Incubators Anonymous

[ChickyChickens]

Well I am Wishing You Some Very, Very good Luck---Hoping All 52 Hatch!!!!!

Thanks...i'll be vry happy if 46+ hatch!!!

 

[Faraday40]

Has anyone used a bantam Orpinton as a broody? If so, about how many large fowl eggs can they incubate successfully?
Here's the hen we're considering:

 

[ChickyChickens]

Has anyone used a bantam Orpinton as a broody? If so, about how many large fowl eggs can they incubate successfully?
Here's the hen we're considering:

Nope

 

[orumpoultry]

Set up the incubator tonight. Going to try and have it level temped by Wednesday to set my quail eggs.

 

[CashandTracy]

If that is the case I did and apologize. 70% is great for hatching. I would then ask what were/are the conditions in the incubator which were not addressed.

I want to say thank you to every one who gave me advice!

I am currently trying to keep my humidity around 35% instead of 25, I set 26 eggs on the first, we'll see what happens.

 

[CashandTracy]

I built a nice cooler incubator that works great as an incubator. Backyard eggs get about 90% hatch rates in it. But on shipped eggs, I get deaths during the last few days. ie- My last hatch of shipped eggs, I had 8 out of 12 alive on day 18. Only 1 hatched. Most died before I did the eggtopsies on Day 24, but one died because of the eggtopsy. I felt horrible.

I do my best to increase the humidity, but perhaps the fan is drying them out. I'm considering using my old Hovabator as a hatcher. I added a computer fan to the Hovabator as well, but someone recommended turning it off as the chicks begin to hatch (so the chicks don't dry out.) Does anyone use a circulated air for incubating & still-air for hatching?

Any ideas on what I could modify?
Method I Use:
incubation = 99.5 - 100'F temp with 30-35% humidity (semi-dry hatch method) Use a manual see-saw turner 3xs daily
hatching- stop turning, add larger water container, sponges & rags to increase humidity to 70%
Here's where I may have my problem. About 36-48 hours later, the sponges & rags start to dry & drops to 50%. I must open to quickly swap out sponges. A few min later the humidity is back up to 70%. It does not seem to affect the backyard eggs, but the shipped eggs are more delicate with their detached air cells.

I use a circulated air for both incubating and hatching. I tried using a still air for hatching and spent a majority of time fighting with the temperature. I have since switched to circulated air for hatching. While I am having problems with my hatch rate I have discovered that if I keep the humidity at 70% or greater for hatching I don't have problems with them drying out, if the humidity falls below this I have had problems with the chicks getting stuck because of dried membranes.

 

[Faraday40]

I use a circulated air for both incubating and hatching. I tried using a still air for hatching and spent a majority of time fighting with the temperature. I have since switched to circulated air for hatching. While I am having problems with my hatch rate I have discovered that if I keep the humidity at 70% or greater for hatching I don't have problems with them drying out, if the humidity falls below this I have had problems with the chicks getting stuck because of dried membranes.

Have you tried a "dry incubation" method? (adding very little water during incubation for 20-30% humidity) I aim for 35%, but I'm too nervous to go lower. Plus my incubator dries out too quickly if I do not add water daily. That's why I wondered about the fan. Temperature is very stable, though. Even if I open the door, it returns to 99.5'F within 30 sec to 2 min. (I added water bottles as heat sinks.)

 

[CashandTracy]

Have you tried a "dry incubation" method? (adding very little water during incubation for 20-30% humidity) I aim for 35%, but I'm too nervous to go lower. Plus my incubator dries out too quickly if I do not add water daily. That's why I wondered about the fan. Temperature is very stable, though. Even if I open the door, it returns to 99.5'F within 30 sec to 2 min. (I added water bottles as heat sinks.)

I have always used "dry incubation", I only add water if the humidity goes below 20%. I was having hatch rates at around 80%, however lately my hatch rate has been bad. I suspect a nutrition problem, so I am tackling that, but I am also trying a slight increase in humidity to keep it around 35%.

To keep my humidity up during hatching I use fish tank air tubing and a 20cc syringe to add water. I just insert the tube thru one of the ventilation holes in the top, suck up some water with the syringe and "plug" it into the tubing and squirt the water where I want it. That way I never have to open the top. It is very dry here so I have to add water daily during hatching.

 

[Faraday40]

I have always used "dry incubation", I only add water if the humidity goes below 20%. I was having hatch rates at around 80%, however lately my hatch rate has been bad. I suspect a nutrition problem, so I am tackling that, but I am also trying a slight increase in humidity to keep it around 35%.

To keep my humidity up during hatching I use fish tank air tubing and a 20cc syringe to add water. I just insert the tube thru one of the ventilation holes in the top, suck up some water with the syringe and "plug" it into the tubing and squirt the water where I want it. That way I never have to open the top. It is very dry here so I have to add water daily during hatching.

So do you kind of wiggle & move the tube around to squirt water where you want?

I have a tiny funnel & tube taped in place that leads to my water dish. (How I normally add water.) During the last days, I add sponges & wet rags in addition to the wider water dish. I can keep the dish full, but perhaps another pipeline may be the answer.

 

[Faraday40]

CashandTracy-
Thanks for the advice.