Incubators Anonymous

[DMRippy]

So tomorrow is lockdown for me. I told you all about the bad shipping my eggs went thru and I pretty much thought the 4 legbar eggs were no good going into the incubator. I was right...one infertile.....no sign of anything inside. Three look like early quitters. I will take them out tomorrow after candling them one more time...but they were pretty much clear except for a small black patch. So that left the 2 Isbar eggs. I went to candle them on day 16 and had two chicks! Then disaster!!!! One egg dropped and smashed on the tile floor! Oh, I was sick to my stomach as I scooped up the small little black Isbar and held it while it died! Ugg! Why does this happen????? Why didn't I drop the eggs that were not good! So, that leaves me with one Isbar going into lockdown by itself! I agoinzed over that chick! Could I have saved it? Can one be saved at day 16? It only had 5 days left to go! I hate stuff like this to happen! Anyway, am scrabbling to find a day old chick to have for when this chick hatches so it won't have to be alone. Will let you guys know how it all turns out.

One tip....I don't take the eggs out of the tray. I candle in the tray so I don't have to worry about dropping them. It also goes much quicker. Sorry that happened... I hope you find some chicks. Might want to put an ad on CL to see if you can find some locally.

 

[Flowerbh]

One tip....I don't take the eggs out of the tray. I candle in the tray so I don't have to worry about dropping them. It also goes much quicker. Sorry that happened... I hope you find some chicks. Might want to put an ad on CL to see if you can find some locally.

I wasn't sure if I am experienced enough to know what I was looking at. 3 of the eggs had some dark area, but as of today....lockdown, it is only a small area. The rest of the eggs are clear. My guess is that they were early quitters. I will look at them in a little while to see what was going on.

 

[Flowerbh]

Ok, so my egg is in lockdown. I took the turner out and want to wash it. Do you guys take the little motor off and submerge it in bleach water? Just hot soapy water? Or do you just keep the motor on and dip it? Please let me know. My next batch of eggs comes next week and I want to get things in order. Thanks

 

[SewChaos]

I have an incubator/hatcher question, I figured this might be a good place to ask. I have a homemade cooler-bator I made, and I'd like to turn it into a hatcher - Does it need to have a fan, or would a still-air work fine? When I used it as an incubator I didn't have a fan, but one of the air-bubble pumps from an aquarium pumped in fresh air and circulated it a bit.

Thoughts?

 

[Flowerbh]

I just cracked open the Legbar eggs after they were in the incubator until lockdown. There was no sign of any development. No blood, no nothing. The yolks were not intact, but kind-of scrambled. Could it be possible that these eggs were not fertile or would there be no sign of anything it the eggs were fertile but got jostled to death in the mail? Trying to learn. The two Isbar eggs sent with the CL eggs were both good.

 

[ki4got]

Ok, so my egg is in lockdown. I took the turner out and want to wash it. Do you guys take the little motor off and submerge it in bleach water? Just hot soapy water? Or do you just keep the motor on and dip it? Please let me know. My next batch of eggs comes next week and I want to get things in order. Thanks

unless i've had a stinker leak/explode, i just wash the egg rails (taken off the rack). hot soapy water should do just fine.

 

[Chick_In_The_Burbs]

Hello! Glad I found this thread! DH bought me an incubator for Christmas and I have a feeling I am going to be hooked! I was riled with a broody and this will probably be even better! I have been wanting to hatch eggs for over a year now and I finally have the incubator and space to do it!

I am trying to hatch-to-sell as a business/hobby. I am fully open to any tips, advise or input! I have a farm inovators 4200 with turner and am currently eyeing some olive egger, true ameraucana, and EE eggs (one lot listing). I tried to get some 'farm fresh' mix eggs but there are none available.

 

[ki4got]

I have an incubator/hatcher question, I figured this might be a good place to ask. I have a homemade cooler-bator I made, and I'd like to turn it into a hatcher - Does it need to have a fan, or would a still-air work fine? When I used it as an incubator I didn't have a fan, but one of the air-bubble pumps from an aquarium pumped in fresh air and circulated it a bit.

Thoughts?

i personally prefer circulated air... and make sure you have plenty of vent holes, hatching eggs need a lot more fresh air than early-set ones, as the chicks are just learning to breathe...

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

unless i've had a stinker leak/explode, i just wash the egg rails (taken off the rack). hot soapy water should do just fine.

x2 or even a misting with bleach water sanitizer

 

[Overoberyl]

I just cracked open the Legbar eggs after they were in the incubator until lockdown. There was no sign of any development. No blood, no nothing. The yolks were not intact, but kind-of scrambled. Could it be possible that these eggs were not fertile or would there be no sign of anything it the eggs were fertile but got jostled to death in the mail? Trying to learn. The two Isbar eggs sent with the CL eggs were both good.

I think when they are scrambled like that it's from shipping damage. Infertile eggs that are still intact would probably still look like eggs, yolk intact, clear albumin, etc., and of course you can only tell for sure that they are infertile if there is no bullseye (blastoderm).