Incubators Anonymous

[Arielle]

Quote: it'd have to belong to paul bunyan or something, to be big enough. LOL

just just adopted 4 more. she's up to 46 now.

Oh what a good girl!!

 

[Arielle]

I seriously need an intervention ! Last hatch was a bomb-- not one hatched. 15 made it to lock down , one ex pipped upside down, then nada. I opened a couple, seem too wet.

WHY??

I moved my precious BCM to broodies, maybe they will do a better job. ANd I'm refilling the incubator in an effort to get it right!! TUrkey eggs are much easier to see thru than EE and BCM.

Of course, I already have 3 pens of chicks!! lol and have sold a bundle. But I need to sell more , right? So I can set a few more, right?

 

[ChickNmamma]

Anyone examine failed hatch eggs? I lost 2 incubaters full so far. it seems the Embrio started and then stopped. about the time I candled them at 7 days. I am by no means rough with the eggs and can't help but blame the temp issues. I have played with the hobovater temps and the thermometers. I even bouth 2 lacross indoor outdoor thermometers and put those probes on the eggs.and thus came to the conclution my eggs never hatched on time because the thermometers that came with the hobrovators were defective. The eggs I hatched in the past were 89 F and they took 2 days longer to get out of the shell. I see now why they were slow to hatch

Yes, I always do "Eggtopsies" after a hatch. I candle first - if they look really dark I will open them carefully from just the air cell side to see if they were internally pipped. It has saved me from having a stinky mess when it wasn't dark because of a chick. It also helps me see if they are moving and maybe can be saved. I had one I did this on that was actually still alive - I helped it out (fully absorbed just too weak to break the shell because of the low temperature and a bit shrink wrapped). The eggs that still look too light I will crack into a bowl and determine how far along it died. There is a chart somewhere that details exactly how far along an embryo is so I can tell on which day it quit. I know this will probably gross somebody out, but I scramble up all the light quitters and feed them back to the chickens after I determine when they quit. The dark ones get a burial in the garden with a final "goodbye".

I also had a low reading thermometer in my incubator, I adjusted the heat to match it (it was probably 97 instead of 99 though) and the hatches were a day or two late. Unfortunately it also resulted in my loosing three or four completely formed chicks that didn't have enough strength to pip because of the extra length of time to form. I had a few sticky chicks too that I had to help out. Low temperatures are better than high ones though - high temperatures in the initial 7 days can cause severe deformities.. like missing eyes or brains outside of skulls.. ewwww....

It didn't help that I had two staggered hatches and one "emergency" rescue from a broody taking off on lockdown eggs in the middle of incubating these eggs either. I had to up the humidity twice whereas I normally wouldn't do that, once within 5 days of setting the new eggs (not recommended!). I use a cabinet incubator now because I can't keep the exterior temperatures steady enough to use the Styrofoam ones. I can't even use them for "lockdown" to take the eggs out of the Cabinet (a preferred method of staggered hatches).

However, the one staggered hatch was when I found out about the temperature being off. That hatch was a day late so I bought a Brinsea Spot Check to see why - best 30 bucks I have spent yet!

 

[Mr MKK FARMS]

Just put some more eggs in today.

 

[Duck Drover]

I have been wondering what to do with the infertile eggs when I pull them out of the incubator around day seven. I could scramble them and feed them to the chickens or give them to the cat? I was not sure if they would be rotten after cooking for a week so I just throw them away (I don't even save the eggshells for the worms because I am afraid they will stink if I open them).

I have checked eggs to try to determine why they did not hatch but looking at the egg only helps me know approximately when it died, not why it died. I have had a couple pip internally and then die but I don't know why when the rest hatch fine.

On this last batch I did have one I thought was dead two days after its due date because it had not pipped internally and I could not see movement. I zipped open the egg with a grapefruit spoon and saw the membrane was intact, then I opened the membrane and gor bleeding and saw a duckling alive and breathing. I wrapped the egg in a wet papertowel and left it another 24 hours, then pulled its bill out to see if I could see the yoke sack. I left it a few more hours and then pulled its head out so I could see in the egg. It was too weak to hatch so it died anyway.

 

[ozexpat]

I have been wondering what to do with the infertile eggs when I pull them out of the incubator around day 7. I could scramble them and feed them to the chickens or give them to the cat? I was not sure if they would be rotten after cooking for a week so I just throw them away (I don't even save the eggshells for the worms because I am afraid they will stink if I open them.

boil them. mash them shells and all, feed them back to chickens. it takes 3 pound of feed to get one pound of eggs so you might as well reduce your feed bill.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: x2
I try to candle by day 10. Pulling the clears. I break them into a cake pan,drop in the shell, heat in oven til set and feed back to the layers. I ahven't had any stinkies by that date; actually they are in remarkable shape.

WHen eggs are older . . . your choice. I recycle as much as I can, it is all protein and chickens are omnivores. I break open each one and sort. Some are buried in the compost pile. As I said, choices.

 

[RideRed93]

My eggs have been at 95-97 for about half of their development.. (I bought a gauge that was reading higher then the actual temperature) they have been at 99 for a while now.. so my QUESTION is..
Should I expect them to hatch late? how many days later?
How do I help them if they are stuck and need help getting out of the shell?
How did you know the yolk was absorbed?
If I open the egg and the yolk sac is not absorbed how will I keep the chick alive until it's ready?

This is my time I had to deal with low temperatures.. so I'm hoping you could help me answer my questions..

Thanks!

Yes, I always do "Eggtopsies" after a hatch.  I candle first - if they look really dark I will open them carefully from just the air cell side to see if they were internally pipped.  It has saved me from having a stinky mess when it wasn't dark because of a chick.  It also helps me see if they are moving and maybe can be saved.  I had one I did this on that was actually still alive - I helped it out (fully absorbed just too weak to break the shell because of the low temperature and a bit shrink wrapped).  The eggs that still look too light I will crack into a bowl and determine how far along it died.  There is a chart somewhere that details exactly how far along an embryo is so I can tell on which day it quit.  I know this will probably gross somebody out, but I scramble up all the light quitters and feed them back to the chickens after I determine when they quit.  The dark ones get a burial in the garden with a final "goodbye".

I also had a low reading thermometer in my incubator, I adjusted the heat to match it (it was probably 97 instead of 99 though) and the hatches were a day or two late.  Unfortunately it also resulted in my loosing three or four completely formed chicks that didn't have enough strength to pip because of the extra length of time to form.  I had a few sticky chicks too that I had to help out.  Low temperatures are better than high ones though - high temperatures in the initial 7 days can cause severe deformities.. like missing eyes or brains outside of skulls.. ewwww....

It didn't help that I had two staggered hatches and one "emergency" rescue from a broody taking off on lockdown eggs in the middle of incubating these eggs either.  I had to up the humidity twice whereas I normally wouldn't do that, once within 5 days of setting the new eggs (not recommended!).  I use a cabinet incubator now because I can't keep the exterior temperatures steady enough to use the Styrofoam ones.  I can't even use them for "lockdown" to take the eggs out of the Cabinet (a preferred method of staggered hatches).

However, the one staggered hatch was when I found out about the temperature being off. That hatch was a day late so I bought a Brinsea Spot Check to see why - best 30 bucks I have spent yet!

 

[Brendap58]

What is lockdown?

 

[Tammy N]

What is lockdown?

Lock down 2 days before hatch day you turn off the Turner or Quit Turning your Eggs and Do not open the Incubator.