What am I Doing Wrong

[jlynnp]

Ok I have tried to hatch eggs 4 times and to say I am less than successful is an understatement. I have 2 incubators - a Farm Innovations circulated air with turner. And a HovaBator Genisis 1588 circulated air with turner. The Farm Inovations is harder to adjust for proper temp, the Hovabator was supposed to be set at the factory for temp but not so much. It is easy to adjust the temp on it however. I have three thermometers in each incubator and a hydrometer in each one. I keep temps around 100, before lockdown humidity is between 20 - 30 and after lock down between 60 - 70.

My first hatch 16 Cream Legbar eggs resulted in one pullet hatching, there were chicks formed in eggs which did not hatch, my second hatch 9 Partridge Pedenesecna and 2 Olive Eggers - I got one Pene roo but only one other egg had a chick in it. The 3rd was 12 Quail eggs, one hatched 2 days late and had severely deformed legs and feet. This last hatch is still in the incubator and it is 16 Lavender Orp eggs which were NOT shipped. They were due to hatch yesterday and so far nothing. What am I doing wrong????

 

[txcarl1258]

What is the thermometer on your hovabator read at? Do all three thermometers show a different temp?

 

[ChickenLegs13]

Your settings sound good but when you say "around 100" do you mean it ranges from 99.5*-100.5* or it is more like 95-105.
I suspect you could have peaks & dips in the temps that you are unaware of too. I keep mine around 100 also, but my thermometer logs the record highs & lows and shows me the temp isn't always what I think it is.

 

[jlynnp]

What is the thermometer on your hovabator read at? Do all three thermometers show a different temp?

I have 3 thermometers in the hovabator. The thermometer on the hovabator read 100 when it first arrived, the other two agreed on 103 so I adjusted the temp so that the 2 agreed at 100 and the Hovabator read 97.

Your settings sound good but when you say "around 100" do you mean it ranges from 99.5*-100.5* or it is more like 95-105.
I suspect you could have peaks & dips in the temps that you are unaware of too. I keep mine around 100 also, but my thermometer logs the record highs & lows and shows me the temp isn't always what I think it is.

The temps range from 99.4 to 100.4 by two different thermometers.

 

[txcarl1258]

Have you calibrated the thermometers you are using as a control? I wouldn't think the hova thermometer would be off that much, but it's possible. It could also be the shipped eggs. I have terrible luck with shipped eggs.

 

[Dragons4u]

Are you sure the fans are installed properly and working? If they aren't, there can be big temperature difference's in the temperature crossed the incubator.

 

[jlynnp]

I had purchased some high dollar thermometers and I think they are the problem. I tried to calibrate them and they are off. The cheap 1.98 ones are spot on.

 

[Dragons4u]

Everyone needs a lab test chamber to test their therms and hygrometers in. I love having access to the ones at work. Whenever the engineers are running tests, I just have them toss in my therms and stuff to see what they measure.

 

[spotsplus]

Shipped eggs have generally a 40-60% hatch rate for chicken eggs (slightly higher for quail). If they are a rare breed or breeds that have typical low hatch rates you might have a hatch rate down at 25%. I have used my hovabator for 6 years and keep my temp at 99 degrees with 50% humidity until lock down then 65% humidity typically and have had my best hatches at these temps. Your eggs that were not shipped I would expect to have a better hatch rate. I wait until day 24 before considering a unhatched egg beyond saving (and I do open them up to see what was wrong). Sounds like you might have been having wide temperature fluctuations which can cause problems. Good luck on your current hatch!

 

[JeanR]

Sometimes we save a lot of money and time by purchasing a few good birds in our choice of Breed--not chicks, but point of lay pullets with suitable cockerels, each breed from the same breeder. Gave up incubators long ago (except for a Brinsea Mini, for special eggs and no setting hen.) Keep reliable setters and sometimes raise the chicks myself--have had nine hens set at one time. Just several can raise them all, if hatch times coincide. Just my choice--not for everyone!

And Bantam eggs are poor shippers, no matter how well packaged---PO handlers or automated handling, just does not give us good hatch from mailed Bantam eggs--and good luck with large eggs--some do well, but it it a gamble.