Brinsea Mini Advance Incubator

[jime]

I have 5 little guys hatched yesterday on 21 days exact.
The only thing I did: first day is set it for chickens, fill only one of the chambers and place the egg.
I have them turn every half and hour.
I fill the chamber every 2 days, for the rest I just forget it until day 18 when I have to fill the 2 chambers. Once the babies start to peep and break the water will start to evaporate I add more water and leave until at least two are born, because of the space I take them once they are on their feet, then I put more water again.
This is my 3 time.
First I did call ducks from 4 shipped eggs I got 3 babies.
Second time I did 7 shipped eggs 2 hatch.The other did not developed.
Third time (yesterday's babies) 6 off my eggs, one did't developed and the other came on the 21 day.
I really like the Brinsea products I have the octagon 20 (have decent hatches with ducks, they were all shipped eggs).

 

[Chook Chick]

Does anyone use the "cooling down" option on the Brinsea Mini Advance?

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

I do. Or rather, I did. I just finished with the hatch tonight. I had it cooling for 1 hour each night. I like the cooling, I think it's a good thing and really does improve hatch rates - the hatch I had finish tonight was 100% in the Mini.

 

[Chook Chick]

I do. Or rather, I did. I just finished with the hatch tonight. I had it cooling for 1 hour each night. I like the cooling, I think it's a good thing and really does improve hatch rates - the hatch I had finish tonight was 100% in the Mini.

So you turned on the cooling option from day 1 then, and had it automatically turn off on day 18 correct?

 

[BantyChickenLuv]

I had to turn it off of at day 19.

 

[Hillschicks]

Is it ok to use the cooling option from day 1 or should we start that after a couple days?? Also, with one water pot side filled we are beginning to have slight water buildup... Too much humidity??

 

[Chook Chick]

Is it ok to use the cooling option from day 1 or should we start that after a couple days?? Also, with one water pot side filled we are beginning to have slight water buildup... Too much humidity??

Looking at the instructions for the Brinsea Mini Advance, on page 10 near the top in italic lettering it says "It is normal for some condensation to occur on the cooler exposed parts of the clear top. This natural phenomenon is not a hazard or a problem for incubation."

I also notice that it says several times throughout the instructions it says to keep one side of the water pot filled, just above the divider, and to keep the water pot guard on it to keep the chicks from drowning.

As for using the cooling option, the instructions say start it from day 7 through two days before eggs are due to hatch. For small poultry (chickens) waterfowl and game bird eggs: cooling period is 2 hours each day; for larger species eggs like ducks and geese, 3 hours each day. All this is on page 12. It also says that if you are using the automatic turning mode, the cooling option will automatically set to OFF when the day countdown reaches 2. Each cooling period starts at the same time each day, every 24 hours, AFTER the incubator has been ON for 24 hours. Then it tells how to set the cooling period.

Hope this helps. Did you lose you instructions?

Brinsea says this will best "mimic" the natural nesting conditions and a better hatch rate.

 

[Hillschicks]

No, i didnt lose the directions, but when i asked i was at work without access to them... I appreciate the info

 

[Chook Chick]

No, i didnt lose the directions, but when i asked i was at work without access to them... I appreciate the info

Ah I see.....they are available online to at www.brinsea.com if you ever need them again and don't have direct access

 

[Chook Chick]

I am getting my eggs to hatch in 2 days, so I fired up the mini and have had it going since last night. I put my thermometer/hygrometer in it as well so I can monitor the humidity.

Here's the questions: the temperature on the mini is 99.5, it goes up to 99.6 occasionally, which I know is fine; but my thermometer/hygrometer is reading the temp at 98.5 (F) and the hygrometer fluctuates between 49% and 53%. I filled the one chamber as the directions said......so should I just trust my Brinsea Mini on the temperature it reads or the temp on mine?
Should I try to do more with the humidity or leave it alone?

Thanks in advance for the help!