BREEDING FOR PRODUCTION...EGGS AND OR MEAT.

[LindaB220]

and ps, you might consider dropping the temp a degree or so the last three or four days(I saw it on here somewhere). the reason being, as they are mostly developed, they are producing their own heat

I have been doing that lately, and it hasn't hurt, that I can tell. hatched 28 of 31 this week, set on Saturday, started hatching Thursday night

Glad to have you. This is the first I've heard on that tip. It sounds like it might work. 28 of 31 is spectacular in my book.

 

[LindaB220]

I like to keep it simple when it comes to hatching and incubating eggs. Starting with a good thermometer, running it at the correct temperature, and within the correct range for humidity. Doing that, I have been very successful.

I realize that people like to try different things to tease out an extra couple percent, and I am not disputing those efforts. I also realize that it requires hatching thousands under precisely controlled conditions to really know what works and what does not. Obviously, some here have enough experience to know what works for them, and not.

If my incubator runs at 99.5 degrees (forced air), and the humidity runs between 40-50% humidity, then in the range of 60% during the hatch, I have very good hatches. In the range of 90-95% (of fertile eggs). That is if I store the eggs well, and for less than 7 days. I tried storing eggs up to 14 days, but for me, that is too much. I would not be beyond storing them for up to ten days.

My point is not to the more experienced. It is to the less experienced. Make sure the breeding birds are in good condition, control the temperature and humidity, turn the eggs as they should be turned, keep the incubators/hatchers clean, store the eggs well, set only clean eggs, and you will do well. If that does not produce good results, then the birds are likely the problem.

There is no substitute for a good incubator.

Eggs tolerate a small range in conditions, and still hatch. They are tougher than we give them credit for being. I accidentally had my incubator turned off for 16-17 hours this year. Two batches a week a part still hatched at plus 90%. I think it was near 69 of 73. The only affect was a delayed hatch, and a hatch that drug out longer than normal. They tolerate dips in temperature, much better than spikes in temperature.

For those starting out, buy a GOOD incubator, stick to the keys, and keep it simple. Once you experience sustained success for a length of time, then you can tweak it as you please. Then there is no wondering why there is a change in results. Good or bad.

Ronnot1 is the resident incubating and hatching expert. He has good advice.

I am such a newbie on hatching even after a year. I think I'll stick by the tried and true methods and hope for better hatching than last year. The Farmers Innovator model was not much and I could not be assured of temps. I'm more prepared now.

 

[ronott1]

I like to keep it simple when it comes to hatching and incubating eggs. Starting with a good thermometer, running it at the correct temperature, and within the correct range for humidity. Doing that, I have been very successful.

I realize that people like to try different things to tease out an extra couple percent, and I am not disputing those efforts. I also realize that it requires hatching thousands under precisely controlled conditions to really know what works and what does not. Obviously, some here have enough experience to know what works for them, and not.

If my incubator runs at 99.5 degrees (forced air), and the humidity runs between 40-50% humidity, then in the range of 60% during the hatch, I have very good hatches. In the range of 90-95% (of fertile eggs). That is if I store the eggs well, and for less than 7 days. I tried storing eggs up to 14 days, but for me, that is too much. I would not be beyond storing them for up to ten days.

My point is not to the more experienced. It is to the less experienced. Make sure the breeding birds are in good condition, control the temperature and humidity, turn the eggs as they should be turned, keep the incubators/hatchers clean, store the eggs well, set only clean eggs, and you will do well. If that does not produce good results, then the birds are likely the problem.

There is no substitute for a good incubator.

Eggs tolerate a small range in conditions, and still hatch. They are tougher than we give them credit for being. I accidentally had my incubator turned off for 16-17 hours this year. Two batches a week a part still hatched at plus 90%. I think it was near 69 of 73. The only affect was a delayed hatch, and a hatch that drug out longer than normal. They tolerate dips in temperature, much better than spikes in temperature.

For those starting out, buy a GOOD incubator, stick to the keys, and keep it simple. Once you experience sustained success for a length of time, then you can tweak it as you please. Then there is no wondering why there is a change in results. Good or bad.

Ronnot1 is the resident incubating and hatching expert. He has good advice.

Absolutely true!

