What a bad hatch - me and incubators just don't get along.
My first try at incubating was back in July. I lost all 56 eggs in my LG. I sold it and vowed to never use an incubator again. As luck would have it, I discovered the good eggs are available during the fall months because no one wants to hatch and winter babies. Of course, I had no broodies.
I bought my kids and I a new incubator. I spent a little more and bought a Hovabator 1602 with a turner. Everything was fine until the 2nd day of hatching. There were to many chicks and not enough space and they were tramping over one of the newly hatched chicks. I didn't think it was going to make it because it was constantly on it's back. I gave it some Poly-vi-sol and it seems okay. Last night I assisted a chick that was pipped for 36hrs. It's abdomen was huge when I got it out (see my other thread on this). It's smaller, but it's having issues getting up. I had another chick hatch overnight and neither are dry enough to take out of the incubator, but I have a staggered hatch and I needed to get the rest of my turner out and get the other eggs ready for lock down.
My incubator won't go over 88 degrees. Yes, it's cold outside and our bedroom gets little heat. So the ambient temp was low - it's not the first time since I set the eggs, but for some reason, this time I have the incubator turned all the way up and it isn't going up. I have a space heater out heating up our room. I have the wood stove cranked... I have 7 eggs left of the original 24 I set that did have movement when I candled them last night. And then these 7 I just put on lock down.
I do have 11 chicks, but 11 out of an original 3 dozen... ? I was hoping for at least 20 to hatch.
Is it possible my wafer took a crap? On it's first time out? Do they normally have issues after only 20 days of use?
My first try at incubating was back in July. I lost all 56 eggs in my LG. I sold it and vowed to never use an incubator again. As luck would have it, I discovered the good eggs are available during the fall months because no one wants to hatch and winter babies. Of course, I had no broodies.
I bought my kids and I a new incubator. I spent a little more and bought a Hovabator 1602 with a turner. Everything was fine until the 2nd day of hatching. There were to many chicks and not enough space and they were tramping over one of the newly hatched chicks. I didn't think it was going to make it because it was constantly on it's back. I gave it some Poly-vi-sol and it seems okay. Last night I assisted a chick that was pipped for 36hrs. It's abdomen was huge when I got it out (see my other thread on this). It's smaller, but it's having issues getting up. I had another chick hatch overnight and neither are dry enough to take out of the incubator, but I have a staggered hatch and I needed to get the rest of my turner out and get the other eggs ready for lock down.
My incubator won't go over 88 degrees. Yes, it's cold outside and our bedroom gets little heat. So the ambient temp was low - it's not the first time since I set the eggs, but for some reason, this time I have the incubator turned all the way up and it isn't going up. I have a space heater out heating up our room. I have the wood stove cranked... I have 7 eggs left of the original 24 I set that did have movement when I candled them last night. And then these 7 I just put on lock down.
I do have 11 chicks, but 11 out of an original 3 dozen... ? I was hoping for at least 20 to hatch.
Is it possible my wafer took a crap? On it's first time out? Do they normally have issues after only 20 days of use?
