Do hovabators ever go bad? UPDATE 11/24

[juliette2009]

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Just throwing out another thought here...You said you used bleach to clean the incubator between hatchings...could the styrofoam possibly be giving off residual chlorine fumes?

Juliette

 

[chickee]

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Hmmm . . that is weird! Guess I will try your method and see what happens! Don't think it will be for a few months though since it was 24 degrees this morning!

Thanks for the follow up!

 

[HBuehler]

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No bleach doesn't hurt the bator..if you don't sanitize them frequently then you will get bad hatches.The fumes won't hurt the chicks as well.Oxine is another that works real well.
Glad the hatch improved..sometimes you just don't mess with what works

I've never tried the egg carton hatching so can't help with any of those ideas. I always use a different bator to hatch in than I incubate in...you know me hatching addict I can't wait nearly a month between fuzzy butts I need to have them all the time.Incubators should only be turned off long enough for cleaning..an empty bator is a sad bator!

 

[Robo]

Maybee fertility was down those few weeks.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

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Nope. The eggs all developed. They just died in the shell. Fertility was actually HIGHER for those hatches than for this last one as many of the hens are going into molts right now.

Good thought though.

 

[CityGirlintheCountry]

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I have considered adding a second incubator so I can hatch non-stop. I figure just running the one keeps me from overdoing it though. It is soooooo tempting to have babies coming out all the time. I'm trying to behave myself and stay within numbers that I can hold in my pens. Of course, if I ever get the new barn built all bets are off!