Hi there!

[Cathy Bavington]

I've been raising chickens for a year or so now. I have 35 pullets and hens and 3 roosters - lots of breeds. I let my chickens free range over our 2 acres, and they follow me into their coops every night for safekeeping. I've hatched eggs twice now. Once under a broody hen, with great success and just now with a Brinsea incubator. This hatch didn't go well at all. I got the eggs through the mail and they took four days to get here. Summer in Georgia or not, that was a long time in the mail. 10 of the 11 never hatched. The one lone survivor hatched on day 24 and still isn't standing well without wobbling all over on day three after hatch. The incubator was just fine, it was the eggs. From now on I'll use my own eggs! Anyway, I'm having more fun than I ever imagined possible watching and listening to all my chickens. I'm looking forward to getting lots of advice from everyone here!

 

[PD-Riverman]

I've been raising chickens for a year or so now. I have 35 pullets and hens and 3 roosters - lots of breeds. I let my chickens free range over our 2 acres, and they follow me into their coops every night for safekeeping. I've hatched eggs twice now. Once under a broody hen, with great success and just now with a Brinsea incubator. This hatch didn't go well at all. I got the eggs through the mail and they took four days to get here. Summer in Georgia or not, that was a long time in the mail. 10 of the 11 never hatched. The one lone survivor hatched on day 24 and still isn't standing well without wobbling all over on day three after hatch. The incubator was just fine, it was the eggs. From now on I'll use my own eggs! Anyway, I'm having more fun than I ever imagined possible watching and listening to all my chickens. I'm looking forward to getting lots of advice from everyone here!

Glad you are having fun!!

Have you hatched successfully with this incubator? If not---the settings/temp might be off----being it took 24 days to hatch a chick that has problems. For sure I would hatch some of my own eggs as well as check the temp with at least another thermometer. As far as the Day Count---Make sure when you put the eggs in a incubator or hen the day you put them in is day "0" the next day 24hrs after you set them is day "1". Good Luck

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC - great that you have joined us

You may wish to consider joining your state thread as it will put you in touch with other BYC members in your area - http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/270925/find-your-states-thread#post_3239224

All the best

CT

 

[hannahsflock]

Hi Cathy, and

Glad you could join us. I'm sorry about your unsuccessful hatch. Fingers crossed you have fantastic hatches in the future!

 

[Cathy Bavington]

Glad you are having fun!!

Have you hatched successfully with this incubator? If not---the settings/temp might be off----being it took 24 days to hatch a chick that has problems. For sure I would hatch some of my own eggs as well as check the temp with at least another thermometer. As far as the Day Count---Make sure when you put the eggs in a incubator or hen the day you put them in is day "0" the next day 24hrs after you set them is day "1". Good Luck

I had a thermometer and hygrometer in there, so I know the temp/humidity were okay. And I started counting days when I put the eggs in there. I'm pretty sure it was the eggs I got, and not the incubator, but I will definitely be trying it again with my own eggs, so we'll see. Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated

 

[irfxr]

Hello. At one time I had 3 thermometers in at 1 time and none were the same reading. It really wasn't until I spent the money a bought a electronic temputure controller that I was able to get good hatches from eggs from anywhere ...

 

[Cathy Bavington]

Good to know! If I have troubles hatching a few eggs from my own hens, I will definitely invest in that. And my wobbly chick is doing ok so far. I had her in a small container for two days to force her to stay upright on her legs. That seemed to help quite a bit. She can walk now, just wobbly still

 

[irfxr]

Good to hear it doing better. The 24 days probably is the problem with him. I would guess your thermometer is off and it's not hot enought to have a good hatch. 24 days is way to long. Did you open the eggs that didn't hatch and see what was going on with them ?

 

[Cathy Bavington]

Yes, most never made it past the first week or so of incubation. The four that made it to the last week were fully developed chicks that just weren't able to hatch. Two never pipped. Still, I would think two separate thermometers reading the same temp aren't both going to be wrong? The temp was at 99.4. The person who mailed me the eggs was disgruntled by the company she worked for not paying her - she even called me to tell me that, which is ridiculous. Eggs shouldn't be in the mail for four or five days, and lord knows what the eggs were kept like before she mailed them. We'll see what happens with my own eggs. Then I'll know for sure.

 

[irfxr]

99.4 is still pretty cool. They should be at 99.9. If the thermometers are off the eggs cold even be cool that that by several degrees. What kind if thermometers are you using. I have found correct temputure is pretty important ! With the eggs being fertile and developing doesn't sound like an egg problem to me . At 24 days it should have come out with feathers