incubating chicken eggs and guinea eggs

[neontlnurs]

I am new here to forum, wondering if this appropriate place to ask about still air versus circulated air incubator.

 

[neontlnurs]

Ima, new here and new to incubation. I have been raising chickens for about a year. I presently own a cheap yellow new circulated air incubator, incubated some expensive silkie eggs from EBay, two pipped, but never made it from shell. I take full responsibility though, I opened incubator several times during lockdown.......learned the hard way.
I now have 14 new silkie eggs from EBay in my incubator, in a new area, dark, no drafts, and off limits to me. MY QUESTION........I don’t normally keep roosters at all, but ended up with three who have just now come of reproductive age, so I kept seven eggs from my pet hens and started them along with my newly arrived silkies! I have opportunity to buy a MADE IN AMERICA used still air incubator ( Little Giant 9300) with egg turner. Is it worth $50, do the still air work as well, or should I add a $40 heater fan to fit the 9300? Thanks

 

[Pyxis]

You can open the incubator during lockdown, that does not kill chicks that are hatching. If it lowers the humidity a lot and you don't get it back up, it can result in the chick getting stuck on the egg, but you can help it out and it will be fine.

Personally I am not a fan of LGs. I never had a good hatch in one. They aren't good at keeping stable temperatures and keeping the humidity correct can be a nightmare.

Forced air is easier to incubate with than still air. If you do buy the LG, don't waste $40 on the fan kit, just take an old computer fan and connect it to an old phone charger and add that. There you go, forced air for free, or $10 if you need to buy the fan and charger.

 

[thechickgal]

Okay so I set the chicken eggs. I put in a heat sink as well ( used a water bottle. ). The temperature still fluctuates just not as much. The temperature ranges from 98 to 103. I hope I can still get the eggs to hatch.

 

[thechickgal]

Update on the eggs. I candled two of the chicken eggs and could make out tiny embryos. . I candled the guinea eggs and didn't see any veining. Does that mean they weren't fertile. The guy I got them from said he didn't know for sure but that he's hatched some recently. Also I seemed to have got the temperature fluctuation problem under control thinks to the great advice.

 

[Leaguinea]

Update on the eggs. I candled two of the chicken eggs and could make out tiny embryos. . I candled the guinea eggs and didn't see any veining. Does that mean they weren't fertile. The guy I got them from said he didn't know for sure but that he's hatched some recently. Also I seemed to have got the temperature fluctuation problem under control thinks to the great advice.

What day are the guinea eggs at? I usually can't see veining in mine till about 10 days.

 

[thechickgal]

The guinea eggs are at 10 days. I haven't candled them yet today though.