A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[duluthralphie]

I hear from lots of people who open say once a day to pull hatched ones and don’t see negative results. But I know the hatcheries don’t.

Wouldn’t theoretically the momma bird at least shuffle/rearrange herself periodically and let the occasional not-as-warm or humid draft in for a few seconds? Just speculating.

I know this is artificial conditions and as stable as possible is best but they could just be failure to thrive type ones without the incubator opening causing it specifically. Although I’m sure doesn’t help if have any questionable ones to keep opening it.

You can not compare an incubator to under a bird. They are completely different. The bird keeps the eggs in a cozy warm small area next to its hot damp body in a warm moist bundle of feathers.

The mother bird can roll the eggs without the eggs leaving the warm moist area. When you open an incubator the moist area immediately leaves the area. It is a large area and all that dry air needs moisture. This is when it sucks moisture from the egg.

Even if you have the entire space back to desired humidity within 20 minutes the moisture lost from the wraping membrane will not re-moisturize. Shrink wrapping will occur. To some degree.

I learned this the hard way... seems like you might too.

 

[PolarBerry]

You can not compare an incubator to under a bird. They are completely different. The bird keeps the eggs in a cozy warm small area next to its hot damp body in a warm moist bundle of feathers.

The mother bird can roll the eggs without the eggs leaving the warm moist area. When you open an incubator the moist area immediately leaves the area. It is a large area and all that dry air needs moisture. This is when it sucks moisture from the egg.

Even if you have the entire space back to desired humidity within 20 minutes the moisture lost from the wraping membrane will not re-moisturize. Shrink wrapping will occur. To some degree.

I learned this the hard way... seems like you might too.

Humidity hasn’t gone under 75% even when opened briefly. It was near 90% with walls nearly dripping when I took the poults out so if anything the rest drowned as some say they can. I opened it only when none were externally pipping so as to not dry membranes out. I had a few that were questionable alive or not on lockdown so it’s possible they were dead before but regardless, not opening it again until doing final determinations on viable or not. Anyone use the float test?

 

[PolarBerry]

Time will tell, I’ll do some egg-topsies on non-hatchers to see what went wrong. Not trying to be a pain @duluthralphie

I have a week’s worth of freshly laid fertile eggs ready for a second round.

What day do you guys usually “call it” for hatching? 29? 30? 35?

 

[PolarBerry]

Poult 13 started hatching breach (narrow end) and stopped after getting the whole top off, think it died before kicking free (still curled up with head under wing).

 

[rjohns39]

I've had them hatch as late as day 31, but survival rate for late hatchers has not been good.

Folks, one of my girls escaped the convent yesterday... She tore the greenhouse film down on one wall. Still trying to figure out how, but she did none-the-less. Wall fixed and girl back in the convent, so we'll see what today brings.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

Goodness! They are so beautiful!

Thank you!

 

[dheltzel]

You can not compare an incubator to under a bird. They are completely different. The bird keeps the eggs in a cozy warm small area next to its hot damp body in a warm moist bundle of feathers.

The mother bird can roll the eggs without the eggs leaving the warm moist area. When you open an incubator the moist area immediately leaves the area. It is a large area and all that dry air needs moisture. This is when it sucks moisture from the egg.

Even if you have the entire space back to desired humidity within 20 minutes the moisture lost from the wraping membrane will not re-moisturize. Shrink wrapping will occur. To some degree.

I learned this the hard way... seems like you might too.

Not all hatchers are the same with this. This is a pic of my "coolerbator hatcher". It hatches roughly 100 eggs at a time and the sliding top means I can remove chicks with virtually no reduction in humidity for the remaining ones. I usually get great turkey hatches from this (every now an then, I get almost nothing to even pip, still trying to figure that out). The also have plenty of headroom, something they don't have in a styrofoam incubator or Brinsea.

 

[duluthralphie]

Not all hatchers are the same with this. This is a pic of my "coolerbator hatcher". It hatches roughly 100 eggs at a time and the sliding top means I can remove chicks with virtually no reduction in humidity for the remaining ones. I usually get great turkey hatches from this (every now an then, I get almost nothing to even pip, still trying to figure that out). The also have plenty of headroom, something they don't have in a styrofoam incubator or Brinsea.
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I have used the foamies and now use Sportsman, I have found it best to never open them.

That said I can see an advantage in yours, but some humidity must still be lost as warm air rises and cool air settles. Having a cabinet hatcher means opening it loses most the air. The foamies are so bad at keeping adequate humidity without the addition problem of opening or closing it.

Very few have that sliding door and closable lid you have. So as a general rule, I say. Keep them closed.

 

[R2elk]

I have used the foamies and now use Sportsman, I have found it best to never open them.

That said I can see an advantage in yours, but some humidity must still be lost as warm air rises and cool air settles. Having a cabinet hatcher means opening it loses most the air. The foamies are so bad at keeping adequate humidity without the addition problem of opening or closing it.

Very few have that sliding door and closable lid you have. So as a general rule, I say. Keep them closed.

If I feel the need to open my cabinet hatcher during hatching, I have a spray bottle of warm water that I use to spray inside the hatcher. It greatly decreases the amount of time for the humidity to return to the set point. Just don't spray the water on the eggs.

 

[R2elk]

What day do you guys usually “call it” for hatching? 29? 30? 35?

I "call" the hatch after day 28. Most of my poults hatch on day 27 and very few on day 28. If there are any really late hatchers, I have found their viability to not be worthwhile, I would not use them in my breeding program and would not want anyone else using them as breeders either.