If you get the temperature and humidity correct, you will have a good hatch. The other techniques will get a little better hatch rate but will follow the law of diminishing returns.

 

[LindaB220]

Absolutely true!

If you get the temperature and humidity correct, you will have a good hatch. The other techniques will get a little better hatch rate but will follow the law of diminishing returns.

Yes, I'm still going to do the day 8-18 cool down with top off for 2 hrs like you suggested.

 

[gjensen]

I am such a newbie on hatching even after a year. I think I'll stick by the tried and true methods and hope for better hatching than last year. The Farmers Innovator model was not much and I could not be assured of temps. I'm more prepared now.

Linda, I hatched for a long time in still airs, and a homemade still air incubator. I did pretty good most of the time. Then I would do real well, and then not so well. Some of it was wafer thermostats, and fluctuating room temperatures. Some of it was thermometers. I had a hard time controlling humidity. When I switched to a better incubator, my results became more reliable. The operation was more reliable, so there is little wonder why. With the others, I could not stand over them night and day to babysit them. I like the convenience of setting them, and forgetting them. It should be that simple. I only intervene to candle them, and set them in the hatcher.

 

[Our Roost]

Getting ready to put about 30 eggs into bator tommorow morning. I might just get a few cross breeds in the mix. I had 3 gcm hens in with my malines and thought to set their eggs also. Would be nice to get a couple of chicks from them.

 

[DesertChic]

This talk of incubation has me wondering....how much does the room temperature the incubator is stored in influence the hatch rates. I realize that incubators are supposed to be contained units, but there's got to be a limit to how much they can do on their own given fluctuations in room temperature. I started thinking about this as our temps here in AZ have risen into the 90s and now fallen back down to the mid-80s with nighttime lows in the 50s. I keep my windows open most of the time so the temp in my house fluctuates with the natural changes in temp outside.

 

[frw1985]

I totally agree with what you are saying. I do the same with humidity somewhere in the 40-50 percent range up to day 18 then up humidity to at least 85-95 percent. I do not do cool off periods etc and have had several 100 percent hatches . Just two wks ago we had 42 out of 43 eggs hatch and all of the chicks from start of peep to the end were out of the shells in 2 hours, I had never had them come out of the shell that fast. I am also not beyond helping them out if there is a problem. Those chicks came out running around like quail.
I always check dry and wet bulb with a second thermometer to double check accuracy.
When I bought my first styrofoam incubator 30+ years ago and the thing I had a problem with was the humidity going to high. We used very small bowls inside for the humidity . By pouring into the bottom of the incubator even with the plastic insert we could not keep the humidity from going to high. But after the learning curve we learned what to use to make it work. We had very successful hatches in those styrofoam incubators. We also used a large syringe with a piece of rubber aquarium tubing to put our water into the incubator. This worked well for us also.
If you continue to have problems I would also call the manufacturer they use those incubators so they may direct you better than all of us who all use a different incubator.

 

[frw1985]

A story on fluctuating temperature and how flexible these eggs can be. I set 6 dozen eggs for a friend in my GQF large cabinet style incubator. It is totally automatic and just need water added for the humidity and temperature checked if needed. It also has back up thermostats etc.So it is really pretty safe. We were going to be gone so I set it in my storage building so my neighbor could come while we were gone and add more water and check temperature while we were gone. We were gone 10 days and when I returned he came down and told me that the temperatures were so cool that the incubator was not able to heat up enough. He said he finally brought a piece of insulation and put over it and that seemed to help. The temps we know did not get about 92-93 degrees for 3-4 days. The eggs still hatched but hatched out 5-6 days late. We still had 55 chicks out of 70 eggs. The chicks did not seem weak . None died in the shell. In fact the ones that were fertile and died looked like they died with in week one of the hatch. My neighbor was shocked at how many chicks he had. I called him and said come pick up your chicks. He said what chicks. I said about fifty chicks. They were RIR, Wh Leg, and Barnyard MIX. He was super happy about those chicks.
This shows how flexible those eggs are, they were able to continue to develop longer because the temperatures were not high enough . It basically delayed the hatch..
Mother Nature!

 

[Our Roost]

Hmm, the Hovabator model 1588 is supposed to keep and control temp regardless of changing temps outside the box. I assume temp control also plays a part in keeping humidity more constant.