Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator

[pinky67]

If it's a Brinsea mini advance it shouldn't be making any alarm/alert sounds unless the temp is too high or low. You can set it so an alarm goes off when the temp goes up down a few degrees. I have mine set to alarm when the temp is 1.8 up or down. I have had it running w eggs since Jan 18.....very quiet. Temp has held aty 99.5-99.6 . Good luck with your hatch!

 

[pinky67]

Yes I knew it was the surface area and not depth but how to only put water in half a pot? I was searching around for something this morning and found a screw off toothpaste cap. Cleaned it out well and voila perfect! Yes it does have to be filled a few times a day but it fits down in the water pot nicely. And my humidity has been holding tight today at 45 percent. Being that a cooling period is recommended anyway I figure it can't hurt for the few seconds that I have the lid off to fill the toothe paste cap and replace it. Does everyone stop turning on the 18th or 19th day? Also seems like some people jump the humidity up to 65 percent for the last two days some up to 75 percent any opinions?

Thank you! I was having the exact same problem! Driving myself crazy trying to keep the humidity at between 40-50! Weird question....is Newport a coastal town? I was just wondering because I live in Crescent City, CA (a very moist coastal town) and i thought maybe that was a factor in my humidity problem.

Indoor humidity in our home is usually around 35-45 even with the woodstove going! Btw hope your hatch went ok!

 

[Maah]

I was having trouble with my mini advance humidity as well during my first hatch. I filled 1 chamber and the humidity sat between 50-60%. Then during lockdown, I filled both chambers and the humidity went up to 70% (80%+ once they started hatching). I had 4 eggs in there, and all 4 hatched.

However, 3 of the 4 chicks (silkies) had leg problems. 2 had to be put down because of bad slipped tendons, and the 3rd has had to wear leg bands, and I "think" it has a little bit of a spinal deformity cuz the tail sits the tiniest bit crooked.

So I'm trying to sort out the development problem. First, what I think is likely, is that these were the pullets first eggs that I set. Was that it? Could their development problems be caused by the high humidity during incubation? Or is there a turning problem (as my rather quite knowledgable farmer neighbor told me?)... with it being silkie eggs and they're smaller, maybe the eggs were slipping a bit and not turning completely?

Anyways, for this next batch that I have in there now. I just took a bit of paper towel, folded it up, dampened it and stuck it in the first chamber rather than filling it with water. This seems to keep the humidity at 40-45%. I feel much better with that. As for the turning, I bumped the angle up to #8. According to the size chart, my silkie eggs are right about a 6 or 7, but I have noticed that it doesn't completely turn it over (having marked 1 side of the egg with an X, and the other side with an O). Since it would move back & forth, it was only rocking the eggs. I know that is supposed to be ok, but with it being on level 8, it is completely turning the eggs over each time now. So we'll see if that helps as well. I have it set to turn every 45 minutes.

Please Please Please let me have healthy chicks this time!!

Any other ideas?

 

[Roxannemc]

Read this thread and am suprised about such good hatch rates for everyone.Wonder were any shipped .I did see one person had shipped but others with 100% hatch rates are yours shipped as well?I have a Genesis and a 1622N but hatch rates are more like 30% in bothMight invest in this

 

[Maah]

Our eggs were not shipped. We had a very "wanna be momma" silkie hen and her daughter. The hen happily supplied eggs, but hated when we take them from her. I heard that people have let their silkies hatch during the winter, so we let her try in December since she went VERY broody and refused to snap out of it. We gave her some of our Amercauna eggs to make her happy. She loved being able to sit on them & practically purred. Two of the eggs probably made it to about day 17 or so, but it was so cold out she couldn't keep up with our Michigan winter. She abandoned the eggs on day 21, so she must have known. She never laid another egg, and passed away 2 weeks later. Poor honey, she was probably broken hearted. Her daughter, had just started laying the same week the mother died (these were our only 2 girls). It was the pullets eggs that we've been setting in the mini advance. Trying to get our ratio of ladies back up to 3 or 4.

Anyways - I did have a hatch rate of 4 out of 4 with this incubator, even if some of them had issues. I'm not blaming the incubator though. There could be many reasons... genetics or whatever. We'll see what I get when the next batch hatches. Hopefully better results.

 

[TheCosmos]

Read this thread and am suprised about such good hatch rates for everyone.Wonder were any shipped .I did see one person had shipped but others with 100% hatch rates are yours shipped as well?I have a Genesis and a 1622N but hatch rates are more like 30% in bothMight invest in this

I had some shipped eggs off ebay recently. They sent me 5 eggs. 4 hatched. One had a blood ring so I don't blame the incubator. I had 3 other eggs in there with it that were my fresh eggs and they hatched as well. I LOVE this little incubator. LOVE IT!

 

[elight23]

I am going to be away for six days during the time I was hoping to be incubating 7 duck eggs so I'm looking for an incubator that is pretty dependable and it sounds like the Brinsea Advanced is. Of the 28 day period I will be gone on roughly days 9-16. I will have a friend stop over half way to check the humidity/add water. Those of you with experience with this machine, would you trust it to be nearly independently sufficient the way that I described?
Thanks

 

[Maah]

I am going to be away for six days during the time I was hoping to be incubating 7 duck eggs so I'm looking for an incubator that is pretty dependable and it sounds like the Brinsea Advanced is. Of the 28 day period I will be gone on roughly days 9-16. I will have a friend stop over half way to check the humidity/add water. Those of you with experience with this machine, would you trust it to be nearly independently sufficient the way that I described?
Thanks

I think your friend might need to stop over more than just once to add water. Brinsea does have an incubator with a humidity control too. It costs more, but I think it would definitely be a better option for you. It's the Mini Advance EX. It has a separate water reservior outside the unit that holds more water, and the machine monitors that for you.

Otherwise, you might want your friend to stop over more than once. Sometimes the water in the reservior can last up to 3 days, but depending on the humidity levels outside & in your house, you might need to add water more often.

You'll also need to consider power outtages.

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

I have a question... I just ordered a dozen Serama eggs. The price was so cheap I didn't want to ask for less and get a discount. If I take out the turning tray and hand turn them could I try and hatch all 12? Or would it be better to just hatch 7? I think the 12 egg disc would be too small, and I'd hate to have all those eggs go to waste.

 

[Hillschicks]

Without the tray you can fit about 9 standard size eggs... Give em a good candling and pick your best 9