LOL

 

[Lacrystol]

This is my new chick, she was two days early. I think that's what I'll name her, early bird.

AWEE what kind of chick?

 

[Lacrystol]

Here is a QUOTE from your post plus could cause some hatching issues, like deformity, I have seen chicks born with missing eyes, missing beaks, one leg shorter than the other, over grown heads, crooked beaks all because they were not turned properly the number of times.

They are not caused by not turning eggs. That is not listed as an option. Deformities like missing an eye, cross beak, splayed legs, no skull, strange legs ALL are genetic. If you read from the link it will tell you the issues with improper turning..... like hatching upside down or an inability to hatch..... I have that happen maybe 5% of the time..... I think that is about normal for eggs, even when I turn 6 times a day.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...malpositions-and-deformities-in-chick-embryos

Copied from the above link

Beak abnormalities, such as crossed beak, parrot beak, or short upper beak, which can be a result of genetic traits, poor hen nutrition, exposure to pesticides, hatching eggs exposed to near freezing temperatures.​

Small or missing eye(s), ​

which is normally a result of high temperature during incubation, especially during the early stages. ​

(I AM ADDING it is genetic too)​

Exposed brain, ​

which is normally a result of high temperature or prolonged heat spikes during the early stages of incubation. ​

(I AM ADDING it is genetic too, humans are born this way too)​

Intestines outside of abdomen, ​

which can be a result of high temperature during mid-incubation, or hatching eggs exposed to near freezing temperatures.​

(GENETIC TOO humans do this too)

Crooked toes, ​

foot and leg problems, which can be a result of excessive in-breeding, poor breeder nutrition, or an inherited genetic trait.​

END QUOTE from link

My personal experience has been when I see these issues it is GENETIC and when I change birds it goes away, like the example I gave earlier. It was one hen and cock and when I took her out and put her with another cock it STOPPED. I didn't change anything and it just stopped because it was genetic. NOT always caused by genetics but it is never caused by not turning eggs.

AGAIN I AM NOT ADVOCATING TURNING YOUR EGGS ONCE A DAY. I don't have a choice right now.

If you would like to read more about turning eggs here is a study. Interesting read. I do turn mine 45 degrees so that is a good thing. It says turning 96 times a day is optimal LOL.... I would like to see a hen do that to each eggs.

http://japr.oxfordjournals.org/content/18/3/447.full


What I have done has been over years of working with chickens. It works for me right now. for anyone NEW PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE research research research before you decide what you are going to do. There are a lot of myths/half truths/or just wrong info out there. Find your information from a trusted source. IT is always trial and error and do what works for you. BUT they are JUST CHICKENS and don't need a lot of fussing over.... REALLY!

I'm simply saying, NOT all deformity is caused by a Genetic ISSUE. read the first thing I said: PLUS COULD CAUSE SOME HATCHING ISSUES NOT DEFINITE I never once said definite
COULD, your quote is They are DEFINITLY genetic issue. ​

We could just keep going until we are blue in the face....

ALL those things you listed, does not say, Genetic issue ONLY. OTHER things can CAUSE those problems.

Now my turn:
Here's ONE WEBSITE
A Critical Period for the Turning of Hens' Eggs
by D. A. T. NEW1
From the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University College London
INTRODUCTION
Various abnormalities have been recorded in eggs incubated without turning.

Website NUMBER TWO:
REASONS FOR POOR HATCHES
Eggs not turned often enough.

There's another website but I can't find it right now that has done a study and they turned the eggs 60 times PER minute, they were testing to see if you could OVERLY turn them. Another words, turn the eggs to much and how this could affect the growth, but the end results were the eggs that were turned the MOST, were 10 times stronger then those that were turned LESS..

And that is ALL I'm saying about this subject. You have your opinion I have mine, Who's right, who's WRONG? Well we BOTH are hatching out babies so I guess WE ARE BOTH RIGHT.

 

[lazy gardener]

It doesn't matter what kind you buy or how many you buy, if they are not calibrated. You can do the salt test for your hygrometer, and calibrate the thermometer to 100*F. Even the pricey thermometers and hygrometers can be off enough to ruin your hatch.

 

[KendyF]

I'm simply saying, NOT all deformity is caused by a Genetic ISSUE. read the first thing I said: PLUS COULD CAUSE SOME HATCHING ISSUES NOT DEFINITE I never once said definite
COULD, your quote is They are DEFINITLY genetic issue. ​

We could just keep going until we are blue in the face....

ALL those things you listed, does not say, Genetic issue ONLY. OTHER things can CAUSE those problems.

Now my turn:
Here's ONE WEBSITE
A Critical Period for the Turning of Hens' Eggs
by D. A. T. NEW1
From the Department of Anatomy and Embryology, University College London
INTRODUCTION
Various abnormalities have been recorded in eggs incubated without turning.

Website NUMBER TWO:
REASONS FOR POOR HATCHES
Eggs not turned often enough.

There's another website but I can't find it right now that has done a study and they turned the eggs 60 times PER minute, they were testing to see if you could OVERLY turn them. Another words, turn the eggs to much and how this could affect the growth, but the end results were the eggs that were turned the MOST, were 10 times stronger then those that were turned LESS..

And that is ALL I'm saying about this subject. You have your opinion I have mine, Who's right, who's WRONG? Well we BOTH are hatching out babies so I guess WE ARE BOTH RIGHT.

I am not taking a stand on either side, but in the spring, I hatched a batch of what I called "Poopy" eggs. The ground was wet, and the chickens were making a mess on all of the eggs, some were older, hadn't been turned.. etc I was anxious to start a batch of eggs, which were NOT, top quality. I hatched a bunch of Spraddle Legs. I hatched all last summer and have continued to hatch this summer. I have had no more issues with spraddle legs, so I am thinking it was because the eggs weren't turned or because something went wrong in incubation. I guess, someone could make a case for my birds were in poor health at the time and now they are fine... But, I don't think so. I am not sharing science here just 1 experience.

 

[PD-Riverman]

I am not sharing science here just 1 experience.

Some great Words----Maybe most will read this sentence----so You will not be "jumped" on or Attacked!!!!

 

[Lacrystol]

I am not taking a stand on either side, but in the spring, I hatched a batch of what I called "Poopy" eggs. The ground was wet, and the chickens were making a mess on all of the eggs, some were older, hadn't been turned.. etc I was anxious to start a batch of eggs, which were NOT, top quality. I hatched a bunch of Spraddle Legs. I hatched all last summer and have continued to hatch this summer. I have had no more issues with spraddle legs, so I am thinking it was because the eggs weren't turned or because something went wrong in incubation. I guess, someone could make a case for my birds were in poor health at the time and now they are fine... But, I don't think so. I am not sharing science here just 1 experience.

Thank you for your input... and I was doing the same thing (experience) , however, it seemed to end in a brawl and that wasn't my intentions. But again, I appreciate your input..