Brinsea 20 Eco...I got to be doing something wrong

[WIchickens]

So I thought I knew what I was doing...

So this is my first spring incubating eggs. I read up on it. I got a farm innovations still air cheapy incubator on sale. I ordered some runner ducks eggs on ebay. I got 7 out of 14 eggs to hatch. Not bad! Needless to say I was addicted!!

There are so many cool types of poultry on ebay...its so fun to look! I ended up buying more. Since I thought I was such an expert and wanted to step up my game, I bought myself the brinsea 20 eco. How exciting ! I set that puppy up and put a wide variety of chicken, turkey, and 2 peacock eggs in there. Got it stabilized at 99.3 - 100.6 degrees and 45-50% humidity. bought a hydrometer to double check temp and give a humidity reading.

I candled the chicken eggs on day 7. looking good! Turkey and peas hard to tell. I turned them by hand 3 times a day (yes I did wash my hands first) and kept the temp and humidity within range.

So yesterday was lockdown for the 9 chicken eggs I had. I set up my Styrofoam still air for the hatcher. I candled before I put them in....I only saw movement in 1 egg. are you kidding me? urgh. according to pictures on the internet, it looks like they die around day 12-14 or so....so frustrating. a few eggs were dark so it is hard to tell.

So what the heck am I doing wrong? I am so disappointed. is it the shipping of the eggs or is it me? I thought this incubator was supposed to make things easier...

I still have 9 turkey eggs and 2 peacock eggs in there plus I added a dozen polish and domonique eggs in there on sunday from a local farmer. I don't want to mess any more up!!

I really enjoy doing this....and I want to be good at it!!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I run lower humidity than what you do. Candle your eggs day 7 and again day 14 to check the progress of the air cell. Eggs should lose about 12% weight to moisture loss during incubation. No need to weigh them just monitor the air cell growth. If it's small lower your humidity or run the incubator dry for a few days. I find 30-35% humidity for first 18 days is spot on for moisture loss.

As for what your doing wrong I'd say probably nothing. Shipped eggs are always a gamble. You can have 100% of them developing perfectly and only get 50% to hatch. It's just the way it is with shipped eggs, doing good with 50% hatch rates. I was in a completely dead postal zone and would be lucky to get 3 to hatch from 18 eggs yet my own fertile eggs would be 90-100% hatch rate. To aid in shipped eggs have them sit fat end up in egg carton for a good 24 hours to settle after shipping prior to starting incubation. Also with proper air cell size your hatch rates will increase too.

Here's an image of the proper size of air cell. Not to be exacting but a good representation of what you want to see. Mine are smaller day 7 but on track day 14 and 18 with 32% RH. Also salt test your hygrometer. Don't trust anything unless you calibrate it. I run 65% for hatching.




How I do a salt test:

Milk or juice cap filled with salt. Add drops of water while tapping side until saturated. Pour off standing water.

Put hygrometer and cap of salt in zip seal sandwich or quart size bag and wait at least 4 hours then note your reading. In a salt environment it should be exactly 75% RH.

Subtract your reading from 75 and write that on a piece of masking tape to afix to incubator for reminder. EX. your reading is 83%, 75-83= -8. Always subtract 8 from your readings for true RH.

 

[MrsBachbach]

I run lower humidity than what you do. Candle your eggs day 7 and again day 14 to check the progress of the air cell. Eggs should lose about 12% weight to moisture loss during incubation. No need to weigh them just monitor the air cell growth. If it's small lower your humidity or run the incubator dry for a few days. I find 30-35% humidity for first 18 days is spot on for moisture loss. As for what your doing wrong I'd say probably nothing. Shipped eggs are always a gamble. You can have 100% of them developing perfectly and only get 50% to hatch. It's just the way it is with shipped eggs, doing good with 50% hatch rates. I was in a completely dead postal zone and would be lucky to get 3 to hatch from 18 eggs yet my own fertile eggs would be 90-100% hatch rate. To aid in shipped eggs have them sit fat end up in egg carton for a good 24 hours to settle after shipping prior to starting incubation. Also with proper air cell size your hatch rates will increase too. Here's an image of the proper size of air cell. Not to be exacting but a good representation of what you want to see. Mine are smaller day 7 but on track day 14 and 18 with 32% RH. Also salt test your hygrometer. Don't trust anything unless you calibrate it. I run 65% for hatching. How I do a salt test: Milk or juice cap filled with salt. Add drops of water while tapping side until saturated. Pour off standing water. Put hygrometer and cap of salt in zip seal sandwich or quart size bag and wait at least 4 hours then note your reading. In a salt environment it should be exactly 75% RH. Subtract your reading from 75 and write that on a piece of masking tape to afix to incubator for reminder. EX. your reading is 83%, 75-83= -8. Always subtract 8 from your readings for true RH.

I'm going to try that! Tell me, do you squeeze the air ought of the bag before sealing? Just wondering because if the room air has moisture in it that would get trapped in the bag, right?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I allow for a small pillow of air. All salts result in certain RH at different temperatures. Pure table salt is the most stable, at ordinary temperatures it's with in a few tenths of percent of 75. 40-100F. With some air in there the salt environment will stabilize to exactly that.

 

[WIchickens]

Thanks for all the advice! I guess I haven't paid too awful close attention to the air sac, just kind of seeing that it is there. you are right about marking it. I will starting that on day 7 with these local eggs. let's hope for the best with these, as they only endured a 20 minute car ride .

I will bring the humidity down a tad like you suggested as well. and check the humidity gauge. Very insightful! Now let's hope I get at least a couple of these chicken eggs to hatch....I need a confidence boost

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I have no doubts that you'll get a 90% plus hatch rate with local eggs. The Brinsea is simply awesome but out of my price range and I've total faith in my Hovabator so will never change it. If you calibrate your hygrometer and use an oral thermometer to calibrate your incubator thermometer there is nothing to fear. Even chickens dare to hatch an egg.