noobie egg questions

[Lacrystol]

*err advantageous... auto correct

I would say no, just watch for dipping. Someone gave me an excellent idea and what she did is she got the still and turned it into an air and the way she did that is she put a fish tank pump in one of the vents. Thought that was a great idea...

 

[subhanalah]

You can look on ebay for a good quality forced air incubator. Be sure to read reviews for them, some are better than others, and some are really bad.

 

[aychbe]

I would say no, just watch for dipping. Someone gave me an excellent idea and what she did is she got the still and turned it into an air and the way she did that is she put a fish tank pump in one of the vents. Thought that was a great idea...

Thank you!

I grabbed a Little Giant 9200 and I'm in the process of figuring out how to use it. I'm going to grab a digital hygrometer later today. I'm assuming that most of these are a thermometer and hydrometer in 1 (hence the name) because I've read that these LG thermometers aren't very good. I don't have and old fish tank pump laying around but I do have a few old pc cases w/ fans in them and I've read on other threads that it's a pretty simple mod to use one of those to make an incubator forced air.

My biggest issue now will be figuring out how to get the correct humidity/temperature with this unit. I have 11 eggs this week. I had to toss one because she laid it in the yard while I was at work and the temp was below freezing, the egg froze and was cracked open when I found it. I read from several sources that you ideally want to incubate eggs that are between 7 and 10 days old so I have a few more days to play with but ideally I'd like to get them in the incubator by tomorrow night. With that being said, I am going to attempt to get a fan working for the incubator so I can have a more regulated temperature.

 

[Lacrystol]

Sounds good keep us posted..

 

[aychbe]

Ok, so I did a free mod to my incubator using an old computer power supply fan and and old ac power adapter. I mounted the fan inside the lid of the incubator over one of the vent holes so now it's forced air.




I also have the temperature regulated. I used 3 fish tank thermometers (as recommended in this cheat sheet) and the thermometer on the hygrometer, placed at differing heights and spaced evenly in the incubator. Prior to using them, I calibrated them using by placing them on and on top of my digital thermostat, which was set at 73 degrees. All 4 thermometers read 73. When in the incubator and after sitting for some time, all three fish tank thermometers read between 99 & 100 degrees. The thermometer on the hydrometer read 100. I'm assuming that because it lacks the precision of the decimal place, it either rounds or may behave slightly different in a small, inclosed environment. Regardless, it's not a huge difference and it shows that I'm getting consistent temperature throughout the incubator, which is what I'm most concerned with.

Lastly, prior to loading in the eggs, I'm going to use some plastic wrap to line the bottom of the incubator to aid in keeping it sanitary. I realize there's no way for me to get the thing clean without scrubbing it and I can't spray it with Rustoleum Neverwet (which is my go to for making things easy to clean) and I'd like to use it more than once.

I plan on starting the incubator today. My girls have given me 18 eggs to attempt to hatch. Ironically, I think that my Rouen may be getting broody...hahaha!

A few quick questions. I don't have an auto-turner so I'm going to do 3 turns per day, at the same time each day, with at least 4 hours between turns. Do I leave the eggs sit for the first 24 hrs and then begin rotating them on day 2 or do I put the eggs in, wait for the temperature to regulate and then wait at least 4 hours before the first turn?

Also, using your method 1, Lacrystol, do I sponge on the initial placing of the eggs in the incubator?

Lastly, and I know this is still a month away, if I get any ducklings, but do I give the babies Duramycin-10 on the first day? If so, is it just a tablespoon per gallon of water? If not, what type of suppliments/antibiotics do I give them?

Thanks so much for all of your help!

 

[Lacrystol]

Ok, so I did a free mod to my incubator using an old computer power supply fan and and old ac power adapter. I mounted the fan inside the lid of the incubator over one of the vent holes so now it's forced air.




I also have the temperature regulated. I used 3 fish tank thermometers (as recommended in this cheat sheet) and the thermometer on the hygrometer, placed at differing heights and spaced evenly in the incubator. Prior to using them, I calibrated them using by placing them on and on top of my digital thermostat, which was set at 73 degrees. All 4 thermometers read 73. When in the incubator and after sitting for some time, all three fish tank thermometers read between 99 & 100 degrees. The thermometer on the hydrometer read 100. I'm assuming that because it lacks the precision of the decimal place, it either rounds or may behave slightly different in a small, inclosed environment. Regardless, it's not a huge difference and it shows that I'm getting consistent temperature throughout the incubator, which is what I'm most concerned with.

Lastly, prior to loading in the eggs, I'm going to use some plastic wrap to line the bottom of the incubator to aid in keeping it sanitary. I realize there's no way for me to get the thing clean without scrubbing it and I can't spray it with Rustoleum Neverwet (which is my go to for making things easy to clean) and I'd like to use it more than once.

I plan on starting the incubator today. My girls have given me 18 eggs to attempt to hatch. Ironically, I think that my Rouen may be getting broody...hahaha!

A few quick questions. I don't have an auto-turner so I'm going to do 3 turns per day, at the same time each day, with at least 4 hours between turns. Do I leave the eggs sit for the first 24 hrs and then begin rotating them on day 2 or do I put the eggs in, wait for the temperature to regulate and then wait at least 4 hours before the first turn?

Also, using your method 1, Lacrystol, do I sponge on the initial placing of the eggs in the incubator?

Lastly, and I know this is still a month away, if I get any ducklings, but do I give the babies Duramycin-10 on the first day? If so, is it just a tablespoon per gallon of water? If not, what type of suppliments/antibiotics do I give them?

Thanks so much for all of your help!

