I'm not sure what in looking at, any help, please?

[BarnyardChaos]

I'm not sure if it's because the veins are breaking down or because the shell was thicker (or just wish full thinking)

The only way you can know for sure is to candle again in about 3 days, and see if there is any change.

I have two extra thermostats in the incubator and one side has consistently been a full degree c less than the other, I got them on day 4 as after 48 hours the display on my unit we awol and was changing temp readings every few seconds and I didn't have another incubator to transfer the eggs.

I've had as many as four thermometers in my incubator at one time, plus the one on the unit. All five registered different temps. So it could be they are just not calibrated correctly (cheap little things), or there are different temp zones. I'm still struggling to get accurate and consistent readings, too. I spent quite some time testing, calibrating, adjusting, insulating, and modifying my newest unit (Incu-View) before introducing eggs to it.

That's why a LOT of folks here strongly recommend the more reliable brands - Hovabator, Nuture Right 360, Brinsea, a few others. Even the Chinese made Kebonnixs is a great little unit, and not expensive at all. Look for one with good customer service and great reviews. Settle for nothing less.

I've been told home made incubators are better?

I haven't heard that, but don't dispute it one way or the other. I know only this, that any GOOD incubator must hold to certain parameters: Air circulated, consistent 99.5-deg-F (37.5-C) temperature throughout, and consistent humidity 30-50% days 1-18 and 70-80% days 19-21. Automatic egg-turning is a plus but you could do it manually, too.

However, once you spend the $$$ to build/buy a cabinet, racks, turners, heater(s), fan(s), temperature and humidity regulators, and sensors - and all the hardware and wiring to put it all together - you'll have spent more money than if you just bought a good incubator from a retailer. Folks who invest the bucks, time and effort to build a homemade unit are usually hatching a great number of eggs at a time - because those retail units are easily $1000-3000 (U.S. dollars).

I don't hear about great hatch rates with a little homemade box, light bulb and thermometer. They're actually pretty lucky if they hatch anything.

 

[Sunflower247]

The only way you can know for sure is to candle again in about 3 days, and see if there is any change.

I've had as many as four thermometers in my incubator at one time, plus the one on the unit. All five registered different temps. So it could be they are just not calibrated correctly (cheap little things), or there are different temp zones. I'm still struggling to get accurate and consistent readings, too. I spent quite some time testing, calibrating, adjusting, insulating, and modifying my newest unit (Incu-View) before introducing eggs to it.

That's why a LOT of folks here strongly recommend the more reliable brands - Hovabator, Nuture Right 360, Brinsea, a few others. Even the Chinese made Kebonnixs is a great little unit, and not expensive at all. Look for one with good customer service and great reviews. Settle for nothing less.


I haven't heard that, but don't dispute it one way or the other. I know only this, that any GOOD incubator must hold to certain parameters: Air circulated, consistent 99.5-deg-F (37.5-C) temperature throughout, and consistent humidity 30-50% days 1-18 and 70-80% days 19-21. Automatic egg-turning is a plus but you could do it manually, too.

However, once you spend the $$$ to build/buy a cabinet, racks, turners, heater(s), fan(s), temperature and humidity regulators, and sensors - and all the hardware and wiring to put it all together - you'll have spent more money than if you just bought a good incubator from a retailer. Folks who invest the bucks, time and effort to build a homemade unit are usually hatching a great number of eggs at a time - because those retail units are easily $1000-3000 (U.S. dollars).

I don't hear about great hatch rates with a little homemade box, light bulb and thermometer. They're actually pretty lucky if they hatch anything.

Thank you much for all the help, I really appreciate it, I tried the trick and I have 5 chicks very much alive out of the entire 48 and 4 with veining but no movement and the black blobs look different, like they are smudging down the side of the egg like paint splatter for lack of a better description. All others have zero viewable veigns at all.

