Any advise on the Brinsea mini II eco incubater?

[Emma Bruffy]

got it last Christmas and I have only hatched eggs once with it with a really bad hatch rate, is there any advise from someone who owns it or just some general incubation tips?

 

[MGG]

got it last Christmas and I have only hatched eggs once with it with a really bad hatch rate, is there any advise from someone who owns it or just some general incubation tips?

Hi! Did you test the temp with a calibrated thermometer and the humidity with a salt tested hydrometer? What does it have in the way of ventilation holes? And where did you get your eggs? These are the usual issues no matter what incubator. I don't have one of those, but maybe I can still help if you answer the questions.

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

Hi! Did you test the temp with a calibrated thermometer and the humidity with a salt tested hydrometer? What does it have in the way of ventilation holes? And where did you get your eggs? These are the usual issues no matter what incubator. I don't have one of those, but maybe I can still help if you answer the questions.

Well it comes with a thermometer that I set to 99.8 degrees Fahrenheit and I did not test humidity but the paper said fill to the fill line for chickens, and I got the eggs from my flock and 3 out of 7 hatched,and ventilation it has like a colum with a hole at the top

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

I should also mention that they were all fertile but I had to remove some because they died within the first week

 

[MGG]

Well it comes with a thermometer that I set to 99.8 degrees Fahrenheit and I did not test humidity but the paper said fill to the fill line for chickens, and I got the eggs from my flock and 3 out of 7 hatched,and ventilation it has like a colum with a hole at the top

That's most likely your problem then. Calibrate a thermometer and test the temp, and salt test a hydrometer and check the humidity. It's probably way off, which would have killed them.
Ok. Ventilation sounds good.

 

[MGG]

I should also mention that they were all fertile but I had to remove some because they died within the first week

If they died in the first week it's probably a temp problem or a problem with your flock. What breeds were they and how old are your birds?

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

If they died in the first week it's probably a temp problem or a problem with your flock. What breeds were they and how old are your birds?

Cross between easter egger and black cochins and they were 2 years old

 

[MGG]

Cross between easter egger and black cochins and they were 2 years old

Probably temp then. What are you feeding your birds? Sounds like a awesome cross.

 

[AgnesGray]

I have the Brinsea mini advance and had horrible hatch rates in it. I finally gave up and bought a second NR360 that cost about the same and I have 100% hatches in it. Same flock supplying the eggs, same environment. I called Brinsea thinking it must be defective and they said I must be doing something wrong. It also doesn't turn the larger eggs very well.

 

[Emma_Bruffy]

Probably temp then. What are you feeding your birds? Sounds like a awesome cross.

Layer pellets in the morning and night and scratch during the day with some free ranging for 4 hours everyday