brinsea eco not much room for chicks

[crysmom]

I'm hatching polish bantams right now in the brinsea eco, two have hatched and there is so little room between the eggs and the "roof" grate that they can't even stand up. This is my first time using this incubator, I have incubated before in a hovabator and obviously there is lots of headroom in there, but i am going to work tonight and I can't imagine it would be okay to have 20 chicks all hunched over in the brinsea

Anyone used this incubator and had this problem before?

 

[chels23]

I have the same incubator and have hatched in it several times. Yes they will be a little crowded, but once several hatch out they will be fine. It is better to leave it shut and the chicks be a little crowded than to open it an lose humidity.

 

[Shannon's Chix]

I don't like to stuff mine, the most I will put in are 15 shipped eggs, knowing I will toss some at lockdown...

 

[crysmom]

do you leave the wire dividers in when you hatch? the wire dividers were holding my eggs upright during incubation (large end up) when it came down to lockdown I was advised by the breeder that the eggs should hatch in the position they were incubated in so it was suggested by many to use cut down egg cartons to continue to hold the eggs large end up which is what I did, but its contributing to the crowding

for next time I guess my options are to lay the eggs down on their sides for incubation or to continue with the wire dividers for hatch

 

[usschicago1]

Remember they cannot stand under a momma hen either ! Its much more roomy then if it was natural birth. So you should be fine !

 

[crysmom]

Quote:
good point

 

[Sweetfolly]

I hatch in the Brinsea 20, I always use egg cartons, and I promise they'll be fine.

Yes, it gets crowded. I'm usually hatching ducklings, and they're always crawling all over one another, into the egg cartons, over the other eggs...but they're always just fine. I usually leave them in the 'bator for at least a day after they all hatch so that they're dry and strong and they know how to use their legs when I take them out.

I wouldn't use the wire dividers when you hatch next time though - I've heard stories of chicks getting stuck in them, and then you'll really be compelled to open up the 'bator to free the little one, letting all the humidity out and jeopardizing the unhatched eggs. Egg cartons work great - don't worry too much about the extra space they take up. My chicks and ducklings always end up huddled together in an empty corner or an edge along the side of the 'bator anyways.

 

[crysmom]

okay i'll relax i'm using the egg cartons one chick was stuck upside down for 20 minutes but was able to right itself i was just worried because I"ll be unable to supervise the incubator tonight for 9 hours while I work and i'm sure the bulk of the chicks will hatch then

 

[Shannon's Chix]

With the brinsea I had to mess with my humidity too much when I tried cartons...but that was just me. I lay mine flat and that works fine too.