OK first get the bator going, get that temp hitting 100, don't add water at all to it since you are using Method ONE, when you sponge they will get all the humidity they need. Now the Time doesn't need to be EXACT, just as long as you have 4 hours between each turning your OK, so if you turn at 8 in the morning, your next one will have to be anytime After 12, it could be one or two etc..

Does not need to be exact. You start your turning as SOON as you put them in, so if you put them today at lets say 3 o'clock then anytime after 7 o clock they will get there first turn and sponge bath. Sort of speaking. LOL

If you let them sit there for 24 hours without turning they could end up sticking to the side of the shell, we don't want that, because once that happens, YEK, they usually don't make it..

No Only sponge when you start turning them...No need to at initial placing them in..
No I have NEVER giving mine anything once they hatched, I wait 24 hours for them to fluff up then they go into the broody pen.. NO ANTIBIOTICS, not when they hatch out. You could get some probotics and electrolytes and mix that in there water but I only do this if I have a bad hatching or someone is looking very weak. My favorite stuff is Polyvisol without Iron. OH this is like the gift of life..

Couple of drops and they get all they need... but again I only use it if there's an issue, like one is struggling to walk etc..

 

[aychbe]

OK first get the bator going, get that temp hitting 100, don't add water at all to it since you are using Method ONE, when you sponge they will get all the humidity they need. Now the Time doesn't need to be EXACT, just as long as you have 4 hours between each turning your OK, so if you turn at 8 in the morning, your next one will have to be anytime After 12, it could be one or two etc..

Does not need to be exact. You start your turning as SOON as you put them in, so if you put them today at lets say 3 o'clock then anytime after 7 o clock they will get there first turn and sponge bath. Sort of speaking. LOL

If you let them sit there for 24 hours without turning they could end up sticking to the side of the shell, we don't want that, because once that happens, YEK, they usually don't make it..

No Only sponge when you start turning them...No need to at initial placing them in..
No I have NEVER giving mine anything once they hatched, I wait 24 hours for them to fluff up then they go into the broody pen.. NO ANTIBIOTICS, not when they hatch out. You could get some probotics and electrolytes and mix that in there water but I only do this if I have a bad hatching or someone is looking very weak. My favorite stuff is Polyvisol without Iron. OH this is like the gift of life..

Couple of drops and they get all they need... but again I only use it if there's an issue, like one is struggling to walk etc..

It's going on around 24 hrs in the incubator. I've sponged and turned the eggs 4 times so far (twice yesterday since I put them in around 4ish, I'll hit the 3 today though).

There's 2 things, both of which I doubt are causes for alarm but I just want to make sure. Whenever I sponge, I'll get a humidity spike around mid 30%... say 35-36%. It stays there until the incubator re-regulates and then drops to around 25%. Also, I'm getting inconsistencies in the temperature with the eggs in the incubator. The digital thermometer on the hydrometer sits around 100 (although I have had a spike as high as 104 and sometimes it reads 102 for 30 minutes or so) and the fish tank thermometers I have placed in various spots either on the eggs or between the eggs will read anywhere between 96 to 100. Are either of these issues cause for concern?

The incubator temp sat regulated at 99.5-100 for 24 hours prior to putting eggs in. At that time the humidity was steadily at 15-16%. Do I need to adjust the temp or just roll with it? Also, after I had returned from work, which was about 7 hours since I had sponged and turned, the humidity dropped to 18%. At this stage in the game do I have to keep it rigidly between 20 & 30% or is it ok to dip a little below for a brief time?

 

[Lacrystol]

You want to turn them odd numbers per day not even.. Your humidity is fine, it's the temp you need to worry about 104 will kill them. Got to keep an eye on that part..

 

[aychbe]

I must've not conveyed things clearly and for that I apologize.

Going by a 24 hour cycle, with hour 1 being the time I put the eggs in the incubator, I am turning the eggs 3 times per every 24 hours (roughly every 8 hours).

As for the 104 temp, I'm not sure for how long it happened, but the digital thermometer on the hygrometer shows me high/low temps and humidity for the 24 hour period. At one point, it hit 104. It seems like I get a spike in temp after turning/sponging as the incubator is regulating. I just turned/sponged the eggs and the temp is 97. Prior to that it was at 100. I didn't turn down the thermostat on the incubator because I know it was calibrated and stayed at 100 for 24 hours and I anticipate that the temp will rebound to 100 within an hour.

I am concerned with the temperature swings and that it hit 104 at some point. I know it's still really early in the process and I hope that this hasn't wiped any chance of this batch hatching. I read that I should candle the eggs at 1 week. Is there anything else I should do prior to know if I should start sitting aside eggs for incubation in the event that I've screwed this batch up?

 

[Lacrystol]

I must've not conveyed things clearly and for that I apologize.

Going by a 24 hour cycle, with hour 1 being the time I put the eggs in the incubator, I am turning the eggs 3 times per every 24 hours (roughly every 8 hours).

As for the 104 temp, I'm not sure for how long it happened, but the digital thermometer on the hygrometer shows me high/low temps and humidity for the 24 hour period. At one point, it hit 104. It seems like I get a spike in temp after turning/sponging as the incubator is regulating. I just turned/sponged the eggs and the temp is 97. Prior to that it was at 100. I didn't turn down the thermostat on the incubator because I know it was calibrated and stayed at 100 for 24 hours and I anticipate that the temp will rebound to 100 within an hour.

I am concerned with the temperature swings and that it hit 104 at some point. I know it's still really early in the process and I hope that this hasn't wiped any chance of this batch hatching. I read that I should candle the eggs at 1 week. Is there anything else I should do prior to know if I should start sitting aside eggs for incubation in the event that I've screwed this batch up?

You may be able to see development in four days it all depends on what you are using as a candler. Doesn't make sense why the temp is soaring when you sponge them??..hummmm.