Help me fix my mistake. I'm stumped. 800 model QGF cabinet??

[offshorewife]

Okay, we have an old GQF 800 model with auto turner. You know the old red plywood, solid door type. We overhauled it and started our eggs bating. This is the first time in 10 years I've done this. My first set was due to hatch today. Some pipped last night and got stuck during zip. Two hatched perfectly by themselves. The only bantam pipped, zipped, & hatched within 30 minutes give or take. I saved 3 and lost 4. The 4 got stuck before they pipped and died. I'm so upset with myself! I decided to use the dry incubation method since we live in Louisiana and it is humid here most of the time. I have the incubator outdoors in our Serama house. It's well ventilated and stays rather cool inside compared to the outside temp. The bator temp stays steady in there. The humidity never went below 30% during the first 18 days. When I moved the eggs down to the hatching tray i added a pan of water 5 small sponges, & a damp kitchen towel to get the humidity up. I left the vents open as well for ventilation. The hydrometer I was using is a digital one from Walmart (springfield) and was calibrated and shown to be off by 12%. I kept the humidity up around 65% but they still stuck! Now I do have to open the bator once a day to re wet the sponges and towel because it dries out so fast. I know you shouldn't open it but i'm in a catch 22 really. Does anyone have any experience with this type of bator? I have another set scheduled to hatch on the 8th and another set scheduled to hatch on the 14th. What can I do to make sure these next batches do not stick?

I'm going to now use calibrated analog hydrometers and try to keep the humidity up around 45% until day 18 and go up to 65-70% IF that is possible in this ancient thing.

Any tips or suggestions?

 

[greathorse]

Your entire problem with drying those chicks is opening the bator during your hatch. You need to find a way to keep it moist in there without opening the door. If you absolutely have to open it, get all of your stuff together, shut the fan off so you dont blow all your heat and humidity into the room and move as quickly as possible. Why do you not have a pan of water in the bator on the shelf in front of the fan. Ideally this pan should be deep enough to hold enough water for the 3-4 days of hatching. The depth of the water does not effect the humidity but the surface area of the pan sure does. I am in a very dry climate so it was necessary for me to set up a bucket on top with a float and tube to the pan so I can replenish the water without opening the bator. I use about ten gallons of water per incubation and hatch.

That air blowing over that membrane when you open the bator dries it almost instantly

Hope I have helped

I have your bator and its a good'en

oh and you cant have those vents wide open if you are drying that fast half way is good.

 

[offshorewife]

I do have a pan up top with water in it but it takes far more than that pan to get the humidity up. I have the largest pan that will fit on that shelf. So both back vents (top and bottom) only 1/2 open? Thanks, I'll do that and see what happens. When I do open the bator i have everything ready and swap the towel and sponges and quick as possible. That's the only thing I don't like about this bator is everything is inside and no windows to see hydrometer reading. Thanks for the tips. Do you too stagger hatches in it?

 

[greathorse]

Well not really as I also have a hatcher. Try half vent and turning the fan off if you do need to open the door It will affect your temp less if you turn the fan and coil of for a few seconds. Good luck

That hygrometer reading really should not change much once you get the incubator rolling. Mine doesnt anyway. Mine no longer works and I just use the settings I have used in the past and have had great hatches on my own eggs. Shipped eggs diferent story altogether.

 

[offshorewife]

Maybe it's the vent thing that is keeping me from holding a steady humidity. These eggs were half my own and half shipped.

 

[adrian]

I just had a random idea. If one absolutely had to open the incubator, could one have a warm, moist paper towel at the ready and throw it on top of the hatching eggs briefly while the necessary things were quickly done? (Chicks removed, water added, etc). Would this help to prevent the membrane from drying?

 

[calgal98]

How about using a mister with warm water and spraying into the incubator when you restart it? I've done this and it can raise the humidity pretty quickly. Just not ON the eggs.

 

[offshorewife]

I didn't think you were supposed to spray/mist the eggs directly. Wouldn't putting a damp paper towel across them be the same thing? I'm starting to think my problem (other than opening the door) was too low humidity BEFORE hatching.

 

[adrian]

Quote:
Well, I know that people will wrap eggs in moist paper towel if the membranes dry out or if the chick needs to be kept in the egg as it was assisted too early... Also, I know people who mist eggs that far in, but they're generally waterfowl eggs. Which is what I was wondering about, really. I never thought about it being bad for chickens, but I suppose you're right.

 

[jbowen9]

I have the 1202 and when I need the humidity up I close or adjust some of the upper vents next to the fan and it raises the humidity i just adjust them instead of opening the door and during hatch i keep mine around 75 to 80% humidity and so far knock on wood have had good luck this spring