Doing it wrong (so you don't have to)

[chiques chicks]

Six in the brooder.

Three are white with red eyes. Pictures posted on the Allie and Bino thread.

I think the hatch is over.

 

[chiques chicks]

The remaining three eggs died late term. I just checked.

 

[Ruthannnall]

...

The remaining three eggs died late term. I just checked.[/quote

What is your hatch rate when you do everything right?

 

[chiques chicks]

I rarely do everything "right". I have tendency to hatch shipped eggs, or mix breeds that need little humidity with higher humidity. I frequently begin Hatching in there middle of winter when the eggs may get chilled before I collect them.

That said, over the past five years, my hatch rate has varied from 0-90% on various hatched. 0 was winter shipped turkey eggs, 90 being fresh from my flock.

Overall, probably atound 60% on my own eggs. That is from eggs set, not eggs that make it to lockdown. There are always clears.

I don't assist. I did at one time, but found those I assisted tended toward weaker birds. Since I breed for survivability, I don't really want them in my flock.

I really don't obsess over humidity until lockdown. It is my personal opinion that while there is an " ideal" in nature there are great fluctuations. I know a lot of people mark air cells, weigh the eggs, etc. I have never done any of that. My time and schedule frequently does not allow me to check an incubator more than once a day, sometimes only once every three. This is why I normally run my incubators in my basement. There is almost always water seeping in around the edges, so there is some humidity.

Tomorrow I will set another group of eggs in the same incubator in my basement, not as any water until lockdown and see what happens. I will also put a recording thermometer in the incubator so I have an idea what the temperatures are.

I'm actually very satisfied with this hatch, even somewhat surprised.

 

[Ruthannnall]

I rarely do everything "right". I have tendency to hatch shipped eggs, or mix breeds that need little humidity with higher humidity. I frequently begin Hatching in there middle of winter when the eggs may get chilled before I collect them.

That said, over the past five years, my hatch rate has varied from 0-90% on various hatched. 0 was winter shipped turkey eggs, 90 being fresh from my flock.

Overall, probably atound 60% on my own eggs. That is from eggs set, not eggs that make it to lockdown. There are always clears.

I don't assist. I did at one time, but found those I assisted tended toward weaker birds. Since I breed for survivability, I don't really want them in my flock.

I really don't obsess over humidity until lockdown. It is my personal opinion that while there is an " ideal" in nature there are great fluctuations. I know a lot of people mark air cells, weigh the eggs, etc. I have never done any of that. My time and schedule frequently does not allow me to check an incubator more than once a day, sometimes only once every three. This is why I normally run my incubators in my basement. There is almost always water seeping in around the edges, so there is some humidity.

Tomorrow I will set another group of eggs in the same incubator in my basement, not as any water until lockdown and see what happens. I will also put a recording thermometer in the incubator so I have an idea what the temperatures are.

I'm actually very satisfied with this hatch, even somewhat surprised.

I was too. Thank you for the information.

 

[chiques chicks]

test 2:

I just set 21 eggs from the same flock in the same incubator. This time I placed it in the damp basement, no water, with two accurate thermometer/ humidity meters on to of the Turner. These eggs were gathered over the last week.

The accurites record high and low temperature and humidity and I believe reset on a rolling 24 hot basis.

The one thermometer current temperature reading does not have all the digit segment readings working.

 

[XxMingirlxX]

e I was right with 6!

 

[chiques chicks]

Amazing what can happen even without a lot of meddling!

I'm shocked that even with the great fluctuations of ambient temperature, that uninsulated incubator was able to perform that well.

The thermostat/ thermometer was of by 2°C, which is huge in incubating standards. I've had it running for a at on the new test with thermometers in it and they read 99 and 100F with the incubator set at 39.5° C.

Never trust the cheap incubator settings!

 

[XxMingirlxX]

I wonder if the changes in temperatures are what caused the hatch to begin early.

 

[chiques chicks]

I've frequently had early hatches, even with closely monitored temperatures. I've even had pips started when I've moved to lockdown. I want overly shocked by that part.

All six that hatched show no deformities although three are smaller than the others. The three small ones are the *believed* albinos, so I'm sure that is part of their issue.

All six are still alive in the brooder.