Here is my hatching diary, I made many blunders, temps fluctuated, Bator was home made. Temp dropped a couple degrees every time I reached in to turn the eggs....but I did hatch chicks.
Homemade Coleman Cooler incubator using Two 28W light bulbs (one on constant and one on thermostat) a computer fan, accu-hatch Therm/Hygro w/probe. Manually turning in paper carton bottoms that have a piece of wood added to bottom so they can be rocked side to side.
The 14 Eggs are from EE Rooster over Red Sex Link Hen (3), White Plymouth Rock Hen (3), Barred Rock Hen (3), Speckled Sussex Hens (4) and Partridge Rock (1).
Day 0 set 12 eggs. Afternoon Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 101.1F RH: 40-50% Notes: trying to stabilize temp, had a spike to 103.5 not sure for how long. Turned 3 times throughout the day. Adjusted thermostat.
Day 1 Morn Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 99.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 101.3F RH: 43-50% Notes: temp dropped to 95 not sure for how long. Adjusted thermostat. Turned 3 times.
Day 2 (added 2 more eggs, not my best idea) Morn Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 99.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 101.5F RH: 47-51% Notes: turned eggs 5 times. Randomly candled a few and can see that some show signs of growth (yay).
Day 3 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.7F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 101.7F RH: 30-35% Notes: found 1 bulb burned out, other bulb held temp all by itself. Replaced bulb. Thermometer memory showed temp had spiked at 104.5F at some point, no idea for how long (I think I cried). Adjusted thermostat. Turned eggs 5 or 6 times.
Day 4 Morn Room Temp: 67F Bator Temp: 98.8F Afternoon Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 99.5F RH: 11-46% Notes: water tray ran dry, added water. Candled randomly, some show growth/life. Turned eggs 6 times.
Day 5 Morn Room Temp: 64F Bator Temp: 97.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 100.8F RH: 35-46% Notes: Temp spiked to 104.5F. Adjusted thermostat. turned eggs 6 times.
Day 6 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 74F Bator Temp: 100.2F RH: 30-50% Notes: Temp spikes at 104 and 103 repeatedly but for short amounts of time (I know I shed tears). Open one of the eggs that is only at 4 days to determine if I've killed them all with temp spikes....egg shows spider veins in good condition and tiny red dot beating like a heart (nothing that looks like an embryo though) so decide to soldier on. Rewired lights so both run on thermostat now. Turned eggs probably 8 times. Now have 13 eggs remaining.
Day 7 Morn Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 100.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 74F Bator Temp: 101.8F RH: 42-50% Notes: Temp spike to 102.6F (dammit). Adjusted thermostat. Turned eggs 5 or 6 times.
Day 8 Morn Room Temp: 64F Bator Temp: 99.1F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 101.3F RH 42-50% Notes: Candled all eggs. SAW MOVEMENT in some !! Air cells look okay too. Discarded 5 clears, found nothing inside after opening them, all are from same 3 hens so probably never fertile. Turned eggs 5 times. Now down to 8 eggs (2 of those are doubtful but giving them a little more time).
Day 9 Morn Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 99.7F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.5F RH: 32-50% Notes: Turned eggs 6 times.
Day 10 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 100.5F RH: 30-51% Notes: Turned eggs 6 times. Halfway there !!
Day 11 Morn Room Temp: 67F Bator Temp: 101.3F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 100.8 RH: 31-52% Notes: Candled all, 6 show good growth, air cells growing (it's a freaking miracle!). Discarded 2, opened and nothing was growing inside at all (probably never fertile, from 2 of the same hens whose eggs I discarded on day 8). Turned eggs 6 times. 6 Eggs that remain are from Red Sex Link (3) White Rock (2) Partridge Rock (1) all the Barred Rock and Speckled Sussex Eggs were apparently not fertile (rooster had only been here a week).
To be continued
Homemade Coleman Cooler incubator using Two 28W light bulbs (one on constant and one on thermostat) a computer fan, accu-hatch Therm/Hygro w/probe. Manually turning in paper carton bottoms that have a piece of wood added to bottom so they can be rocked side to side.
The 14 Eggs are from EE Rooster over Red Sex Link Hen (3), White Plymouth Rock Hen (3), Barred Rock Hen (3), Speckled Sussex Hens (4) and Partridge Rock (1).
Day 0 set 12 eggs. Afternoon Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 101.1F RH: 40-50% Notes: trying to stabilize temp, had a spike to 103.5 not sure for how long. Turned 3 times throughout the day. Adjusted thermostat.
Day 1 Morn Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 99.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 101.3F RH: 43-50% Notes: temp dropped to 95 not sure for how long. Adjusted thermostat. Turned 3 times.
Day 2 (added 2 more eggs, not my best idea) Morn Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 99.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 101.5F RH: 47-51% Notes: turned eggs 5 times. Randomly candled a few and can see that some show signs of growth (yay).
Day 3 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.7F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 101.7F RH: 30-35% Notes: found 1 bulb burned out, other bulb held temp all by itself. Replaced bulb. Thermometer memory showed temp had spiked at 104.5F at some point, no idea for how long (I think I cried). Adjusted thermostat. Turned eggs 5 or 6 times.
Day 4 Morn Room Temp: 67F Bator Temp: 98.8F Afternoon Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 99.5F RH: 11-46% Notes: water tray ran dry, added water. Candled randomly, some show growth/life. Turned eggs 6 times.
Day 5 Morn Room Temp: 64F Bator Temp: 97.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 100.8F RH: 35-46% Notes: Temp spiked to 104.5F. Adjusted thermostat. turned eggs 6 times.
Day 6 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.5F Afternoon Room Temp: 74F Bator Temp: 100.2F RH: 30-50% Notes: Temp spikes at 104 and 103 repeatedly but for short amounts of time (I know I shed tears). Open one of the eggs that is only at 4 days to determine if I've killed them all with temp spikes....egg shows spider veins in good condition and tiny red dot beating like a heart (nothing that looks like an embryo though) so decide to soldier on. Rewired lights so both run on thermostat now. Turned eggs probably 8 times. Now have 13 eggs remaining.
Day 7 Morn Room Temp: 66F Bator Temp: 100.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 74F Bator Temp: 101.8F RH: 42-50% Notes: Temp spike to 102.6F (dammit). Adjusted thermostat. Turned eggs 5 or 6 times.
Day 8 Morn Room Temp: 64F Bator Temp: 99.1F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 101.3F RH 42-50% Notes: Candled all eggs. SAW MOVEMENT in some !! Air cells look okay too. Discarded 5 clears, found nothing inside after opening them, all are from same 3 hens so probably never fertile. Turned eggs 5 times. Now down to 8 eggs (2 of those are doubtful but giving them a little more time).
Day 9 Morn Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 99.7F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.5F RH: 32-50% Notes: Turned eggs 6 times.
Day 10 Morn Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 99.9F Afternoon Room Temp: 68F Bator Temp: 100.5F RH: 30-51% Notes: Turned eggs 6 times. Halfway there !!
Day 11 Morn Room Temp: 67F Bator Temp: 101.3F Afternoon Room Temp: 70F Bator Temp: 100.8 RH: 31-52% Notes: Candled all, 6 show good growth, air cells growing (it's a freaking miracle!). Discarded 2, opened and nothing was growing inside at all (probably never fertile, from 2 of the same hens whose eggs I discarded on day 8). Turned eggs 6 times. 6 Eggs that remain are from Red Sex Link (3) White Rock (2) Partridge Rock (1) all the Barred Rock and Speckled Sussex Eggs were apparently not fertile (rooster had only been here a week).
To be continued
