The Incubators Thread!!! Come Join And Learn!!!

[jkelly5359]

Hi everyone! Ok, I have two different sets in my incubator. Of the first set (4eggs) only one has made it to day 20. The second set is on day 5. I have a still air little giant, temp is holding at 102.5, humidity 60%. I have removed the automatic turner and just laid them all on the grate because if this one does hatch, I didn't want it to get caught in the mechanics and break a leg. So, I'm turning the others by hand 3 times a day. The other 3 from the first set that died didn't developed past day 10-11. (I crack them all open after they die, just to see how far they made it and what might have caused their demise)... I don't see any rocking in the one that is still alive.. should I play chirping videos for it? Sing to it? Carry it around in my bra????? I'm willing to try anything at this point to get a baby chick lol My first attempt at incubating, I lost a clutch of 28 eggs because a friend gave me crap advice, all the eggs were set pointed side up and the temp was 99.5 which was WAY too low for a still air. So I did my own research (thanks in a major way to this site!) and I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything correctly this time (that's why I only set 4 at first). Any tips on how I can improve my tactics??? Any help is SUPER appreciated!

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Hi everyone! Ok, I have two different sets in my incubator. Of the first set (4eggs) only one has made it to day 20. The second set is on day 5. I have a still air little giant, temp is holding at 102.5, humidity 60%. I have removed the automatic turner and just laid them all on the grate because if this one does hatch, I didn't want it to get caught in the mechanics and break a leg. So, I'm turning the others by hand 3 times a day. The other 3 from the first set that died didn't developed past day 10-11. (I crack them all open after they die, just to see how far they made it and what might have caused their demise)... I don't see any rocking in the one that is still alive.. should I play chirping videos for it? Sing to it? Carry it around in my bra????? I'm willing to try anything at this point to get a baby chick lol My first attempt at incubating, I lost a clutch of 28 eggs because a friend gave me crap advice, all the eggs were set pointed side up and the temp was 99.5 which was WAY too low for a still air. So I did my own research (thanks in a major way to this site!) and I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything correctly this time (that's why I only set 4 at first). Any tips on how I can improve my tactics??? Any help is SUPER appreciated!

Hi! It sounds like you are doing everything right to me. Temp might be a tad too high but it might not be a problem. Have you got a seperate thermometer in there? Mine didn't rock until day 21 just before it hatched. I would up the humidity a little bit more to soften the egg for the hatcher

 

[jkelly5359]

Hi! It sounds like you are doing everything right to me. Temp might be a tad too high but it might not be a problem. Have you got a seperate thermometer in there? Mine didn't rock until day 21 just before it hatched. I would up the humidity a little bit more to soften the egg for the hatcher

Do you think the higher humidity will cause issues for the other eggs in there that are at day 5? I bumped it up to 65% and Im hoping the little egg will hatch soon so I can put it back down to around 50%... I candled the day 20 egg earlier but I don't see any movement (i know I shouldn't be moving it during lock down but the last time I didn't candle some eggs that far along I ended up with a really stinky incubator because they had all died at some point between day 18 and 24) it's a blue egg and really hard to see through, there's a big air sack but the chick seems to be wrapped up in a ball in the middle of the egg because the pointed end is empty too...

 

[AustralorpsAU]

Do you think the higher humidity will cause issues for the other eggs in there that are at day 5? I bumped it up to 65% and Im hoping the little egg will hatch soon so I can put it back down to around 50%... I candled the day 20 egg earlier but I don't see any movement (i know I shouldn't be moving it during lock down but the last time I didn't candle some eggs that far along I ended up with a really stinky incubator because they had all died at some point between day 18 and 24) it's a blue egg and really hard to see through, there's a big air sack but the chick seems to be wrapped up in a ball in the middle of the egg because the pointed end is empty too...

