- Jul 22, 2014
- 29
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Hello Poultry people,
I am new to this forum and I am loving all the friendly helpful posts I see people leaving on a daily basis. I am very happy to be a part of this web community.
I am a new chicken "farmer". I am trying to raise a flock of Black Copper Marans and a flock of Ameraucana chickens. I have run 4 separate batches of eggs from my Ameraucana hens in my home made incubator with little success and I can not figure out what I am doing wrong. Of the 4 batches I get 2 out of 14 eggs hatching healthy chicks. I have opened the other eggs once the chance of late hatchers has passed sufficiently. Of the eggs that do not hatch most of them have fully formed chicks with a fairly large air sack. Here is point form what I think the issues and facts are.
Incubator
-Built it out of a large Styrofoam pet store fish cooler. Has a plastic double pained window in the front about 8" round.
-Computer fan in corner near top of lid next to light bulb socket (40w small bulb has been the most accurate). Aluminum foil separates fan from bulb. (seems to keep the temp more accurate with tin foil there)
-water dishes under light for moisture.
-Incubator Warehouse Incu +Plus for reading my temp and humidity on opposite side/end from light with the sensor at egg height.
-Automatic egg turner. The yellow kind for Hovibators
-I have various temp and humidity combos. Have tried for first 18 days, 55% & 95*F then 60% & 95 for last three. This last time 60% & 99.5*F then 70% and 99.5*F. These will vary by 3 % or 3 degrees. (this may be my problem)
-Cooler was cleaned well with vinegar
-Last three days the lid stays on at all times.
-I have 4 1/2inch air holes in the lid and three 1/2 inch air holes in the base which I open and close as needed. Usually I leave 2 in the base open and 3 on the lid open for the duration of the incubation. The chicks that do hatch seem to be breathing easily.
The last thing I have not tried is getting eggs from a younger hen. Has anyone had problems with hatching eggs from older hens? Rooster is young. I got the hens 2 years ago and the breeder sold them because they were getting "older" I think is what she said to me.
Anyways, any ideas what my problem might be? Its getting pretty frustrating to say the least. Two more chicks hatched today and only two more chicks to raise for 8 weeks in my garage. I wish I was putting the same effort into raising 10 more chicks in the garage as apposed to 2. Although I am grateful my flock is growing.
Cheers and thanks for any advice.
I am new to this forum and I am loving all the friendly helpful posts I see people leaving on a daily basis. I am very happy to be a part of this web community.
I am a new chicken "farmer". I am trying to raise a flock of Black Copper Marans and a flock of Ameraucana chickens. I have run 4 separate batches of eggs from my Ameraucana hens in my home made incubator with little success and I can not figure out what I am doing wrong. Of the 4 batches I get 2 out of 14 eggs hatching healthy chicks. I have opened the other eggs once the chance of late hatchers has passed sufficiently. Of the eggs that do not hatch most of them have fully formed chicks with a fairly large air sack. Here is point form what I think the issues and facts are.
Incubator
-Built it out of a large Styrofoam pet store fish cooler. Has a plastic double pained window in the front about 8" round.
-Computer fan in corner near top of lid next to light bulb socket (40w small bulb has been the most accurate). Aluminum foil separates fan from bulb. (seems to keep the temp more accurate with tin foil there)
-water dishes under light for moisture.
-Incubator Warehouse Incu +Plus for reading my temp and humidity on opposite side/end from light with the sensor at egg height.
-Automatic egg turner. The yellow kind for Hovibators
-I have various temp and humidity combos. Have tried for first 18 days, 55% & 95*F then 60% & 95 for last three. This last time 60% & 99.5*F then 70% and 99.5*F. These will vary by 3 % or 3 degrees. (this may be my problem)
-Cooler was cleaned well with vinegar
-Last three days the lid stays on at all times.
-I have 4 1/2inch air holes in the lid and three 1/2 inch air holes in the base which I open and close as needed. Usually I leave 2 in the base open and 3 on the lid open for the duration of the incubation. The chicks that do hatch seem to be breathing easily.
The last thing I have not tried is getting eggs from a younger hen. Has anyone had problems with hatching eggs from older hens? Rooster is young. I got the hens 2 years ago and the breeder sold them because they were getting "older" I think is what she said to me.
Anyways, any ideas what my problem might be? Its getting pretty frustrating to say the least. Two more chicks hatched today and only two more chicks to raise for 8 weeks in my garage. I wish I was putting the same effort into raising 10 more chicks in the garage as apposed to 2. Although I am grateful my flock is growing.
Cheers and thanks for any advice.
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