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GQF Incubator... HELP HELP HELP...

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by texascowboy1979, Sep 3, 2009.

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  1. Sep 3, 2009 #1
    texascowboy1979

    texascowboy1979 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Does anyone have any tips or tricks [​IMG] for the Hova incubator or the GQF incubator to get better hatching rates... even one chick for me is a better hattching rate...

    I have a HOVABATOR INCUBATOR that I am using and just purchased a GQF Incubator. The eggs I have in there are of pheasant. I followed the instructions to the "T". Some of the eggs did not fit so I gave them to the chicken... the chicken hatched 2 chicks and left the nest... which is fine i guess. the two chicks are fine except one froze to death at night... but thats understandable... Below is the chicken that hatched the one chick..

    [​IMG]

    The Hova incubator is now being used to hatch the remaining pheasant eggs... but nothing has hatch so far... today is the "DATE" for hatching and nothing... I checked the eggs.. and half were rotten, I threw them out and noticed that some of the eggs had half developed dead chicks in them...

    [​IMG] what am I doing wrong??? any help is greatly appriciated. Why did they die? Why have the other eggs not started to hatch? Why dont I hear chicks in them?

    About 15 years ago, my family and I were raising ostriches and emus. We could hear chicks chirping inside the egg the day before they hatched...

    ----

    Now regarding the GQF incubator, its the new model, 1502 with digital reader... I followed the instructions to the T and I have turkey and pheasant eggs in the incubator... the temp reads at 100 degrees. but i dont know if its good enough. I have candeld the phesant eggs and looks like half are infertile while the other half have blood vessels already showing... Should I leave it alone and see what happens?

    im just so stressed out... [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2009
  3. Sep 3, 2009 #2
    Rebel Rooster

    Rebel Rooster I Will Love! :)

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    100* is OK for your eggs... I have had several successful hatches with my pheasants keeping a temp. range between 99 & 101*. It sounds like you had temp. issues during the incubation period. I keep my humidity around 50% till day 21 and then raise to 65/75% when they go into the hatcher.
     
  5. Sep 3, 2009 #3
    texascowboy1979

    texascowboy1979 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Thanks Rebel Roster...

    I guess ill have to keep an eye on the GQF and keep the temp at 100* and humitity at 50%.. all I can do is pray... The pheasant eggs I have in the GQF are set to hatch on Sept 20th, and the turkey eggs are set to hatch on Sept 30th...

    Ill keep you all posted...
     
  7. Sep 16, 2009 #4
    texascowboy1979

    texascowboy1979 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Help Again...

    I seem to be doing good with chicken eggs.. I candeled them and have are fertile...

    NOw on the pheasant eggs... they are due by tomorrow... but I only had 3 fertile, and it does not look like they are gonna hatch... They are not as developed as they should be. what am I doing wrong..

    My 40 turkey eggs look all infertile... no blood veins at all...

    Temp... 100
    Humity.. between 48 and 53

    What else can I do or what am I doing wrong?
     
  9. Sep 16, 2009 #5
    Katy

    Katy Flock Mistress

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    Quote:What model of hovabator are you using? If it's a still air model your temps should be a little higher. If it has a fan that's about right on for the temp.

    Is that the humidity you're using all the way thru? For my area that's too high for the first 18 days and too low for the last three days. Everyone has to figure out what works best for their area. What works for one person isn't going to work for the next person.

    Are you sure your gauges are reading correctly?
     
  11. Sep 16, 2009 #6
    walkswithdog

    walkswithdog Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Did you calibrate your thermometer/s? Checking them for accuracy every hatch has a purpose. A thermometer off by one or two degrees can significantly affect hatch, or ruin one.

    That's key when trouble shooting.

    If you're using a hygrometer you have to calibrate it too.

    If your thermometers are accurate, and your hygrometer is accurate. Then you move on to considerations of humidity and ventilation.

    I don't add any water at all day one to 18, that's the only way I get good hatches, day 18 I bump it to 50% and let the hatching chicks raise it as it goes along usually not much over 60 something.

    That's my stuff, my microclimate. Your's is going to differ.

    Also consider your disenfection process. Is it clean?

    Another consideration is the eggs, were they clean, dirty? Did you clean them? How old were they? Were they pullet eggs or shipped eggs?

    Those choices and conditions also matter.

    How often you turn and in what manner can have an effect.

    From large to tiny things. Unfortunately incubation is learned art, not science. It does not yield to anyone's absolute rules.
     
  13. Sep 16, 2009 #7
    texascowboy1979

    texascowboy1979 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Im not using the Hova this time, Im using the GQG Sportsman 1502 digital interface. So all I do is push buttons and it calibrates the temp for me. Im really bumbed out that I cant hatch pheasants...

    The eggs looked clean and I just wiped them down with a papertowel.. Am I supposed to or not supposed to wipe the eggs? and If so, with what... Im think im gonna head to the book store and find a book on hatching eggs..
     
  15. Sep 16, 2009 #8
    DPhillips

    DPhillips Out Of The Brooder

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    I agree with the last post. I hatch bobwhite quail and have switched to dry incubation, which means adding no water until day 18. This made a world of difference for me on my hatch rates. I would probably start there if I were you.
     
  17. Sep 16, 2009 #9
    walkswithdog

    walkswithdog Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Pushing a button is fine and dandy - if the temps are accurate and any thermostat/thermometer can lose accuracy over time - verify. Calibrate that sucker.
     
  19. Sep 16, 2009 #10
    texascowboy1979

    texascowboy1979 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Quote:Please explain this dry incubation to me in detail... it intreages me...
     
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