THE Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco Thread; Hatches, etc. (PICS)

[serinat]

Okay, I just put 28 eggs into lockdown. Someone with experience tell me they're going to be okay! They can't lie flat; too many eggs. People hatch in egg cartons, right, so having the eggs leaning on each other should be just as fine? I figure it's not all that roomy underneath a broody hen, either.

Excited! I filled both troughs with water and put a wet washcloth into one trough, draped over the side. Hoping to see some pips by tomorrow evening!

 

[immyjay54]

Okay, I just put 28 eggs into lockdown. Someone with experience tell me they're going to be okay! They can't lie flat; too many eggs. People hatch in egg cartons, right, so having the eggs leaning on each other should be just as fine? I figure it's not all that roomy underneath a broody hen, either.

Excited! I filled both troughs with water and put a wet washcloth into one trough, draped over the side. Hoping to see some pips by tomorrow evening!

I really don't think the leaning of the eggs are going to be a problem BUT you sure aren't going to have any room in there. Figure as each chick comes out you have 2 items then. The chick and the empty shell. I wish you the best of luck. One thing in your favor is that IF you open the Brinsea to remove chicks, it come back up to temp/humidity pretty quick. I hope you don't end up shrink wrapping chicks if you open it to take some out. I have the 22 in mine that will hit lock down Monday night but they will be taken from the Brinsea to the Hova Bator because it is has so much more room. I do hatch in egg cartons and they do fine.
Good Luck
Jim
Post and let us know how it all goes. Please

 

[serinat]

I plan to open once or twice, in a bathroom filled with steam, to remove some chicks. I'm not all that worried, as newly hatched chicks often hang out under their mama in very crowded conditions (being sat upon!) for hours and hours before peeking out. I figure they can handle a stuffed incubator, LOL.

Will update. So far, no pips.

 

[haTHOR]

I have 26 going into lockdown soon too. Can't say enough good about the steamy bathroom method! You can get those babies/broken eggs out every 6 hours or so, and it really helps make room.

Last hatch, earlier this month, I must have opened 10 times over the course of the hatch. Waited till hydrometer showed 70% in the steamy bathroom and went for it, leaving hot water running the whole time (keep the plug in the tub if possible...helps...also leave heater off in bathroom as it gets much more humid, faster, without it.) When all was said and done, I had a few eggs not hatch but it was eggs that never pipped...when I cracked and opened on day 24, they were infertile or early quitters, NOT anywhere near day 18 (so I know the opening in the bathroom didn't hurt them).

Have done this for a few years...with good results. Good luck!

 

[haTHOR]

How is it going serinat? I bet you have some pips now!

I plan to open once or twice, in a bathroom filled with steam, to remove some chicks. I'm not all that worried, as newly hatched chicks often hang out under their mama in very crowded conditions (being sat upon!) for hours and hours before peeking out. I figure they can handle a stuffed incubator, LOL.

Will update. So far, no pips.

 

[serinat]

Thanks for checking in! Here's a link to my hatching thread, for those who are interested.

As of today (day 21), I have at least a dozen hatched. It's a big party in there. Woke up to lots of fuzzy babies this morning. The first hatched yesterday around 3:30, then second around 8 p.m. There are more zipping as I type.

I have yet to open the Brinsea. I'm hesitant to do so, since they are doing so well. Is it crowded? Absolutely. I think I might open it, but with so many still wet/zipping, I'm kind of afraid. If 12 have hatched, there are still 16 left, so I'm thinking I'll have to.

Joy, I like your method, but I don't have a hygrometer. I will likely steam up the bathroom as much as possible and just hope for the best. I'm assuming I should leave the wet ones in the incubator? Will the lively ones jump out of the Brinsea as soon as I take the top off? There's nothing to really keep them in, is there?

Very exciting around here. My kids are having a ball staring at all the fluff. Seems like it never gets old, seeing new babies, does it? Hope they'll be just as excited when the new human arrives in May.

 

[serinat]

Here's a pic of the first chick out yesterday afternoon (more pics on my blog):

 

[haTHOR]

I put the bator down on a fluffy towel on the counter in case of "jumpers", lol. But you should be able to quickly gather them into a box or basket (AND get all the gross egg shells out) and put the lid back on.

Without a hydrometer, a good rule of thumb is to use your smallest bathroom, hottest water on high (shower) and wait until the mirror fogs up after at least 5-7 minutes. That is how long it takes my % to get to 70, every time. Make sure kids/clueless adults can't walk in, fyi! I forgot to lock the door once and had a curious toddler come in followed by his big sister once she heard my yelp of frustration, lol. If you want to be VERY sure you can leave the water running 10 minutes and it should be for sure ok, even if your bathroom is bigger than mine. (Just make sure vents are closed, heater/air is off, windows closed, etc.)

If you are extra worried about pips when you do this, you can throw a warm wet washcloth over pipped eggs while getting shells/chicks out.

With regard to leaving wet ones in...I go more by their activity level. Sometimes it is so wet in there that even active birds are still wet. If they are vigorous I get them out.

 

[serinat]

Thank you for the tips, Joy.

I did steam up our bathroom - kept the shower running on hot with the drain plugged, ran the sink water, closed windows and door, etc. It was like a sauna in there. My daughter went in and said, "Wow! It's wet in here! I think the chicks will be fine!"

I pulled out a dozen chicks who were mostly dry and left three really wet ones in. Put the dry ones in a little basket (ironically, our egg collection basket), lightly wrapped in a towel, for their trip downstairs to the brooder. Then I opened the Brinsea again, took out the egg shells, and sprayed some hot water from a bottle inside before closing it again. No one tried to jump out. It was probably only open for 30 seconds total.

There were three eggs zipped while I was doing this, but it was getting so crowded that I did it anyway. Every time I'd think we were done zipping for a while, another one would bust out, so I just did it. The three that were zipped all hatched within minutes of me closing the Brinsea back up, so I feel confident that the steamy bathroom method worked just fine for us.

As a side note: after the incubator was closed again, I checked the temperature (probably 3-4 minutes later) and saw that it was up to 104-ish. Probably from the hot water I sprayed in there. So I opened the vent all the way, and it was back down below 100 within a couple of minutes. So watch the temp, if you try this method. I was so afraid that the water would cool down while I sprayed it that perhaps I let the tap water get too hot before filling the bottle.

Now that 12 are in the brooder, I have a total of 10 more in the incubator, and six additional eggs that have not yet hatched. At least three have pipped, so I am hopeful for a great hatch rate. I don't plan to open the brooder again until everyone's out and dry, unless there are some eggs that have no pips and the rest of the chicks seem ready.

There you go - proof that you can hatch 28 chicks in a Brinsea 20. Well, at least 22.We'll see how it goes!

 

[serinat]

I woke to two more chicks this morning, then a third later, then a fourth early this afternoon. I think we may be done for this hatch, as the last two have not pipped. I guess it's only day 22, so I will certainly wait another day or two, but I'm pretty sure they're not going to hatch.

So my final stats:

26 / 30 original eggs (two clears removed after 10 days or so)
26 / 28 that went into lockdown

It's so weird to me that of 28 eggs all set at the same time, the last can be born over two days after the first. Remarkable. The last ones seem a little weaker and sleepy (I had to help one out of its egg last night, as it had zipped for nearly a day and was alive but clearly not coming out.

I'm very happy with my results hatching so many eggs in the Brinsea, and won't hesitate to do it again. It's such a great incubator!