Homemade Icubator

[Ravynscroft]

This is my personal experience with shipped eggs, so you can take it with a grain of salt, just want to share what helps me to be successful.

I candle them after unwrapping to check for any cracks, bacteria can get in easy and turn them bad. A bad egg can explode in your incubator contaminating the rest of your eggs and makes a horrible mess. If an egg smells rotten, and it is a distinct and offensive smell, pull it right away! Second, I candle to see if the aircells slip sideways at all, that means they are detached. It helps to know that and to be prepared if they don't reattach and develop properly, as that is not something that is in your control. So if those don't hatch, don't beat yourself up thinking 'what did I do wrong?'. You tried and that is all you can do.
For success in hatching shipped this is what I do, put them in cartons in incubator straight up on end for 2 days, without turning them at all. Then the next 2 days I just slightly tilt them to one side then the other about 3 times a day. After that I tilt them as far to the side as I can for each 'turn' at least 3 times a day. Just don't lay them on their sides and it seems to give a higher hatch rate. And you can hatch them in the cartons as well.
If you aren't putting them in a turner or laying them flat, then you can put shipped eggs into the incubator as soon as they reach room temperature. Just as long as they aren't cold, and only reason for waiting longer is to keep them still and upright. Make any sense? Hope this helps you.

 

[JessicaMallison]

This is my personal experience with shipped eggs, so you can take it with a grain of salt, just want to share what helps me to be successful.

I candle them after unwrapping to check for any cracks, bacteria can get in easy and turn them bad. A bad egg can explode in your incubator contaminating the rest of your eggs and makes a horrible mess. If an egg smells rotten, and it is a distinct and offensive smell, pull it right away! Second, I candle to see if the aircells slip sideways at all, that means they are detached. It helps to know that and to be prepared if they don't reattach and develop properly, as that is not something that is in your control. So if those don't hatch, don't beat yourself up thinking 'what did I do wrong?'. You tried and that is all you can do.
For success in hatching shipped this is what I do, put them in cartons in incubator straight up on end for 2 days, without turning them at all. Then the next 2 days I just slightly tilt them to one side then the other about 3 times a day. After that I tilt them as far to the side as I can for each 'turn' at least 3 times a day. Just don't lay them on their sides and it seems to give a higher hatch rate. And you can hatch them in the cartons as well.
If you aren't putting them in a turner or laying them flat, then you can put shipped eggs into the incubator as soon as they reach room temperature. Just as long as they aren't cold, and only reason for waiting longer is to keep them still and upright. Make any sense? Hope this helps you.

Yes, makes sense. Just one question. When they hatch you leave them In the carton as well? I was planning on taking them out and putting them on their side. I feel stupid asking this but, I thought turning them meant completely turning them pointed end up, like 180 degree turn? Am I doing that wrong?!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Yes, makes sense. Just one question. When they hatch you leave them In the carton as well? I was planning on taking them out and putting them on their side. I feel stupid asking this but, I thought turning them meant completely turning them pointed end up, like 180 degree turn? Am I doing that wrong?!

Oh, no! Never put the pointed end up, you want the aircell at the top of the egg. Turning means at a 45 degree angle to one side or the other, or if on there sides, from one side to the other.
No questions are ever silly, so do not feel bad. Only silly question is when you don't ask.
Yes, you can hatch them in the cartons, many people will only hatch shipped eggs in the cartons. Just have to watch out for pipping at the wrong end, the pointy end. Keeping them pointy end down also encourages them to pip at the fat end like they should, they need to pip into the aircell and breath that air before pipping the shell for outside air.

Edited cuz I can'5 spell, lol.

 

[JessicaMallison]

Oh, no! Never put the pointed end up, you want the aircell at the top of the egg. Turning means at a 45 degree angle to one side or the other, or if on there sides, from one side to the other.
No questions are ever silly, so do not feel bad. Only silly question is when you don't ask.
Yes, you can hatch them in the cartons, many people will only hatch shipped eggs in the cartons. Just have to watch out for pipping at the wrong end, the pointy end. Keeping them pointy end down also encourages them to pip at the fat end like they should, they need to pip into the aircell and breath that air before pipping the shell for outside air.

Edited cuz I can'5 spell, lol.

Thank you so much for clearing that up. Luckily it's only happened with my first batch of RIR's. I can save the other babies from the trauma! I hope the 4 that are developing will be okay. The air cell is at the blunt end on 3 of them. The fourth one is kind of to the side but only slightly.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you so much for clearing that up. Luckily it's only happened with my first batch of RIR's. I can save the other babies from the trauma! I hope the 4 that are developing will be okay. The air cell is at the blunt end on 3 of them. The fourth one is kind of to the side but only slightly.

No problem, glad to help. That 4th one is called saddle shaped aircell, common with shipped eggs, happens when aircell reattaches slightly off. Those can hatch, or not, but better chances of it than one that didn't reattach at all.
I did my first hatch with shipped eggs, lol, and learned a lot. Just keep in mind that a really, really good hatch with those is 50%, but 8 feel that any hatching at all is a win! If none hatch, just look at it as a learning experience and don't give up. It does get better, and when you hatch your own eggs your hatches will be amazing!
Ask questions anytime, and also feel free to PM me if you want. I've had many people help me, so I like to pass that along.
Hope your hatch goes well!!

