Homemade vs hovabator incubators, or is it shipped eggs???

[Wyogirl]

I'm not sure if my hatch rate is low because of using shipped eggs or if it's my homemade incubator, it does hold temps beautifully as well as humidity, i turn the eggs with a homemade egg turner 3 x/day, but my hatch rates 14 silkie eggs =1 silkie chick, 12 lav orps=4 for lockdown only 1 looks promising should hatch tomorrow or sat. Should I fork out the money for an incubator?? or is it shipped eggs
Thanks
Ayda

 

[rebel yell]

I would try to hatch some of your eggs out of your yard first, shipped eggs are a gamble, not to long ago I got some shipped eggs in & hatched 1 out of 17, the others looked like scrambled eggs when I cracked them open, the PO dont care about your eggs, so I would say its most likely the eggs.

 

[Gypsy07]

I'd agree with Rebel. Try incubating your own eggs before you start blaming either your home made bator or your own incubating skills. My hatch rates went up dramatically when I changed from shipped eggs to my own eggs. Like, from less than 20% with shipped eggs up to over 80% with my own eggs.

Also what I do now is to include a few of my own eggs with every batch of shipped eggs, as a control group. When they hatch out okay but the shipped eggs don't do so well, again, I know it's not my fault.

 

[Wyogirl]

Thanks, I was becoming a little obsessive with my 2nd attempt, kept temps stable etc and was sick when only one might hatch! I will try to hatch my own next time around.
Ayda

 

[andalusn]

It is such a miracle that eggs hatch.. everyone has a different experience. I have a friend that loads her son's science project styro cooler home made bator with shipped eggs all the time and has great success. I have a commercial incubator and have had a good experience to great hatch rate on shipped eggs. I always add a few of my own flocks eggs as a equalizer and one group always has a good hatch on the home eggs while another group I had none and the shipped ones were hatching like popcorn. Can't even chalk it up to packaging. I say keep trying and hatch more of your own flocks eggs just to get a better feel for it.

 

[Flawedatdesign]

That and keep in mind hens don't always hatch with a high success rate all the time either.

 

[Wyogirl]

Quote:
Do you by any chance know how far they are shipped???? I live in WY and have had them shipped from Florida, GA, and KY, have one group from OR in my incubator as we speak day 5, we shall see!!! Am thinking maybe the closer the better????? I'm trying to hatch Silkies and Lav Orps
Ayda

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. I also put some of my eggs in. I mark the eggs so I know which is which. Right now my hatch rate isn't grate but my boys are on strike because of the heat I think.

 

[Wyogirl]

Quote:
I agree. I also put some of my eggs in. I mark the eggs so I know which is which. Right now my hatch rate isn't grate but my boys are on strike because of the heat I think.

 

[cwalsh2]

When I had game chickens I got terrible hatch rates from shipped eggs, even under hens.

My own eggs would run 75-80% in the incubator and normally 100% under hens. I never could figure out why even the best incubators would never match what a hen would do. Most of the time every egg would hatch. I normally set 11-12 eggs. I would never get deformed legs on chicks from under a hen either. I finally quit the incubator, and hatched all my games under game hens. I am looking to start another hobby flock next spring, but not game chickens this time. I am considering Dominiques, Silver grey dorkings,or partridge rocks. These are all supposed to get broody and be good mothers. I need something that will roam through the garden and keep the grasshoppers under control. Cal