Harris Farms Nurture Right 360 Incubator is AMAZING!

[CluckNDoodle]

I took the two undeveloped eggs out of my incubator on day 7. And it also appeared I may have some quitters out of the ten that developed but since this is my first time I’m just not sure. So, I left them in to check them again in a few days! From any of those who have used this incubator, do you see better hatch rates when it’s full of chicken eggs or less eggs?

I don't think I've seen any perceivable difference in hatch rate when the incubator is full vs just a few eggs. I'll go check my numbers now.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I've posted these numbers before but I'll post again so you can decide for yourself but I don't think I see a difference. You'll notice I went from taking a ton of notes to taking even more notes. LOL

2019 Hatch Rates

3/1/19: 80% (started with 22, 8 infertile, 3 quitters, 11 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

3/31/19: 100% (started with 22, 4 infertile, No quitters, 18 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

4/23-4/25/19: 82% (started with 44, 11 infertile, 6 quitters, 27 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right incubators

5/14/19: 100% (started with 11, No infertile, No quitters, 11 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator (started eggs in Little Giant)

5/16/19: 70% (started with 20, No infertile, 6 quitters (1 was a late loss), 14 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator

6/21/19-6/22/19: 64% (started with 33, 11 infertile, 8 quitters (2 were late losses), 14 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right 360 incubators (4 Mottled Orpington chicks died days after hatching, suspect genetic defect in breeding flock)

7/5/19: 100% (started with 4, 2 infertile, No quitters, 2 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right (finished last few days for lockdown and hatch in Little Giant)

7/16/19: 59% (started with 28, 1 infertile, 11 quitters, 16 live chicks) Version 2 & 3 Nurture Right 360 incubators

8/31/19: 88% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 15, 7 infertile, 1 quitter, 7 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right

2020 Hatch Rates

2/18/20: 90% (started with 10, No infertile, 1 quitter, 9 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator
- The 1 quitter was late embryo death, on hatch day, I believe due to large vaulted skull

2/19/20: 100% (started with 12, 2 infertile, No quitters, 10 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator

3/12/20: 91% (started with 12, 1 infertile, 1 quitter, 10 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right incubator
- Repaired 1 cracked egg with wax before setting. Also set 2 oblong eggs, 1 sticky egg (egg white leakage?), 2 porous eggs, and 1 calcium build up egg (calcium build up was infertile, cracked egg quit around day 15-16 possibly due to the wax affecting gas exchange or from bacteria.)

3/23/20: 94% (started with 23, 5 infertile, 1 quitter, 17 live chicks) Version 3 Nurture Right incubator
- 11 Marans (1 quitter 4 infertile)
- 1 chick looked like the Iowa Blue rooster fertilized, mixed chick
- 12 Silkies (1 infertile)

4/4/20: 64% (started with 24, 10 infertile, 5 quitters, 9 live chicks) Version 2 Nurture Right, lockdown in IncuView
-12 Marans (1 infertile, 4 quitters)
- 3 of the quitter Marans were late quitters, malpositioned & severely deformed, were not colored like Marans. I suspect a different rooster fertilized.
- 12 CCLs (9 infertile, 1 quitter)

4/10/20: 60% (started with 18, 8 infertile, 4 quitters, 6 live chicks) NR360 V2 & IncuView
- 12 Silkied Bantam Cochins (3 infertile, 3 quitters)
- 6 standard bantam Cochins (5 infertile, 1 quitter)

4/12/20: 92% (started with 27, 1 infertile, 2 quitters, 24 live chicks) NR360 V4 & V3
- Ameraucanas

5/19/20: 38% (started with 13, No infertile, 8 quitters, 5 live chicks) NR360 V3
- BBS Marans
- 1 was a late quitter that was again deformed like the 2 from the previous Marans hatch from this flock.

5/16/20: 60% (started with 12, 7 infertile, 2 quitters, 3 live chicks) NR360 V2
- Whiting True Blue hen under White Japanese Bantam roo
- We thought rooster was sterile this was the 3rd or 4th attempt at setting eggs.

