Getting the flock out of here - a diary of a crazy chicken man

[Tomtommom]

I find dial type devices to be horribly inaccurate. I always used them for my hermit crabs, but they're just awful. The little needle gets stuck, especially in humid environments.

 

[piglett]

i would be most inclined to trust the digital thermostst in the brinsea

are the thermometers together or a distance apart? there may be variations in the incubator

next sit them in ice water and chyeck their calibration

my sportsman runs at 101.5f & gives up to a 100% hatch rate on local eggs

i start out at 36% humidity (full pan of water) & i wait till it drops to about 10%

i then add water not that day but the next

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Thanks guys!!! So...the Brinsea doesn't have a pan for water...just two deep channels. I filled one of them, but when I rotate the incubator, of course, the water tends to come out of the channel and usually ends up filling the other channel halfway.

Not sure if that's bad or not...I don't have a hygrometer in there, and the only hygrometer I have is in the boy's vivarium, and it's a dial type..not very accurate (plus, I need it for the snake, as she's getting ready to shed).

Here's hoping for a good hatch...I've got some of Cayuse's BCMs in there (and a cochin from her, and some EEs). Ended up sending my local eggs over to the neighbor's incubator so I can keep all shipped eggs here and keep an eye on the air cells.

 

[hillfloweranch]

Thanks guys!!!  So...the Brinsea doesn't have a pan for water...just two deep channels.  I filled one of them, but when I rotate the incubator, of course, the water tends to come out of the channel and usually ends up filling the other channel halfway.  

Not sure if that's bad or not...I don't have a hygrometer in there, and the only hygrometer I have is in the boy's vivarium, and it's a dial type..not very accurate (plus, I need it for the snake, as she's getting ready to shed).  

Here's hoping for a good hatch...I've got some of Cayuse's BCMs in there (and a cochin from her, and some EEs).  Ended up sending my local eggs over to the neighbor's incubator so I can keep all shipped eggs here and keep an eye on the air cells.  

My brinsea reads 99.3-99.8 and seems to hatch pretty well if all else being equal with egg development. And this time I didn't add water to the channels jut set the temp set the cooling period and left humidity at 30% for first 18 days then bumped humidity
to 65% -70% for hatch (I have the humidity pump) and so far so good

 

[hillfloweranch]

Oh and make that 5 babies now...out of 16 eggs so far...but I didn't candle and toss just put everything in lockdown and waited

 

[hillfloweranch]

 

[Sweetpea3829]

My brinsea reads 99.3-99.8 and seems to hatch pretty well if all else being equal with egg development. And this time I didn't add water to the channels jut set the temp set the cooling period and left humidity at 30% for first 18 days then bumped humidity
to 65% -70% for hatch (I have the humidity pump) and so far so good

Oh see...I really wanted the more expensive Brinsea, but my husband balked at the price so I got the Eco 20. He balked at that price, too...lol

 

[hillfloweranch]

Oh see...I really wanted the more expensive Brinsea, but my husband balked at the price so I got the Eco 20.  He balked at that price, too...lol

That's what I have but it's the ECO20 advance

 

[Phage]

I would trust the thermometer that came with the Brinsea.

Is the snake one getting wet?
It sounds like you have too much water in the bator for this stage of incubation.

Also I find that the less you handle the eggs the more that hatch. It is tempting to check the size of air cells etc but rather spend a few bucks on a hygrometer (I got some fabulous ones sent from china for $4) if you need to know. And like Piglett said add a bit of water to keep humidity between 10% and 30% until day 18 and then get it up to 60%.

******Think every time you open the bator you could be causing an egg not to hatch******
Seriously! It is fun checking the eggs every few days but is not good for them.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

I would trust the thermometer that came with the Brinsea.

Is the snake one getting wet?
It sounds like you have too much water in the bator for this stage of incubation.

Also I find that the less you handle the eggs the more that hatch. It is tempting to check the size of air cells etc but rather spend a few bucks on a hygrometer (I got some fabulous ones sent from china for $4) if you need to know. And like Piglett said add a bit of water to keep humidity between 10% and 30% until day 18 and then get it up to 60%.

******Think every time you open the bator you could be causing an egg not to hatch******
Seriously! It is fun checking the eggs every few days but is not good for them.

Well, both thermometers are reading the same now. They weren't really that far from one another, but a little bit, so maybe that's why?

Not handling the eggs is SO hard for me...I'm terrible, lol. I will sit on my hands though. I REALLY want Cayuse's BCMs to hatch...and that Cochin.