I need help.

[Dsmitt]

Me and my chicken partner are in a disagreement, he thinks that we have to let the chicken eggs cool everyday mimicking the mother hen leaving to get food and water, but I’ve never heard of anything like that for an incubator, besides for duck eggs. Please leave your opinion

 

[Sammi_0411]

Nooooo just turn candle light if needed but no cooling!! Xx

 

[Ruby Rogue]

It isn't necessary to let them cool.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Me and my chicken partner are in a disagreement, he thinks that we have to let the chicken eggs cool everyday mimicking the mother hen leaving to get food and water, but I’ve never heard of anything like that for an incubator, besides for duck eggs. Please leave your opinion

Hi there, that's a great question!

I have read that some cooling actually did increase hatch rate.. This is a fantastic incubation resource, book mark it for review.
Incubation guide

I can personally attest that I got higher hatch rates when I actively opened my bator and did the turning and candling them myself. At first I really worried about the temp change during candling and closed the lid between every egg, eventually realizing broody mums always leave their nest for a good 10 minutes it seems and left the lid open during candling.

Since upgrading to auto turner.. not opening the bator as often.. decreased hatch rate.. Too many variables including angle of turn, upright now verses on the side before, different eggs, different breeds, etc. making my evidence anecdotal.

Life is intricate and amazing.. all the things we do to mess it up and yet it still finds a way! Most important thing is use a calibrated thermometer and aim for the ideal temp without severe spikes or drops, especially that last for extended periods of time. (99.5 forced air, 101.5 at top of egg in still air) Some minor fluctuation is normal.. I add small water bottles filled with sand and water.. as heat syncs.. to help stabilize overall temp, due to regular power outages. Some folks add eggs size rocks to empty spaces in the turner.

I propose.. an experiment! Do both, side by side, using the same eggs, from the same breed, in the same bator, at the same time.. see who's method gets the best hatch rate.. and report your findings, maybe even write up an article for our learning section (and tag me so I can see it).. DO it!

And happy hatching!

Please note that according to my research and hatching hundreds or more of chicks many of these differences make very minor change in outcome on a small time basis. Most of what is written about hatching by reliable sources is a good general guide line.

The rules are not written in stone and what one deems needed for *maximum* hatch (like disinfecting eggs) another (like myself) won't see a big enough increase in hatch rate to make it worth my time, effort, or funds to do that.. I simply collect and set already clean, viable eggs and send those deemed unworthy elsewhere. If I were hatching thousands of eggs per week all interacting with eggs from different flocks than my own.. then I might consider it.

Lock down for 3 full days.. yes and no, depends on the situation.. if opening is needed during that time to collect early hatcher or whatever, towels or blankets draped over to catch the humidity can help prevent shrink wrapping POSSIBLE to other externally pipped chicks.

Assisted hatch, not really for me.. I have done more harm than good aside from TRYING to stick to survival of the fittest for my gene pool. I have also had successful helps and successful helps I regretted only to have to dispatch. These are things you should decide how you feel and know that you'll consider it again each time the question presents. We do our best and learn from the rest!

ETA: also read the opposite.. about prewarming collected eggs for about an hour per day to simulate being in the nest while the clutch is laid also gave increase to hatch rate! So much information in this day and age!

 

[Dsmitt]

Hi there, that's a great question!

I have read that some cooling actually did increase hatch rate.. This is a fantastic incubation resource, book mark it for review.
Incubation guide

I can personally attest that I got higher hatch rates when I actively opened my bator and did the turning and candling them myself. At first I really worried about the temp change during candling and closed the lid between every egg, eventually realizing broody mums always leave their nest for a good 10 minutes it seems and left the lid open during candling.

Since upgrading to auto turner.. not opening the bator as often.. decreased hatch rate.. Too many variables including angle of turn, upright now verses on the side before, different eggs, different breeds, etc. making my evidence anecdotal.

Life is intricate and amazing.. all the things we do to mess it up and yet it still finds a way! Most important thing is use a calibrated thermometer and aim for the ideal temp without severe spikes or drops, especially that last for extended periods of time. (99.5 forced air, 101.5 at top of egg in still air) Some minor fluctuation is normal.. I add small water bottles filled with sand and water.. as heat syncs.. to help stabilize overall temp, due to regular power outages. Some folks add eggs size rocks to empty spaces in the turner.

I propose.. an experiment! Do both, side by side, using the same eggs, from the same breed, in the same bator, at the same time.. see who's method gets the best hatch rate.. and report your findings, maybe even write up an article for our learning section (and tag me so I can see it).. DO it!

And happy hatching!

Please note that according to my research and hatching hundreds or more of chicks many of these differences make very minor change in outcome on a small time basis. Most of what is written about hatching by reliable sources is a good general guide line.

The rules are not written in stone and what one deems needed for *maximum* hatch (like disinfecting eggs) another (like myself) won't see a big enough increase in hatch rate to make it worth my time, effort, or funds to do that.. I simply collect and set already clean, viable eggs and send those deemed unworthy elsewhere. If I were hatching thousands of eggs per week all interacting with eggs from different flocks than my own.. then I might consider it.

Lock down for 3 full days.. yes and no, depends on the situation.. if opening is needed during that time to collect early hatcher or whatever, towels or blankets draped over to catch the humidity can help prevent shrink wrapping POSSIBLE to other externally pipped chicks.

Assisted hatch, not really for me.. I have done more harm than good aside from TRYING to stick to survival of the fittest for my gene pool. I have also had successful helps and successful helps I regretted only to have to dispatch. These are things you should decide how you feel and know that you'll consider it again each time the question presents. We do our best and learn from the rest!

ETA: also read the opposite.. about prewarming collected eggs for about an hour per day to simulate being in the nest while the clutch is laid also gave increase to hatch rate! So much information in this day and age!

Haha, thank you so much for responding, we will try cooking them for like 10 minutes a day, we have a very nice brinsea and it has a built in cool mode, unfortunately we have a very small area and can’t take care of many chickens, so I wouldn’t be able to preform an experiment, so hopefully this all goes well!!!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

we will try cooking them for like 10 minutes a day,

Don't do that!

 

[Dsmitt]

Don't do that!

Haha I meant cooling