Biggest Incubation Mistakes

[Noellereagan]

I helped too soon.

The chick or duckling died.

It could not be fixed.

Learned when assisting, chicks & ducklings that are malpositioned like these two, that they need an extra day or two before helping more.

For info on assisting, check out this article by @Pyxis:
Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry

Right?! That thread is so amazing. Choosing rare breeds with often complicated hatches - especially early on when the eggs were shipped to me- that thread on assisted hatching is invaluable. It has been and is my hatching bible as it relates (not trying to be disrespectful by using the word bible. Just didn’t know how else to emphasize). I actually have it printed. The advice on that thread is the reason so many of my assists are running around happy healthy babies. The one thing I always do if a baby has been internally pipped for 24 hours is install an artificial pip hole- just a teeny tiny little hole at the top of the aircell. More often that not, I find when they don’t externally pip on their own they’re feet over head so they’re kind of wedged if you will and cannot get traction to zip. I have some excellent photos of this malposition. They always let you know when it’s time. I learned all that from that guide. I have sent countless people in an assist situation to that thread. I always say- do nothing right now. First go read the guide (that you link to) and then reread it. Then print it and read a third time. Then and only then, help - but proceed with caution. One thing that always sticks in my mind from that- to paraphrase is- help and put the egg back. And help and put back. Repeat. And that the egg has kept them safe and alive for 21 days this far. They don’t need out this second. Such. Good. Advice. I love this site.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

You may want to add wasting money on cheap incubators!!!!

Yep - That was my "other" vote!
Although - I would say now, as a more experienced hatcher, I can even make cheap incubators work well enough if I have to - but you have to CONSTANTLY watch them for failures.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

What did you do?
I purchased a small incubator with just enough capacity to hatch a modest amount of eggs.


What were the consequences?
Only one hatch later, I decided that I "needed" to hatch more eggs resulting in the conclusion that I didn't have the incubating capacity.
Impatience occurred

Did you fix it? How?
I purchased not one, but two additional incubators

What did you learn?
One incubator is never enough
One hatch in that incubator will never be enough
It's really easy to justify your addiction by telling the husband that you "need" to hatch all these babies because "other people need my chicken babies"

 

[Smashlee83]

I have an incubator on my Christmas list so I'm here to learn.

Same

 

[artbykarenehaley]

My biggest mistake was setting up the incubator where my toddler was able to reach it. She had watched two clutches of chicks hatch, a bunch of button quail and some white faced black spanish chicks. She loved the chicks and was able to hold them gently. By the third clutch (tuxedo button quail) that was in the incubator, she was very excited to see them hatch.
Unfortunately in her toddler logic, thought that she could get the chicks to come out by cracking open the eggs. Ooh it was a mess. Only six eggs out of twelve were left. She had grabbed as many as her two little fistfuls could hold, and ran over to me with em to ask me to get the chicks out, and fumbled and dropped them.
Her older brother and I were pretty sad about the broken eggs, they were about three days from hatching.
After that we learned to keep our incubator in a closed room.

 

[-Flash-]

What is the 'salt test'?

 

[R2elk]

What is the 'salt test'?

It is a method used to check the accuracy of a hygrometer.

https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/

 

[-Flash-]

It is a method used to check the accuracy of a hygrometer.

https://www.cigarsinternational.com/cigar-101/salt-test/1818029/

Thanks!

 

[Angel07]

My biggest mistake was when hatching ducks. The duck laid the eggs then sat on them. About a week later I noticed she wasn’t sitting anymore. Only one out of 24 hatched. And it was a drake. Oh well, Christmas lunch I suppose.

 

[Fluffy Lambs]

Wow, tap water vs. distilled water actually has the most votes. I didn't even know people did that.