February 2017 Hatch-a-long

[Jim121898]

I use a Hovabator 1588 and it is ridiculously reliable - it was recommended by several BYCers and they were right!

Thanks that's been the overall consensus that I've read. "Very reliable" which happens to be music to my ears after the fi 4200 adventure.

 

[WLLCchickencare]

Yay!  We are on the exact same time frame. That is fun!  

Are your shipped eggs, locally purchased, or from your own flock?  What breed? How many?  Haha, yes I am excited about having a hatch buddy. 

Eggs from my own flock.
Not super sure what breeds lol. 5 in the incubator right now but more going in on Monday! I'm also super excited to have a hatch buddy!!

 

[orrpeople]

Actually, we're wondering whether to candle at all now - we don't have a proper candler, and have tried looking into another egg (not one we're incubating) with a flashlight and we weren't really confident that we'd be able to see a lot.  Somebody said you have more chance of killing the chicks the more you handle them, so I think I'd rather leave them alone.

If you think about how many times a mamma chicken messes with her eggs, candling them 3 times in 21 days doesn't seem too bad.

I don't usually caandle until day 7 so I don't accidentally discard a slow starter. I've also found that the darkness I need in my room where I candle depends on the darkness of the shells I am candling. For Marans, it has to be pitch black for me to see the development. For my BRs, with the lighter shells, I can almost do it in regular daylight! Candling helps me with two things: it lets me know if my hens are fertile (definitely don't want to keep an infertile egg in the bator for 3 weeks), and it gives me feedback on my humidity and temp (air sack development and blood rings). There are some great youtube links that show using a flashlight and a cut out piece of cardboard to candle, with a lot of success! Okie dokie, that's my eleven and a half cents on candling - and all that said, we always tend to do what is right in our own circumstances! Have a great hatch!

 

[jessnurse05]

I set 20 eggs, a few olive eggers and barnyard mix that have a chance to be frizzles! They are due 2/24. I candled them last night and I have 15 developing

. Some of the green eggs are so dark I can't see a thing, so I'm not giving up on any of them.

 

[generaldsherman]

Hello! I've got some eggs cooking right now. I am incubating some of my Isbar eggs and some runner duck eggs. My last hatch of Isbars got me only cockerels

, so I am trying again. The runner ducks are due at the end of the month, and the chicken eggs in two weeks. I'll keep the little chicks and sell the ducklings (since it'll be just about chick time for normal people when they hatch).

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Hello! I've got some eggs cooking right now. I am incubating some of my Isbar eggs and some runner duck eggs. My last hatch of Isbars got me only cockerels

, so I am trying again. The runner ducks are due at the end of the month, and the chicken eggs in two weeks. I'll keep the little chicks and sell the ducklings (since it'll be just about chick time for normal people when they hatch).

That's like the majority of my hatches! lol

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Well fingers crossed I have 3 EEs set to hatch on the 18th and 7 on the 26th. This is my second try for the first set were all yokers. I've been gathering them from our hens but thought perhaps they were getting to cold before I got to them. I live in Michigan and it's been pretty cold. This time around I actually waited for the hens to lay them, then I'd hurry up and take them.

I've candled the 10 remaining and they all are progressing nicely. I removed 6 that were yokers. I'm currently incubating in farm inovator 4200 and will be ordering a Hova Genesis 1588 advance tomorrow. I've read quite a few positive reviews about the genesis so fingers crossed it's a good unit? I'm not a fan of the fi 4200 for it's had not so good results with a touchy thermostat control.

I used the FI 4250. Didn't have good results either. Just bought a Brinsea, but think I should have gone with a Hovabator. However, after these 20 hatch, I'm locking my incubator up and giving the key to some stranger so I can't be tempted again!!!

I use the FI 4250 and it has basically been "set it and forget it" by way of reliability and success. However, I tried a LG styro and had HORRIBLE luck with it while others use them for years with great success. So I guess there is variation within the products :\

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Actually, we're wondering whether to candle at all now - we don't have a proper candler, and have tried looking into another egg (not one we're incubating) with a flashlight and we weren't really confident that we'd be able to see a lot. Somebody said you have more chance of killing the chicks the more you handle them, so I think I'd rather leave them alone.

To me, "proper candlers" are a waste of money. One of my incubators came with one and I don't even know where it is. A flashlight works much much better. Actually I use a headlamp that has an 800 lumen setting.

 

[orrpeople]

That's like the majority of my hatches! lol

I live in the land of perpetual cockerels too.

 

[Jessimom]

I live in the land of perpetual cockerels too.

It's funny, there is a thread that talks about pointy eggs being boys and rounded eggs being girls. I have NOT been able to prove that.

I have also heard the higher temps produce more boys, and lower temps produce girls. Girls survive low temps better, boys survive high temps better. I have not been able to prove that either....

Anyone else know if either of these hold any water?