Incubators Anonymous

[scflock]

Just For Info for the ones that might not know----When it comes to incubating Day 1 starts 24hrs after you put them in the incubator---not the day you set them.

Are you using a still air incubator-----if so move the outer eggs to the middle every day if you are hand turning them---at least every couple days if you are using a turner till Lock-down. If about all your eggs are hatching late---increase your temp 1/2 degree for the next hatch and see how that goes.

I think I'm counting right. The day they are set is zero, so if I set on a Friday, day 21 will be on a Friday, correct? I'm using a Brinsea Octagon 20, so I'm pretty confident in the parameters. I think my delayed hatch came from older eggs. I collecte them for 2 weeks before setting, and didn't turn as often as I should. 15 of the 17 hatched from day 20-21. 16 and 17 hatched day 22 and 23. The day 22 chick had splayed legs, but I strapped that one and it was corrected in 5 days. Day 23 pipped, but didn't hatch, and was stuck in the shell still when I got home from work that night. I helped it out (which I never do) and left it in the incubator overnight. It died 4 days later. I had 2 eggs that died in the shell with no pip, and most of my other eggs pipped further to the end of the shell than I expected. I think maybe my humidity was a touch high for the first 18 days I incubated the first 18 days at 40-42%. I'm dropping to 35-38% this go around. I have 24 cooking right now that will be due Feb. 6-7, so I will be able to compare the hatch rates with different humidities

 

[ladycat]

I'm using a Brinsea Octagon 20, so I'm pretty confident in the parameters. I think my delayed hatch came from older eggs. I collecte them for 2 weeks before setting, and didn't turn as often as I should.

I have a Brinsea Oct 20 and my chicken eggs hatch exactly on the 21st day.

I try not to use eggs older than 10 days, preferably not more than 7. They are in a cool room and turned daily before putting in the incubator.

 

[Faraday40]

Hi ccr chickens, I hope you have as good a hatch as I got with my Hovabator. I have nothing to complain about with mine. I got 10 out of 12 eggs and would have had one more if I hadn't jumped the gun. It is work because you have to keep an eye on them but I enjoy it. It's exciting to me and worth it. It was really funny to me, I had gotten 3 dozen eggs from a man that had just gotten them fresh one day. I told him not to wash them and I went through and picked out 12 of the cleanest eggs and in the colors I wanted and every egg ended up being fertile. I have never put eggs in the incubator that had 100% fertility. I couldn't believe what good luck I had. I can't wait to see what my chicks will look like when they feather out. I have 4 that are gray and I'm really excited to see what they will look like.

Sounds like you got a perfect batch of eggs. The air cells can become detached during shipment,so a local egg source is always better. I hope you get a lot of females! We start guessing around 2-3 weeks.

 

[DMRippy]

 
 I had egg in lockdown that were Due Sunday.  I think one or two hatch by monday.  I candled the eggs and they were still moving but only a few internal pips..... Tuesday a few more hatched..... today a few more hatching and some still just pipped..... I don't know what happened but they were all set the same time.  My temps must have been lower in the bator and I KNOW they were a little lower in the hatcher but still in the 90's should not have been 4 days of delay in hatching.

I will say most of the eggs are not looking too good so something happened bigger than just a temp drop..... IDK.

First, when do you start counting your days--------the day you put them in the incubator or the next day/24hrs later as day 1?

Having 1 degree difference makes a difference in when your chicks will hatch------2 or 3 degree's makes Alot of difference and is not good for some/most of them.

I know you wanted to see what was happening in the eggs since they did not hatch on time and most people would, But In My Opinion opening the incubator to remove and light the eggs can/could create more problems---so alot was against them.

This is Not my first rodeo. I have been hatching for years and my Bator is usually full with 540 eggs. I hatch on average 2000 eggs a year or more. My Hatcher and bator are in their own room and the humidity in that room is high enought that when I open the door I sometimes get a drip ow water on my head. Opening the Hatcher is not a big deal unless your Hatcher loses all of its humidity even then I have had pretty God hatched with no humidity. I understand temps can delay development I have had my bator tuned off for a couple of days and still had good hatches.

The weird part of this is they were ALL set at the same time and hatching over 4-5 days is strange.

 

[scflock]

I have a Brinsea Oct 20 and my chicken eggs hatch exactly on the 21st day.

I try not to use eggs older than 10 days, preferably not more than 7. They are in a cool room and turned daily before putting in the incubator.

Most of my eggs were 7 days or less, but I was trying to run a full load for the first run, and my Polish aren't laying much, so I held those a little longer. I planned this hatch better, and loaded it mostly with 1 week maran eggs. I'm just going to wait and put in more Polish when they start laying more in the spring

 

[PD-Riverman]

This is Not my first rodeo. I have been hatching for years and my Bator is usually full with 540 eggs. I hatch on average 2000 eggs a year or more. My Hatcher and bator are in their own room and the humidity in that room is high enought that when I open the door I sometimes get a drip ow water on my head. Opening the Hatcher is not a big deal unless your Hatcher loses all of its humidity even then I have had pretty God hatched with no humidity. I understand temps can delay development I have had my bator tuned off for a couple of days and still had good hatches.

The weird part of this is they were ALL set at the same time and hatching over 4-5 days is strange.

Don't take it personal-----I did not have time to Look "You" up to see how much knowledge you have hatching. You did have alot of questionable statements and said "IDK" and "I don't know". I am here Just trying to help anyone that ask and anyone I can. Sorry!

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: I didn't. My IDK's were and still are I don't know what happened. There are some still internally pipped some just pipping. I have NEVER had a hatch like this. Maybe the eggs got frozen and that caused something weird.

Strange hatches can happen....

 

[ladycat]

I didn't. My IDK's were and still are I don't know what happened. There are some still internally pipped some just pipping. I have NEVER had a hatch like this. Maybe the eggs got frozen and that caused something weird.

Strange hatches can happen....

Are you sure you don't have aliens visiting at night performing strange experiments in your incubator?

 

[DMRippy]

Quote: Maybe!

The only thing I can think of that was really really different..... my bator was not FULL of eggs. Those were the only eggs in that MEGA Bator. Maybe when it is full it holds temp better and more even. I just set another batch maybe I should go ahead and set more this week and see if that fixes the temps. I also bought new heating elements (ceramic personal heaters)

Did you see my auction I put up for Lavender Copper Marans? You need to win them.....

 

[PD-Riverman]

I didn't. My IDK's were and still are I don't know what happened. There are some still internally pipped some just pipping. I have NEVER had a hatch like this. Maybe the eggs got frozen and that caused something weird.

Strange hatches can happen....

Yep strange things do happen------like I just came in from putting 257 more eggs in the incubator to go with 320+ already incubating. Maybe not strange---maybe crazy!