incubator help again.. :/

[Necklace]

Hello I am still having some major incubator problems.. I started with a 7 egg incubator with no themador.. my local feed store did not sell themadors so I bought a new model that holds 40 eggs called the "little giant" it does everything... rotates the eggs.. temp control.. and a built in thermador ... I read all the forums and starters on how to start hatching eggs.. but everything is going wrong.. I have lost 14 eggs so far.. they get to the 7 day mark before hatching.. one day they are moving around the next they stop and about 2 days later they are jelly inside? I have two left that are at the 7 day mark one does not look to bad.. not any movement though and the other was full of chick on day then the next the top of the egg "which should be mostly chick" is becoming more transparent and the chick seems to be getting smaller in the egg? I am keeping the humidity at about 65% like they say to do when they hit a certain age.. but I don't know what else could be killing them.. I read all these posts about people having 80%-95% hatch rate and it is driving me nuts that I keep killing them.. I am not sure what else to do.

 

[feedman77]

I don't understand the 7 day mark.

Takes 21 days to hatch chicken eggs.

If your are running 65 percent humidity for incubation that's kind or high.

I personally dry incubate. Try to keep humidity at 20 to 30 percent for the first 18 days. Then raise to 70 to 80 for hatch.

Have you checked the thermometer that controls the temp with a 2nd thermometer. Some that are on the incubator can be off.

 

[Necklace]

oh... sorry.. the 7 day mark is what I am going by with the air sac... meaning they only have around 7ish days till hatching.. everything I have read is that you have to raise the humidity when they are that close to hatching..

I have kept the humidity at around 65-70 but it seems like every time it gets to the point where I need to raise the humidity they all start dieing. they do fine until the last week and a half then they stop moving as much then when I raise the humidity when it is time they all go down hill ... it is driving me crazy... should I do no humidity at all? that is the only thing I have not tried.. :/

I mark them on the day I put them in and I did not turn the humidity up till they were around day 16... I just have real problems when I hit the mark when they only have around 7 days left.

 

[feedman77]

Give reduced humidity a try.

If the don't lose enough moisture the could drown.

I don't raise humidity til day 18. When I remove them from the turner and lock them down.

If your air cell looks like a 7 day aircell at day 18 it's to small and the chick has died or will probably drown if it tries to internal pip.

Hope your future hatches are better.

 

[Necklace]

Thank you I will try that. so keep the humidity low at all times?

 

[feedman77]

Here is a link.

Some pretty good info.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1088873/styrofoam-incubators-club/0_100#post_16757945

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Hello I am still having some major incubator problems.. I started with a 7 egg incubator with no themador.. my local feed store did not sell themadors so I bought a new model that holds 40 eggs called the "little giant" it does everything... rotates the eggs.. temp control.. and a built in thermador ... I read all the forums and starters on how to start hatching eggs.. but everything is going wrong.. I have lost 14 eggs so far.. they get to the 7 day mark before hatching.. one day they are moving around the next they stop and about 2 days later they are jelly inside? I have two left that are at the 7 day mark one does not look to bad.. not any movement though and the other was full of chick on day then the next the top of the egg "which should be mostly chick" is becoming more transparent and the chick seems to be getting smaller in the egg? I am keeping the humidity at about 65% like they say to do when they hit a certain age.. but I don't know what else could be killing them.. I read all these posts about people having 80%-95% hatch rate and it is driving me nuts that I keep killing them.. I am not sure what else to do.

Give this a read. I use the LG 9200. The first thing you need to know is if you bought the 9300 and you are doing by the digital display for temps, they are probably too low and that is half your problem and humidity is as well. http://hatching411.weebly.com/ Feel free to PM me as well.

 

[Necklace]

Here is a link.

Some pretty good info.



https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1088873/styrofoam-incubators-club/0_100#post_16757945

I read the whole post and now I am more confused. :/ everyone is saying something different.. I am about to just give up and buy them from the feed store.. just thought it would be fun to hatch them myself since I have a pain in the rear rooster and all.. :/

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I read the whole post and now I am more confused. :/ everyone is saying something different.. I am about to just give up and buy them from the feed store.. just thought it would be fun to hatch them myself since I have a pain in the rear rooster and all.. :/

I'm telling you, the best thing you can do is find what works for you and it's fairly easy if you follow your air cells. If you have the little Giant 9300, you definitely need a checked thermometer in there because the display on those are normally off. Here's a guide to humidity to help understand how to figure it all out: http://letsraisechickens.weebly.com...anuals-understanding-and-controlling-humidity and here's a link to hatching in general, especially in styro bators: http://hatching411.weebly.com/

 

[Necklace]

Give this a read. I use the LG 9200. The first thing you need to know is if you bought the 9300 and you are doing by the digital display for temps, they are probably too low and that is half your problem and humidity is as well. http://hatching411.weebly.com/ Feel free to PM me as well.

yeah.. I have read almost the entire forum on the pro's and con's of different incubation. my incubator does not have a model number that I can see... it is the little Giant 9300 stull ari incubator, 10300 circulated air incubator, 7300 heated with air circulating fan kit, 6300 automatic egg turner. that is all I can find on it.