February 2023 hatch-a-long

[junior67]

Okay, I'll jump in with you folks! I just set 27 eggs last night in my brand-new IncuView incubator
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GS9ZSOK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
....it's a long story about how I had to modify this thing to get some control of consistent temperature, and I'm still tweaking how to keep humidity where I want it, but I think we're ready to give it a go.
I made a foam box to insulate the unit, drilled 2 extra holes in the lid for ventilation (added plugs, too), and added a protective cover for the turner motor. I won't go into all the gory details about how I struggled to get the numbers right, let's just say it has taken me two weeks of tweaking. I even had to make test logs to isolate the variables and fix them.
Anyway.... My first hatch date of the year is Feb. 4th! I'll brood them in the basement for a week or two, then they'll go to the nursery/brooder coop with a mama heating pad and heat lamp to get through the last two weeks of February and into March.
I'm planning four hatches like this, if all goes well.

My flock are barnyard mutts, a mixture of BPR, RIR, Australorp, and the genetic remnants of one Easter Egger and a Leghorn hen I had for a short time. Doesn't matter to me - they're all good dual-purpose birds (except the Leghorn, but oh the eggs!).

Wow lots of work, but glad you got it up and running but could join.

 

[LhickenChicken]

Okay, I'll jump in with you folks! I just set 27 eggs last night in my brand-new IncuView incubator
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GS9ZSOK?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
....it's a long story about how I had to modify this thing to get some control of consistent temperature, and I'm still tweaking how to keep humidity where I want it, but I think we're ready to give it a go.
I made a foam box to insulate the unit, drilled 2 extra holes in the lid for ventilation (added plugs, too), and added a protective cover for the turner motor. I won't go into all the gory details about how I struggled to get the numbers right, let's just say it has taken me two weeks of tweaking. I even had to make test logs to isolate the variables and fix them.
Anyway.... My first hatch date of the year is Feb. 4th! I'll brood them in the basement for a week or two, then they'll go to the nursery/brooder coop with a mama heating pad and heat lamp to get through the last two weeks of February and into March.
I'm planning four hatches like this, if all goes well.

My flock are barnyard mutts, a mixture of BPR, RIR, Australorp, and the genetic remnants of one Easter Egger and a Leghorn hen I had for a short time. Doesn't matter to me - they're all good dual-purpose birds (except the Leghorn, but oh the eggs!).

I have the same brand of incubator as you! I didn't have to tweak it much, but then again I had an instruction manual that explained a lot of unnecessary things that I could find on BYC articles. Anyway, the eggs have jumped into the incubator. I have a hen that lays blue eggs and I have 2 of those in there, 1 white egg (don't know the breed), 1 cream colored egg, and lots of brown eggs. I hope most of them hatch, this is my first time hatching chicks! I hope your chicks hatch too!

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I have the same brand of incubator as you! I didn't have to tweak it much.....

To be honest, I didn't test it before starting modifications. My bad. I'd read somewhere in the reviews, several of them, that insulating the unit with blankets etc. helped to keep the temperature more consistent. But for the price and overall good reviews, it seemed worth the trouble.

I decided to take it a step further and made a foam box with the shipping box it came in, some plastic wrap, a can of spray foam, and duct tape. I'm using towels to cover the top, but plan to sew a custom blanket to fit. Then I drilled two extra holes in the lid and added removable plugs. Then I made a hood of sorts to cover the turner motor, as all the wires and such are exposed on the top of the lid and subject to damage. THEN I started tests with three additional thermometers/hygrometers. (Why didn't I do that FIRST? Gah!)

My foam box caused me grief with adjusting settings for ambient room temp and calibration to get a consistent 99.5 actual temperature. Plus the fact that its temperature gauge runs about 0.3 +/- too high, and hygrometer readings were 10% too high in the first place. And I absolutely HATE that it's difficult to manage the amount of water in the base. Adding water is easy, but taking some out is impossible without unloading all the eggs. If you're interested in all the details of how I finally got to an acceptable range, message me.

At any rate, I had planned to start eggs on Jan. 15th anyway, so .....
I still have my trusty little 12-egg Kebonnixs incubator. If this new unit doesn't work out, I'll probably just buy a second Kebonnixs and call it a day.

I would be greatly interested to compare notes with you as our hatches progress! What is your hatch date? Mine is Feb. 4th.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I just got a notice they are going to send 22 eggs and not 24 in my shipment, because they didn't have any Sumatra eggs for me.

 

[AusHen]

The shipped eggs don't look very promising, I have a lot of very large saddled air cells and some free floating ones (Including the Orp )

 

[junior67]

The shipped eggs don't look very promising, I have a lot of very large saddled air cells and some free floating ones (Including the Orp )

I had quite a few badly saddled eggs from my shipped eggs but those all hatched fine. I didn't have luck with the fully detached ones but know others that have.

 

[gimmie birdies]

keep the loose aircell or saddled eggs up right for 3 days no turning, and candle again. If they are still loose don't turn. I have had shipped eggs with a loose aircell, and I kept is still almost the whole hatch , and I hatched out my lovely Avatar.

 

[AusHen]

I put the shipped eggs in my upright incubator with the turner unplugged for now so we will see. On a positive thanks to my Leghorn eggs being easy to see into I can say my CL rooster has done the job with at least her, will be interesting to see what other hens have accepted him. I know he's been mating with my Marans but it will be ages to see any development in them.

 

[coffeeaddict]

I hope I'm in the right thread. Planning to set my eggs on the 19th to hatch in February. I ordered 10 eggs from southern IL, mostly 55 Flowery eggs. This will be my first hatch... also hatching as part of our homeschool science study. Picked up a handful of local eggs (mixed flock supported by French black copper maran and Amerucauna roo) today in hopes of better hatch rates since shipped eggs might be iffy, especially for a first timer. Keeping these on my counter at 72 room temp until the shipped eggs arrive later this week. Don't think I can handle a staggered hatch so these will have to wait a few days. We have a hovabater 2370. I've tested it.... we get consistent temps and 35% humidity (with a little glass of water added inside). Planning to hand turn.

 

[gimmie birdies]

If you are judging by the digital humidity, you can relax, it is usually off. Good luck on you hatch.