65 should be fine. As long as you drop humidity back down reaply low afterwards they should be fine. Good luck

 

[BlueBaby]

Hi everyone! Ok, I have two different sets in my incubator. Of the first set (4eggs) only one has made it to day 20. The second set is on day 5. I have a still air little giant, temp is holding at 102.5, humidity 60%. I have removed the automatic turner and just laid them all on the grate because if this one does hatch, I didn't want it to get caught in the mechanics and break a leg. So, I'm turning the others by hand 3 times a day. The other 3 from the first set that died didn't developed past day 10-11. (I crack them all open after they die, just to see how far they made it and what might have caused their demise)... I don't see any rocking in the one that is still alive.. should I play chirping videos for it? Sing to it? Carry it around in my bra????? I'm willing to try anything at this point to get a baby chick lol My first attempt at incubating, I lost a clutch of 28 eggs because a friend gave me crap advice, all the eggs were set pointed side up and the temp was 99.5 which was WAY too low for a still air. So I did my own research (thanks in a major way to this site!) and I'm pretty sure I'm doing everything correctly this time (that's why I only set 4 at first). Any tips on how I can improve my tactics??? Any help is SUPER appreciated!

I just hatched mine out a few days ago in a Little Giant still air incubator. I had my temp at 100. Removing the turner for lock-down gives the chicks more room to hatch out without hurting themselves. I put paper towels over the top of the grate this hatch. Last spring when I did a hatch I didn't think of adding those paper towels in there and it was messy when I moved the chicks to the brooder. This time it was way easier to clean out. Chirping a few peep-peeps to it though the little holes in the top seems to help encourage them to hatch.

 

[BlueBaby]

Do you think the higher humidity will cause issues for the other eggs in there that are at day 5? I bumped it up to 65% and Im hoping the little egg will hatch soon so I can put it back down to around 50%... I candled the day 20 egg earlier but I don't see any movement (i know I shouldn't be moving it during lock down but the last time I didn't candle some eggs that far along I ended up with a really stinky incubator because they had all died at some point between day 18 and 24) it's a blue egg and really hard to see through, there's a big air sack but the chick seems to be wrapped up in a ball in the middle of the egg because the pointed end is empty too...

I had 2 different hatch day batches in my incubator, and when I put group 1 in lock-down, the group 2 was still in there. I had 4 in group 1, and 9 in group 2. Only 1 egg in group 2 didn't hatch, because it was a tiny bit smaller egg and got shrink-wrapped. It had outgrown it's air sack.

 

[jkelly5359]

I just hatched mine out a few days ago in a Little Giant still air incubator. I had my temp at 100. Removing the turner for lock-down gives the chicks more room to hatch out without hurting themselves. I put paper towels over the top of the grate this hatch. Last spring when I did a hatch I didn't think of adding those paper towels in there and it was messy when I moved the chicks to the brooder. This time it was way easier to clean out. Chirping a few peep-peeps to it though the little holes in the top seems to help encourage them to hatch.

I hadn't thought that far ahead lol but I'll be putting the paper towels down tonight! Thank you!!!!!!

 

[chelseajgoss]

My baby died... i left it until just a little bit ago. And it hadnt made any progress pipping or even moving in the egg
I candled very well. And did the float test just to make sure. No movement at all. So i carefully opend the shell at the air sac, only to see a malpositioned baby. Feet up. Yolk and blood vesseles were completely absorbed. But dead. Guess it just couldnt get out :/ wish id known.. oh well i guess. Nothing i could have done to know. 2 more babies due in 3 days. I hope these guys will be okay.

 

[jkelly5359]

I had 2 different hatch day batches in my incubator, and when I put group 1 in lock-down, the group 2 was still in there. I had 4 in group 1, and 9 in group 2. Only 1 egg in group 2 didn't hatch, because it was a tiny bit smaller egg and got shrink-wrapped. It had outgrown it's air sack.

Yeah, I'm afraid of them growing too big... There's a 50/50 chance it's a mix between an Araucana and buff Orpington, and my buff is HUGE! My little Araucana is probably only half his size.... but there's also a chance that it's 100% Araucana... how did you address needing to turn group 2 with group 1 in lock down? I took the turner out when this one little survivor hit 18 days and laid it and the other 12 that are on day 5 directly on the grate, but now I have to open the incubator every time I need to turn group 2....

 

[Lilmissesmom]

S

My baby died... i left it until just a little bit ago. And it hadnt made any progress pipping or even moving in the egg
I candled very well. And did the float test just to make sure. No movement at all. So i carefully opend the shell at the air sac, only to see a malpositioned baby. Feet up. Yolk and blood vesseles were completely absorbed. But dead. Guess it just couldnt get out :/ wish id known.. oh well i guess. Nothing i could have done to know. 2 more babies due in 3 days. I hope these guys will be okay.

so sorry, i know how heartbreaking it is. I just had 2 quitters and it hurts my heart so much. Saying prayers for your other two.