 

[JessicaMallison]

No problem, glad to help. That 4th one is called saddle shaped aircell, common with shipped eggs, happens when aircell reattaches slightly off. Those can hatch, or not, but better chances of it than one that didn't reattach at all.
I did my first hatch with shipped eggs, lol, and learned a lot. Just keep in mind that a really, really good hatch with those is 50%, but 8 feel that any hatching at all is a win! If none hatch, just look at it as a learning experience and don't give up. It does get better, and when you hatch your own eggs your hatches will be amazing!
Ask questions anytime, and also feel free to PM me if you want. I've had many people help me, so I like to pass that along.
Hope your hatch goes well!!

Thank you for your advice! I found a way to easily turn the eggs 45 degrees. The design I used for my incubators is off of a YouTube video. I used two aluminum, disposable baking pans. They were cut, folded and duct taped to fit in the bottom of the coolers. The top of the pans are lined with soft rubber cabinet liner that was stretched tight and duct taped. With all that said, the liner still bows down enough with the weight from the egg cartons, that it tilts the carton about 45 degrees. So, I don't have to touch each egg 3 times a day. I just move the entire carton. Tomorrow at 3:00pm will be 18days. I've been documenting start day and time and counting by hours and days. So at 24hrs of incubation that was my day 1. I'm so excited!! Would it be too early for me to start slowly increasing the humitidy? It's been really cold and dry here the last couple of days so my normal 40%-45% humidity has been dropping fast.....My other thought was that maybe it's not the weather (because my home has a fairly new central a/c and heat system) Maybe it's the chicks absorbing more because we are getting closer to hatch time?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Thank you for your advice! I found a way to easily turn the eggs 45 degrees. The design I used for my incubators is off of a YouTube video. I used two aluminum, disposable baking pans. They were cut, folded and duct taped to fit in the bottom of the coolers. The top of the pans are lined with soft rubber cabinet liner that was stretched tight and duct taped. With all that said, the liner still bows down enough with the weight from the egg cartons, that it tilts the carton about 45 degrees. So, I don't have to touch each egg 3 times a day. I just move the entire carton. Tomorrow at 3:00pm will be 18days. I've been documenting start day and time and counting by hours and days. So at 24hrs of incubation that was my day 1. I'm so excited!! Would it be too early for me to start slowly increasing the humitidy? It's been really cold and dry here the last couple of days so my normal 40%-45% humidity has been dropping fast.....My other thought was that maybe it's not the weather (because my home has a fairly new central a/c and heat system) Maybe it's the chicks absorbing more because we are getting closer to hatch time?

That sounds great! Good job setting that up! I think you are doing just fine. Just raise the humidity tomorrow and then wait patiently, lol. Don't know if you're planning on it, but I recommend putting a sponge in to help keep the humidity higher during lockdown. And is there a small hole that you can use a straw or something similar to add water if humidity drops? That way you don't risk shrink wrapping them if it gets too dry.
As for your current humidity, theory is that as the chicks develop they hold more heat/start giving off their own body heat, and that could also affect the humidity as well.
You're doing great and can't wait for you to get your new fuzzlebutts!

 

[gimmie birdies]

small incubator I hatch 2-8 a time.hand turn. dry hatch till first pip.I haven't had to use a hydrometer.and I can feel moisture when I turn. in the summer I just use a cardboard box 8''x9'' ten tall, but in the winter I like to put the box in a foam cooler, put down foil, slit in back of the box

I use a clam lamp, then I don't have to wire anything.. 11w currently, with just the box in the summer 15w still air so 101-102.


I put in skewers to hang basket, since heat rises

I make my own basket, and the sides are tall enough chicks cannot hop over.



I put a quilt in for them to hatch on...

I make a lid with windo to read temp, I only open the glass to turn.





I put them in my dinning room in a big box, with lid, depending on how warm/cold things get I adjust the lids.

 

[JessicaMallison]

small incubator I hatch 2-8 a time.hand turn. dry hatch till first pip.I haven't had to use a hydrometer.and I can feel moisture when I turn. in the summer I just use a cardboard box 8''x9'' ten tall, but in the winter I like to put the box in a foam cooler, put down foil, slit in back of the box I use a clam lamp, then I don't have to wire anything.. 11w currently, with just the box in the summer 15w still air so 101-102. I put in skewers to hang basket, since heat rises I make my own basket, and the sides are tall enough chicks cannot hop over. I put a quilt in for them to hatch on... I make a lid with windo to read temp, I only open the glass to turn. I put them in my dinning room in a big box, with lid, depending on how warm/cold things get I adjust the lids.

That's really awesome! I love diy designs...on just about everything! I really love the quilt. Everything else was cool too....but the quilt really won me over. I saw your incubator on another thread I was reading. I was wondering about your design. Thank you for sharing.i like the basket. It looks way more sturdy than the cabinet liner that I have stretched over the aluminum pans.

 

[JessicaMallison]

One of my babies is rocking and rolling!!! I'm wondering how long can this last before they start to pip?