Chinese Incubator Temperature

[texasmomma]

I have a cheap chinese knock off incubator "HHD". Tried 3x last fall to incubate turkeys with no development at all. It could have been the quality of the eggs. I broke 1 open for the last attempt and the bullseye was there. Tried the incubator again 3 weeks ago with my own flocks chicken eggs. After 4 days I saw the temp swing up and down. It seemed to be a regular cycle. My probe thermometer read as low as 96 degrees on the down swing. I poked an egg with the probe and internal temp was 94! These eggs are hatching now in my little giant forced air syrofoam.I have 3 chicks so far, maybe one more later. I will never use that incubator again. Please be careful with cheap imports. You get what you pay for.

It's interesting. All of the eggs developed. All had chicks in them when I put them in lockdown. I knew there were humidity issues, but this was a *test* run.

Then, the first bunch of eggs did fantastic and chicks just zipped right out of them. The last few have been torturous. I've got splayed legs more often than not and shrink wrapped chicks. I'm guessing that the last 7 eggs I put in the Brinsea Mini Advance are dead. I'll let them sit for a couple more days and then do eggtopsies.

I guess this thing goes on Craigslist and I pay the big $ for another Mini Advance or an Octagon 20.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Best of luck to you and the hatch. I have 6 chicks out of 25 that started out in the knock-off incubator. I only kept 10 from the batch after 10 days. I know the LG requires alot of adjustment during the 21 days, but at least I know there will be chicks popping out in the end. I want to sell the knock off too, but I'm afraid of someone else getting the same crap I have. Don't want bad karma coming back to me. I will disclose the problems I had and then let buyer beware.

 

[texasmomma]

Best of luck to you and the hatch. I have 6 chicks out of 25 that started out in the knock-off incubator. I only kept 10 from the batch after 10 days. I know the LG requires alot of adjustment during the 21 days, but at least I know there will be chicks popping out in the end. I want to sell the knock off too, but I'm afraid of someone else getting the same crap I have. Don't want bad karma coming back to me. I will disclose the problems I had and then let buyer beware.

The strange thing is that everything was great until I upped the humidity for lockdown. All the eggs in the 'bator had chicks in them and were full of chick in the egg.

It took me a while to figure out how to keep the temp up originally, but I did that before I put any eggs in.

THEN, lockdown and all the trouble.

The first 8 or so eggs hatched beautifully, despite the humidity issues, and after that it was just a mess.

Nothing is happening in the Mini Advance, so I'm thinking that those chicks are dead. They are the majority of the bielefelders, which makes me super sad.

I don't know if I will go back to the seller, or just cut my losses and see if anyone wants to buy this finicky 'bator.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

Did you candle those remaining eggs? Or how about the float test? Since the problems seem to be one type of egg, could the breeding stock be weak? I am just throwing out some suggestions, I still think these knock-off incubators are junk. We put too much effort for 21 days and then to have a failure at lock down is unacceptable. A failure at any time is unacceptable.
I am a strong believer in dry hatching. I have more strong chicks and a better hatch rate by not adding water to the incubator. I know all the manuals say other wise, but I see the difference. I mark the air cells and raise the humidity at lock down.
ps. I have forced air heat and a forced air pellet stove. House humidity is around 25/30%.

 

[texasmomma]

Did you candle those remaining eggs? Or how about the float test? Since the problems seem to be one type of egg, could the breeding stock be weak? I am just throwing out some suggestions, I still think these knock-off incubators are junk. We put too much effort for 21 days and then to have a failure at lock down is unacceptable. A failure at any time is unacceptable.
I am a strong believer in dry hatching. I have more strong chicks and a better hatch rate by not adding water to the incubator. I know all the manuals say other wise, but I see the difference. I mark the air cells and raise the humidity at lock down.
ps. I have forced air heat and a forced air pellet stove. House humidity is around 25/30%.

No, I have a kid with a bat mitzvah tomorrow and a house full of company. I'm going to wait until Sunday to candle.

Usually, bielefelders take at least 21 days to incubate. The others started on day 20. I'm hopeful that the breeding stock is not weak since this is my bielefelder starter flock. They are all fed the same thing - Scratch and Peck grower that I ferment with additional oyster shell on the side. They also get scraps from the house now and again and I let them out of the run as often as I can.

The father for both sets of eggs is the same.

And, I completely agree that this incubator is junk.

Humidity was 30-40% until lockdown. The air cells were great and did exactly what they were supposed to do. I usually mark them, but didn't this time. I really should have.

 

[texasmomma]

So I candled and they are all dead.

 

[KelseyBoxer]

I am really sorry about those eggs. I know how you feel. Please don't blame yourself. Just take it as a lesson learned. I am going to get a cabinet type incubator (in the future) but for now I am going to use my trusty LG with fan and turner. Good luck on your next hatch and enjoy those little fuff balls you have now.

 

[dorpersheep]

I have one of the knock off Chinese bators and 5 of the 'real' Chinese bators with the flat panel. My knock off one (our original one) was always cold and refused to keep temp up, we were getting chicks born on day 24 and 25. The real Chinese ones work great - you have to have the one that says 160W motor. The tilt panel ones only have an 80W motor and it starts to burn out almost immediately which is why it runs cold.

In many of the posts above I note mention of splayed legs on chicks coming out of these bators - what causes the splayed legs? I am taking it from the conversation that a temp fault can cause this? Just curious as I have seen it a bit in my Hamburg chicks but none others, I put it down to maybe the age of the parent birds, but maybe I am wrong??

 

[KelseyBoxer]

I have seen charts that list incubation problems and the causes. Of course I can't find one now. It may have been in the instruction manual that came with our incubator. I searched "spraddle leg" and most results listed incorrect temp during incubation as the cause. There was also mention of poor nutrition. Maybe you could search spraddle leg and get some tips. Remember that slippery bedding such as newspaper can cause this too. I use rubber shelf liner in the brooder for the first week or so.

 

[texasmomma]

In many of the posts above I note mention of splayed legs on chicks coming out of these bators - what causes the splayed legs? I am taking it from the conversation that a temp fault can cause this? Just curious as I have seen it a bit in my Hamburg chicks but none others, I put it down to maybe the age of the parent birds, but maybe I am wrong??

I've always read it was due to humidity if it wasn't due to a smooth surface in the brooder. I always use textured shelf paper in my brooders to eliminate this problem. But, this has been a big issue during this last hatch.

I'm going back to the Brinsea.