The Incubator Thread

[Chicken Egg 17]

If at first candling it is not fertile is it safe to feed the eggs to animals? Say the first week?

I wouldn't I usually feed them to the chickens no matter what day or what week the have been in there

 

[dheltzel]

If at first candling it is not fertile is it safe to feed the eggs to animals? Say the first week?

I always hard boil them and mash them up to feed to the hens. It's a good source of protein.

 

[dinydeek]

This was our first hatch and we used a cheap homemade incubator. 9 went in and I have 5(one was deformed,guts on the outside) fluffy chick's this morning.

So hatch rate about 60 percent, no complaints for a cooler, lamp socket, old window screen, scrap wood. We had a few issues. One was during hatch. When we built the screen floor we did not fit it tight enough around the edges and the chick's got their feet jammed in... which meant I had to open during hatch to save them. A little worried about their feet, but they look straight and they are all standing and tumbling around as they should today.

Clearly my temperature was about 1 degree too warm as they hatched at day 19 and the one deformed one could have been from too warm temperatures. Thinking I need another air vent that I can control.

Humidity was surprisingly easy to manage, but then I was hand turning 3x a day so I was able to adjust easily.

For the last couple days(even with the surprise early hatch!) I pinned a wet wash cloth to the wall of the incubator and it kept it over 65 with ease.


I am tired, and thrilled all at the same time. I had no idea the stress I would experience cheerleading and worrying. Worst part was the deformed one that besides the deformity was very spry when it hatched.

They "seem" a little small but they are up on their feet this morning and lots of chirping. A couple seemed to have figured out the water and all find the chick food highly entertaining. Not too worried for today but will watch them closer this evening/tomorrow to make sure everyone is eating. Got my first chickens last summer so the part of rearing chick's isn't as foreign as the hatch.

5 out of 9 isn't too bad.

 

[stryker]

Thanks for the answer. I want to resign from fan. The heating cable evenly spread under the eggs. Eggs will be placed under the ceiling of the incubator. There is a hot air from heater. In addition, the egg trays do not block the air flow. The incubator will be more insulated from the outside. I will do vents at the top and bottom to allow air to be exchanged. Water tank I still have to adjust the size.

How is your project going?

 

[h2oratt]

My humidity is high in my incubator. Is there a problem with that? Running at 80 percent.

 

[Michal2016]

Hi @stryker.
Incubator and controller already done. The controller maintains the temperature at 37,7-38 C. During the incubation, the heating cable (80W) is active for 35% of the time.
I test the incubator only 30 eggs. I have only one rooster and hens fifteen. I'm afraid it's bad proportions. Within a few days I will check the eggs and then I'll find out.

 

[stryker]

Hi @stryker.
Incubator and controller already done. The controller maintains the temperature at 37,7-38 C. During the incubation, the heating cable (80W) is active for 35% of the time.
I test the incubator only 30 eggs. I have only one rooster and hens fifteen. I'm afraid it's bad proportions. Within a few days I will check the eggs and then I'll find out.

Thank you. I am thinking about making a hatcher that style since I have a sheet of tempered glass that I can use for the top.

 

[stryker]

My humidity is high in my incubator. Is there a problem with that? Running at 80 percent.

Are you hatching?

 

[h2oratt]

Yes but I am on day 1.

 

[Chicken Egg 17]

Yes but I am on day 1.

Ya u are going to drown them