Incubating and discouraged

[Sara L]

No, but I’m going to start for sure!

I keep mine right by the incubator, and anytime I'm near it (or hand turning the eggs) I write down the temp/humidity and date/time.

 

[RosieR]

Also, is your DIY bator a styrofoam one? I haven't had as good luck with the styrofoam one I made, I used a plastic DIY cooler bater and got a lot better results, plus they are easier to clean/sanitize. Did you resolve the issue with the turner going too fast?

My bator is actually an air tight rubbermade style bin that I wrapped in insulation. I’m wondering maybe if it’s not insulated enough and I might pick up a plastic cooler and move all the components over to it. The temps have been steady regardless so I’m not sure that’s the actual issue. But the light bulb is in a constant state of on/off. More insulation can’t be a bad thing.
I’ve been hand turning this batch, still waiting on the new motor to come in.

 

[Sara L]

My bator is actually an air tight rubbermade style bin that I wrapped in insulation. I’m wondering maybe if it’s not insulated enough and I might pick up a plastic cooler and move all the components over to it. The temps have been steady regardless so I’m not sure that’s the actual issue. But the light bulb is in a constant state of on/off. More insulation can’t be a bad thing.
I’ve been hand turning this batch, still waiting on the new motor to come in.

Air tight? Do you have vent holes? If no air exchange that could be part of your problem - the eggs need oxygen, especially towards the later part of incubation. I drilled at least 6 holes towards the bottom of my cooler bater, about 1-2 inches from the "floor", spaced equally on the longer sides. I think there's a hole or two towards the top as well, have to look when I get home.
My lights (appliance light bulbs) cycle on and off, that's totally fine since that's how it was designed.

 

[Sara L]

I think I used a 1/4" drill bit or smaller

 

[RosieR]

Air tight? Do you have vent holes? If no air exchange that could be part of your problem - the eggs need oxygen, especially towards the later part of incubation. I drilled at least 6 holes towards the bottom of my cooler bater, about 1-2 inches from the "floor", spaced equally on the longer sides. I think there's a hole or two towards the top as well, have to look when I get home.
My lights (appliance light bulbs) cycle on and off, that's totally fine since that's how it was designed.

By air tight I mean the lid seals tight. I have a half inch slot at the bottom and I have 3 1/8” holes drilled in the lid. Is this sufficient do you think?

 

[Sara L]

By air tight I mean the lid seals tight. I have a half inch slot at the bottom and I have 3 1/8” holes drilled in the lid. Is this sufficient do you think?

You could try drilling another 1/8 inch hole or two at the bottom, make it/them across from the current air hole.

 

[cosmosue]

Hey I wanted to say something but forgot.

Try not to be too discouraged.

When I did my first trial run I put 20 eggs in, I didn’t set them upside down, I just plopped them in. I didn’t expect much, most eggs were still infertile at this time because my hens and roos were just laying.

4 developed. 4 out of 20! I thought wow I actually DID it, I mean sure I was bummed the others were all clear but I at least made 4 babies.

Lockdown came and all 4 moved around in shell. My humidity fluctuated and I freaked out because it said don’t open it but I knew some were stuck. I stayed up ALL night (I still do when I have hatches) and I helped a chick that was opening the shell straight down not the bottom part.

There was one left and I thought he would work his way out and I fell asleep at 6am on the floor by the incubator. When I woke up he had died in his shell. I felt terrible, I cried for him.

Since then I know when to intervene I should have helped him I know I could have saved him. I don’t always intervene but I do if I have to even though people say not to I can’t watch them die if I can help them. So I quickly grab one that is running out of time and pop him open, I ONLY do this if he has unzipped the shell. I don’t help until I know they are coming out anyway.

My point is I cried for that baby I lost. And since then I have lost 4 more but I have hatched a ton. With average around 90% now.

So it will be ok. You will have successful hatches. I also started setting eggs upside down, floating them prior to incubation to give them some hydration, and I dip them in an egg cleaner solution quickly. Since doing all of this I have WAY better results.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

 

[RosieR]

He I wanted to say something but forgot.

Try not to be too discouraged.

When I did my first trial run I put 20 eggs in, I didn’t set them upside down, I just plopped them in. I didn’t expect much, most eggs were still infertile at this time because my hens and roos were just laying.

4 developed. 4 out of 20! I thought wow I actually DID it, I mean sure I was bummed the others were all clear but I at least made 4 babies.

Lockdown came and all 4 moved around in shell. My humidity fluctuated and I freaked out because it said don’t open it but I knew some were stuck. I stayed up ALL night (I still do when I have hatches) and I helped a chick that was opening the shell straight down not the bottom part.

There was one left and I thought he would work his way out and I fell asleep at 6am on the floor by the incubator. When I woke up he had died in his shell. I felt terrible, I cried for him.

Since then I know when to intervene I should have helped him I know I could have saved him. I don’t always intervene but I do if I have to even though people say not to I can’t watch them die if I can help them. So I quickly grab one that is running out of time and pop him open, I ONLY do this if he has unzipped the shell. I don’t help until I know they are coming out anyway.

My point is I cried for that baby I lost. And since then I have lost 4 more but I have hatched a ton. With average around 90% now.

So it will be ok. You will have successful hatches. I also started setting eggs upside down, floating them prior to incubation to give them some hydration, and I dip them in an egg cleaner solution quickly. Since doing all of this I have WAY better results.

Good luck and fingers crossed for you.

Thank you! I guess it takes a bit of finesse to replicate what nature can do. I’ll give it another go after another bator remodel. In the mean time I might just order chicks to get my numbers up again.

 

[cosmosue]

If you were near me I would just hand you some - lol

I even had a huge hen incubate 6 eggs, I removed them at lockdown so the chicks wouldn’t come in contact with the hen. 5 were viable, all hatched. I dunked them in a solution before hatching them. They came out fine.

It was a silly experiment. I don’t recommend it and I didn’t think it would work but it did and those chicks are about 3 weeks old now lol

 

[RosieR]

If you were near me I would just hand you some - lol

I even had a huge hen incubate 6 eggs, I removed them at lockdown so the chicks wouldn’t come in contact with the hen. 5 were viable, all hatched. I dunked them in a solution before hatching them. They came out fine.

It was a silly experiment. I don’t recommend it and I didn’t think it would work but it did and those chicks are about 3 weeks old now lol

Tell me more about this solution you use. I’ve just been sticking them in the bator.
I have no chickens or I would totally try that lol