Brinsea Octagon 20 - feedback on it?

[Wynette]

DARNIT! I THOUGHT they went fat end up! The lady at Brinsea acted like I was from another planet when I mentioned it, and she even asked her supervisor, and both said no, they go on their sides, unless you have so many in the bator that you have to put them fat end up. Great. I obviously want to do what's best for the eggs...I wonder if I put some of that padding that comes on a roll and is adhesive on one side along the edges of my egg dividers if that would help me be able to set eggs fat end up? Thoughts? Am I obsessing too much?

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Darn, I forgot to take a pic.

Yes, you are obsessing too much - but I do it too!

I have put them fat end up when the bator is full and I got nearly 60 eggs in it.

Usually I put them on their sides. Either way works fine. Just don't put them fat end DOWN.

 

[Wynette]

OH! Okay, I was HOPING someone would come along and tell me they put them in sideways. Thanks!

So, you haven't noticed a poorer hatch when they are sideways?

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Nope, I have not noticed a difference either way.

Here is half of my octagon 40 right now.

A few things to note about this picture:
The top row is in staggered format, mostly big end up. This is how I will load the entire bator when it's full, and I can fit about 60 eggs.
You can see the spacing varies - the bantie eggs are set with the spacers narrower than the larger egg rows. Those larger egg rows are set on their sides.

Edited to say that you can see the tray has 25 eggs in it and it's not even full. Brinsea's "40" egg estimate is pretty low - they would all have to be big eggs and on their sides. I like to push the 'bator envelope!

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Here is the other side. In order to show you, I set up the one row of very large eggs all standing on their small end, big end up. They do NOT fall out of the dividers. I have done this repeatedly. No problems occur.

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Finally, this picture shows you that there is some space between the egg and the divider. Some of the bantam eggs in this row are larger than others. They are on their sides. This egg is smaller so it has some space. The space does not affect it when the bator tips. It just gently rolls up against the divider. No worries.

 

[Wynette]

Oh my goodness!!! THANKS, Chooks! This is EXACTLY what I needed to see! I can't believe they don't roll out, it tips SO dramatically! Boy, did I ever have it wrong. I had the dividers presed so hard against the eggs I was worried the eggs would break! Sheesh. Thank goodness those were just sales eggs, not hatching eggs. Whew!

THANKS again - a picture REALLY IS worth 1,000 words!!

 

[estpr13]

I also have an octigon 20 with autoturner, and also don't care for the wire things and the hassel of refilling the water. It does keep temprature dead on.

Not being able to check the water I just fill it on day 10 and day 18 without looking. I put water in using a glass cup measurer after microwaving the water to finger warm temp. Then if a few eggs get wet their temperature shouldn't deviate too much. The excess water runs out the bottom holes when it is fully tilted by the autoturner.

I have been puting my eggs in with fat sides up and the silly wire things hold them good enough. Some eggs are tight and some are loose. To keep them fat side up I have used golf balls, small light bulbs, rubber sink stoppers and other kitchen odds and ends to fill up the empty space at the end of a row. On day 18 when I take it off the auto turner I take out the wire and let the eggs lay on their sides.

My last two hatches I had 11 of 12 and 16 of 16. The one that didn't make it wasn't fertle. Before that I was taking the eggs out every three days to candle and weight them and only got hatches around 75 percent. Higher if you didn't count the non fertle ones. So I learned to not mess with the eggs so much.

Thanks Chooks as well. I may let my eggs lay on their sides from now on.

 

[Wynette]

Thanks for your insight, estpr13! All the feedback makes me feel a bit more prepared, and I like your idea about putting other stuff in to be able to put eggs fat end up.

I think for my first hatch, I'll go ahead and lay them on their sides and see how I do.

I've got 6 eggs coming from a fellow BYC-er as a test hatch, but I also am hopeful it will go well, as I've ALWAYS wanted the breed I bought. Crossed fingers the hatch goes well!

THANKS to all for your feedback - can't tell you how appreciated it is!

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Good luck with that hatch and let us know how it goes! I usually candle on day 7, day 14, and sometimes when I transfer to my other "hatching" bator on day 18, if I had a "questionable" result on day 14.