You are very right, unfortunately here in NZ the only thermostats u could get in an imergency were the very cheap small things, I traveled to multi stores but supply here is pretty rediculous and had to resort to an online store and that's all they had.

The incubator was an Easter gift to boost my lil flock of two older girls (the last surviving) I did not realise they varied so much.
Will definately look at the highly rated ones and perhaps try again.

I'm not sure to do about the still very much alive 5 as I don't have another option for them right now but the incubator seems to completely broken.
When I went to Re candle the incubator and one of the extra heat sensors were reading 40 degrees C that's way too high and the unit is set for the alarm to go off at 38.7 I'm not sure why it is not, I double checked the settings and screen started dipping out, bits of the display stopped working.

I think I got a faulty unti, it was fine for the 48 hours before I put the eggs in, no signs of trouble at all.


Do you know of any other way to keep 13 day old eggs alive in a pinch?

Feeling rather gutted to think it's likely I can't save these 5 out of 48.

I googled but only the sunlight incubator comes up and well..... I'm in cold very wet tornado winter right now.

Thank you for all the help!

Cheers, Zara

 

[BarnyardChaos]

How about trying this, since you're up a creek without a paddle... um... working incubator:
Go ahead with a homemade unit - it'll be better than nothing! Do you have a heating pad, like for backaches? Put that in the bottom, be sure it's on a LOW setting, like barely warm to the touch. Add a regular incandescent light bulb into the top or above the lid to add heat over the eggs, too. Find something for a thermometer - mercury is best, but any kind of liquid thermometer will work. Check your pharmacy for an ovulation thermometer, maybe - they register tinier increments. Even a food/cooking thermometer will work, but you may have to insert it into a cup of water in the incubator to track the temperature. Yes, set that cup on top of the heating pad so the pad heats the water. Do you have a forehead thermometer from Covid days? That can register egg temperature. ANYthing, or multiple methods. You'll need to turn the eggs manually 4-6 times a day.

All this is just my ideas - I've never actually tried it. But in a pinch, it's what I'd do.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

You'll need humidity, too. A few small cups of water, or damp sponges or rags, should suffice.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I had one egg that was damaged a few days before it was due to hatch. I put it in a shoebox with a home heating pad. I wrapped the egg in a soft thin rag, then wrapped a damp small towel around that, and put it on the heating pad, Laid another towel over the top. I had a meat thermometer handy, so I stuck that probe below the egg and monitored it every half hour or so. It worked.

 

[MGG]

Hi, I have 13 to 14 day incubated eggs (australorp, silkies and a breeders personal breed she calls cupid or cute pet) and although I have watched countless videos I'm not sure what I am looking at, the candler I got is rather useless so had to use my phone, could anyone who has some knowledge tell if these eggs are likely still alive or not from my terrible pictures?

I had 10 eggs from another breeder, 4 were infertile and all others from that bunch look dead. No veining, no movement just a line or small blackish blob that is not moving.

Any help greatly appreciated. Feeling I should give up trying at this point.

These all look dead. How did you calibrate your extra thermometers? Did you have any temp spikes? What was the humidity at?

 

[Sunflower247]

Hello again, Just wanted to say a HUGE THANK YOU! for all the help, suggestions and encouragement I was given during the incubator debacle.
I took the advice, I did all I could (thank goodness for heat pads in an emergercy) and the 5 that were somehow still alive, survived and are now in the home incubator come brooder, super sweet little chicks that snuggle right into your hand, however I now have a new issue due to all the mishaps one chick was born with yolk sack still out, it was placed on its own to absord it and left to dry out without being trampled but it now has yolk dried all over it's bottom area and it won't sit down and it's getting rather exhausted.

I have tried to clean it off gently with a warm wet sponge and then also tried coconut oil on a cotton bud to loosen it out of desperation as it is caked on and solid like cement.

It just won't budge, anyone had this issue and how how to remove it, this poor lil chick was walking around and eating, drinking but not sitting and now it's not eating or drinking either.