Incubators Anonymous

[PD-Riverman]

Thanks. I've been letting them peek out and start. I did quarter of 1 side open the shells if they peeked a hole and later it didn't change or take a half off of a couple that looked "shrink wrapped" I guess.

It sound like from this comment you are opening the incubator during the hatch-----if so it might not effect your final hatch where you live, but if I opened during day 19,20,21 my hatch percentage goes WAAAAAAAAAAAY down, having all kinds of shrink wrapping, etc, etc. My Family knows---"You Better Not Open My Incubator during that time----there would be WAR". Good Luck

 

[CLSranch]

I opened LATE day 21 then again in the morning. Added water both times but was worried due to the low humidity on days 18-21. Thinking day 23 (tomorrow) if I candle and help it may be weak but, probably would've died if I hadn't. My last batch a hen set I found 2 eggs that didn't make it but she stayed on several days. A week later I opened them and thought 1 would've made it if I'd have opened it, it was developed.

 

[CLSranch]

And I don't have the best incubator steady and right temp is not as precise as a nice cabinet. But they were left alone during lock down days and candled well on day 17.

 

[DMRippy]

The few mins I am in the hatcher is not going to change my hatch or shrink wrapping. If your humidity is correct it will recover. There are things you can do to fix it if you lose all your humidity if you open the hatcher. Add a wet paper towel, spray the eggs with water... it doesn't take much to get the humidity back up in small or cabinet bators.

That is from someone that has hatched CONSERVATIVELY 18,000 chicks.

 

[gander007]

Todays hatch a Molten Houdan and very healthy just took of running all over the incubator

 

[wabbit1964]

1 EE born before bed last night and one before I got up this morning

 

[turkeylover69]

Omg guys I'm new to this forum but I am incubating eastern wild turkey eggs they are at about 1.5 weeks and I bumped into the incubator and see way less movement in the eggs but it is night time so does that effect it all do you think they are dead?

 

[PD-Riverman]

Oh, boy! If you lived closer I would take those 8 dozen. I work at 1 dozen at a time.

Stryker, I quoted your post because 3 weeks ago I told you I had my worse hatch in 2 years...92%, but I did have several problems that might have affected that hatch--

1. a lot of 10 to 14 day old eggs,
2. power went off for a few hours while I was gone---came on about the time I got there--dropped to a little above 90 degree's
3. I readjusted the electronic thermostat and not thinking went the wrong way and caused the temp to be 104/105 for a few hours.

I re-set the big incubator 3 weeks ago-----288 eggs, My 80yr old Mom candled the eggs for me while I placed them in the trays, she had me to look a 3 eggs during that candling that were not as "formed" as the others and I told her we would add them and give them a chance to hatch----the rest of the eggs we removed were clear-----over 50 clear eggs---alot from one breed/pen---looks like the rooster took a long break and most of the rest came from the 1 rooster with 17 hens I have in another pen(white leghorns). I had 236 at lock down, took them out this morning and all hatched but 3(not sure if it was the 3 eggs in question because I did not mark them)--- so counting those 3 eggs I was around a 99% hatch for fertile eggs. Decent hatch this time!!

 

[stryker]

Stryker, I quoted your post because 3 weeks ago I told you I had my worse hatch in 2 years...92%, but I did have several problems that might have affected that hatch--

1. a lot of 10 to 14 day old eggs,
2. power went off for a few hours while I was gone---came on about the time I got there--dropped to a little above 90 degree's
3. I readjusted the electronic thermostat and not thinking went the wrong way and caused the temp to be 104/105 for a few hours.

I re-set the big incubator 3 weeks ago-----288 eggs, My 80yr old Mom candled the eggs for me while I placed them in the trays, she had me to look a 3 eggs during that candling that were not as "formed" as the others and I told her we would add them and give them a chance to hatch----the rest of the eggs we removed were clear-----over 50 clear eggs---alot from one breed/pen---looks like the rooster took a long break and most of the rest came from the 1 rooster with 17 hens I have in another pen(white leghorns). I had 236 at lock down, took them out this morning and all hatched but 3(not sure if it was the 3 eggs in question because I did not mark them)--- so counting those 3 eggs I was around a 99% hatch for fertile eggs. Decent hatch this time!!

That is great that you are having your mom help you. I bet she loved spending that quality time with her child.

 

[PD-Riverman]

That is great that you are having your mom help you. I bet she loved spending that quality time with her child.

She Loves messing with the chicks/chickens. Her Husband(step-father) of 35 years past and we set her a home up and moved her back to our home place/farm where I live as well as another of my 3 sister's.. When I was hatching all those chicks last year etc, she wanted so bad to help me but her husband was sick and she could not even ride over(lived 45 minutes away). I am trying to spoil her now that We have her back home. She helps me with the chicks/chickens/garden and keeps my Wife and/or I fishing in the lake or pond on the farm---she Loves to Fish too!.