5/28/20 - 5/29/20: 84% (started with 24, 5 infertile, 3 quitters, 16 live chicks) NR360 V2
- Silkies (started with 12, 4 infertile, 2 late quitters malpositioned)
- Millie Fleur D’uccles (started with 12, 1 infertile, 1 late quitter malpositioned)
- In this hatch I accidentally left the turner off for a few days in early incubation and that may have had a hand in the 3 malpositions

6/20/20: 83% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 12, 6 infertile/scrambled, 1 quitter, 5 live chicks)
- 10 Buff English Orpingtons (5 buffs did not start to develop, 1 quitter, 4 hatched)
- 2 Isabella Leghorns (the cracked leghorn egg did not start to develop, 1 hatched)
- So while this was technically an 83% hatch rate on eggs that started developing because there was only 1 quitter, it's 42% overall (5 out of 12 shipped eggs hatched). This was from my scrambled shipment that had detached & saddled air cells, some scrambled, a couple that had started embryo development from being under a broody hen and were then scrambled in shipment DOA, 1 leghorn also had the air cell at the pointed end and was cracked. Considering the mess I started with I'm actually really happy that 5 chicks hatched!

6/25/20: 85% SHIPPED EGGS (started with 24, 3 infertile/scrambled, 3 quitters, 18 live chicks)
- 6 Buff English Orpingtons (2 buffs did not start to develop, 2 quitters)
- 6 Mauve English Orpingtons (1 Mauve did not start to develop, 1 quitter)
- 12 Isabella Leghorns (100% fertility & 100% hatch)

6/29/20: 66% (started with 18, No infertile, 6 quitters, 12 live chicks)
- 1st Generation Olive Eggers (all will hatch out blue, splash Marans roo over black Ameraucanas)

8/1/20: 83% (started with 15, 3 infertile, 2 quitters, 10 live chicks)
- 13 Mottled English Orpingtons possible Lavender, Black, or Chocolate. First hatch from this flock, pullet eggs, some very small. 3 infertile, 1 early quitter, 1 late quitter at hatch malposition from small egg.
- 2 Black Polish, 100% fertility and hatch.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I've had consistently good hatches from the NR360. Most of my lower hatch rates can be explained for reasons other than the incuator.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I took the two undeveloped eggs out of my incubator on day 7. And it also appeared I may have some quitters out of the ten that developed but since this is my first time I’m just not sure. So, I left them in to check them again in a few days! From any of those who have used this incubator, do you see better hatch rates when it’s full of chicken eggs or less eggs?

Same here. I posted my progress with pictures in another thread but I have two clears from my girls and 5 that look like they might be making progress.

90% sure the Happy Eggs are a bust but I'm leaving them in a little longer..

I'll candle again on Day 10 (Wednesday).

 

[BenlynFarm]

I've had consistently good hatches from the NR360. Most of my lower hatch rates can be explained for reasons other than the incuator.

Thanks for posting your stats! I started writing mine down today so I could learn more. And you keep your humidity around 45% on the first 18 days using this incubator? Mine was higher at first so I’ve lowered it by opening the vent 3/4 of the way.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Thanks for posting your stats! I started writing mine down today so I could learn more. And you keep your humidity around 45% on the first 18 days using this incubator? Mine was higher at first so I’ve lowered it by opening the vent 3/4 of the way.

Yes, I almost always start at 45% and I adjust if needed based on air cell development. Most of these hatches stayed between 45-50% through the entire incubation and I increased to 65% for hatch.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Thanks for posting your stats! I started writing mine down today so I could learn more. And you keep your humidity around 45% on the first 18 days using this incubator? Mine was higher at first so I’ve lowered it by opening the vent 3/4 of the way.

I had to open my vent completely to get the humidity into the high 40s. I also figured out that I had to fill the water pot twice a day or it goes empty overnight and humidity drops into the 30s.

 

[CrisAnderson27]

My numbers hit 45% and 65% like clockwork just by keeping appropriate troughs full.

 

[cluckingheck]

here’s my day 5 candling. I’m not sure if everything looks right
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/first-time-hatching-incubator-edition.1436940/post-23807552

 

[CluckNDoodle]

here’s my day 5 candling. I’m not sure if everything looks right
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/first-time-hatching-incubator-edition.1436940/post-23807552

Looks good for day 5 to me.