First Timer!

[Tara Black]

Ok so as the title suggests, I'm a first time incubating chicken mom. I've used a bator before mind you, but not for chickens, for bearded dragons. So I'm going to tell you all my set up and I am seeking any and all advice to make my hatch go great! I know its a trial and error process and that what works for some doesn't work for others, but I am a firm believer of tried and true wisdom from others

So I have a Hovabator without the fan (it didn't arrive before my eggs got here and were already 6 days old and set for 24 hours, but with the auto turner. My temp at the top of my eggs is 100.5-101.3f and my humidity is at 57%, which I wasn't sure about, but it isn't budging so I left it. I got eggs from 3 different sources, some better shipped then other and some were collected over a 5 day period before mailed, so I'm hoping for a semi good hatch, but since its my first time I'm not getting my expectations too high. I have 21 eggs in the bator and 5 that are going in tomorrow morning.

So what's your preferred temp and humidity? Since I had to have eggs go in over a 3 day span, late shipper , I'm wondering when I should I try to turn off my turner, and will it hurt the other eggs to have it off a day or two early? Do I take the eggs out of the auto turner before they hatch or does everyone leave them in?

Like I said, I am all for advice and suggests about everything!

Thanks,
Tara

 

[SA Farm]

Hi Tara,
My hovabator likes having the humidity around 54% and I've had good hatch rates this year, so that sounds fine to me. I set my bator for 100 degrees and it usually hovers between 99.5 - 100 and that's great. Anything over I think it's 102 or 3 is bad...I can't remember exactly which though...
I've done staggered hatches and I usually take the turner out when the first eggs hit day 18. With a staggered, I usually don't crank up the humidity until either the first pip or day 21 and I like it around 75-80% for the hatch.
Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Tara Black]

Hi Tara, My hovabator likes having the humidity around 54% and I've had good hatch rates this year, so that sounds fine to me. I set my bator for 100 degrees and it usually hovers between 99.5 - 100 and that's great. Anything over I think it's 102 or 3 is bad...I can't remember exactly which though... I've done staggered hatches and I usually take the turner out when the first eggs hit day 18. With a staggered, I usually don't crank up the humidity until either the first pip or day 21 and I like it around 75-80% for the hatch. Good luck with your hatch!

Thank You for the great advice! So far as I can tell I'm doing what most threads and books say to do, but its always good to seek wisdom from others. Does it matter how you lay the eggs after you remove the turner? Will it hurt the eggs that the temp drops while you take them out of the turner and lay them down? I'm glad I'm not the only one to stagger, and I hated doing it, but I didn't want the eggs to get too old.

 

[ChknObsessedANG]

We had the best luck with the following for our Silkie hatches:
99.5-100 degrees
Turn twice daily
20% humidity until day 18
Stop turning on day 18
50% humidity day 18 - hatch day

Good luck!!!

 

[Tara Black]

Yeah it's just not looking good at all for the silkies. The Cochins are doing great though.

 

[serama hen]

what type of hovabator model do you have i really want the genesis 1588! Or the brinsea advanced or eco. The eco is really good for home and the advance is good for school home and anywhere! I have the model with the metal turner.

 

[Tara Black]

The 1602N model without the fan. We bought the fan kit but it got lost in the mail so we just went ahead and set up without it. I didn't need anything major since I can only have so many chickens and I won't be doing eggs more then a few times a year. I used to breed bearded dragons and had amazing results with the same bator though, so I figured I would be good with this.

 

[serama hen]

I have the same one but remeber that styrofoam incubators harbor lots of bacteria this also decreases hatch rates i wanna buy a brinsea advance its the same price and better and very reliable. I was confused at first of how this bator worked but got it afterward its not my favorite but its good.

 

[Tara Black]

I have the same one but remeber that styrofoam incubators harbor lots of bacteria this also decreases hatch rates i wanna buy a brinsea advance its the same price and better and very reliable. I was confused at first of how this bator worked but got it afterward its not my favorite but its good.

Are you talking about the Brinsea that only holds 7 eggs? I've never had a problem with a styrofoam incubator and I bred breaded dragons for a long time using the same bator I have now. I am meticulous about making sure I clean them well after each clutch. As for the Brinsea series, that's great if you are only doing 7 eggs at a time or want to spend about $300-$400 to do the same amount of eggs as a Havobator, if you are going to hatch often enough to make it worth it. I can't have Roos so I am hatching 26+ eggs at a time to ensure I get the hens I want and then have enough to sell the others in pairs so I can get rid of the Roos without having to kill them or have them end up as someone's dinner. I buy quality eggs from breeders that have chickens from lines I really want, since I can't breed my own. Our kids want to get involved with the 4-H programs and enter chickens in the state fair and this was a good way for them to do that. As with anything in life, you will always have variables working against you to a degree no matter what equipment you use. Since I buy eggs from all over the country, shipping is a bigger problem right now then my bator. My bator has held consistent temps and humidity and is doing it job perfectly. My temp did go to high one day, but that variable came from one of my kids, she left the back door open and it heated my house too much. It was only high for about 30 minutes though and all my eggs are doing great, well except the ones that got shipped to me from WA.

 

[serama hen]

Thats good to know and im saying the brinsea is very reliable for expensive eggs so is the hovabator genesis its a really nice bator and great for learining and the temps are set which is what makes it really great. Im just saying in my opinion that the 1602 is good but the genesis is better.