Finally got my Hovabator

[CherokeeFlats]

We picked up a used bator this weekend for $60!! Now, we cant wait to get some eggs to hatch!! So, question is this... if I want eggs to hatch mid Jan, I collect in Mid Dec. I have never hatched using an incubator before so any special advice?? I am going to set it up in my bedroom... temp is fairly constant in there. I am going to Walmart and get a temp/humidity thermometor.

how many should I hatch?? We now have New Hampshire Reds along with our RIR!!

Also, if we have chicks that are 3 weeks old, can we mix in day olds??

 

[bigdawg]

wow lots of questions. fan or still air. fan 99.5 still air 101.5 for the temps. turner or no turner. turner plug in and go. no turner roll eggs over at least 3 times a day. plug bator in with water in bottom of pan,no eggs, only thermometer, at two days prior to setting eggs to get temp adjusted. allow at least 3 hrs between ajustments to let bator stabilize. always add warm water. i usually have to add water around the 8th day and then before lock down. day 18. as far as a thermometer/hydro accurites work good at first then after a few hatches they get off a few degrees. always use at least two thermometers on top of the eggs i could go on and on but alot off it is trial and error. i hope i have helped in some way. good luck. incubating is very addictive. my first bator ran non stop except for cleaning for 10 months, 42 eggs every time. my best hatch was 33 out of 46. my first was a disasster. 8 out of 42. i killed most of them opening the bator. when peolpe talk of lockdown they mean it. good luck hatching......oh pick a date you want them to hatch and count back 21 days. then save your eggs for 7 days prior to that date, small end down in a egg carton and prop up one end about 3 inches and swap ends daily.ok i have said enough. i am done for now...........

 

[peeppeeppeep]

bigdawg, how did you kill most of the first batch opening the hovabator? I just got mine set up and am going to try my first batch tomorrow. I was dumb and ordered some hatching marans eggs to put in with my own hens' - now I realize I should have waited but I've been waiting so long for marans!

Anyway, I did wonder about the temperature dropping when I turn the eggs so any advice would be great. Thanks.

 

[Fluffy-Butt-Farms]

Quote:
You are going to have to keep your humidity up higher for the maran eggs. Bargain told me that you have to hatch marans at a higher humidity because of thicker membranes... and i have read on here that it is like 60 percent during incubating and 80 percent humidity at lockdown. for the normal eggs its 40-45 humidity and 60 at lockdown... (although my friend runs her sportsman at 60 percent thruout and doesn't have problems)

Quote:
Momma hen would get off her eggs to go eat, and in the amount of time it takes you to turn the eggs, they wont cool down, just the air will.

Watch putting one day olds in with 3 week olds....some chicks will accept others, some will not. My 3 day old ee's attacked my 1 day olds. they attacked anything i tried to put in with them. but i can put anything in with my brama's and silkies, and they dont care.

hope this helps a little

(note: even though i'm new to this chicken hatching thing, i read every post on here...i'm becoming a fountain of useless and useful chicken information. lol)