It's official- I'm the worst hatcher ever! -Updates-

[chickens4me]

Perhaps you could find a silkie hen in your area. I have some and they are the absolutely best hatchers just like I read on here! I have not had to use my incubators at all since having some of those great hens.

Silkies = Determined Moms!!

 

[BlueEngineFarm]

Thinking good thoughts and sending them your way. After reading more info on here and seeing so many homeade brooders, we are going to rework our brooder. I found a broody hen under a hydrangea bush a couple of days ago. Those chickens move around so much they are hard to count I have another broody sitting on 15 eggs. Can't add anymore so we have to get the incubator ready.
Lynne

 

[PeepsInc]

I bought a bator @ tractor supply for $40, & it works great. they may even have them on sale this time of year.

 

[becky3086]

I have two from Tractor Supply. Hatch chicks in them all the time. As a matter a fact. I have 4 Polish chicks and a houdan that hatched yesterday and the day before and right now I have 3 duck eggs, 2 bantam eggs and and another Polish pipped in the incubators.
I once made a homemade incubator. I hatched chicks but they always had leg problems due to the problem keeping the temp and humidity steady. I gave up and threw it away.

 

[walkswithdog]

Ventilation needs to be constant and stable, with the option of additional ventilation at hatch, since then they begin to breathe.

I would read the entire thread on ventilation, put upper and lower holes in your homemade bator and stabilize it then.

A roving wiggler temp of 99-101, while not optimal will hatch eggs. Water jugs or jars should help that - so should resetting your temps with constant air flow/fan.

If you did not calibrate/test your hygrometer - do so now. TOO much humidity kills as easily, even more easily, than too low. Know how high or low your hygrometer is reading.

Homemade bators can work very very well. Mine needs no heat sink and remains stable. It is just a lot easier to tinker and stabilize WITHOUT eggs in there to worry about.

My redwood antique one also holds temps well. So does a Dickey or a Sportsman, or the super duper Brinseas but wow costly.

I was going to buy a Dickey. BUT I learned to hatch in what I had First. Because successful hatching is about understanding the process for me.

Sure plug-and-play can work but if something goes wrong those folks don't know what to do to fix it. That's not my thing.

I went in to this to learn how to hatch and why it works as well as to hatch chicks. I saved a TON of money using a homemade, then found the redwood and don't have to save up for a Dickey.

Hatching is an art and figuring it out, a project. But one well worth learning.

 

[BlueEngineFarm]

We have a refridgerator that we'd like to repurpose. The temp stays good. The humidity and oxygen need work. Incubating is definetly a learning process. Just barely into it. No eggs are in it and they have slowed with laying so I have time. The styrofoam bator worked great for my neighbor (who won't share it)

but not so much for the school teachers who I have talked to.
There is so much good information on this forum. I didn't know I missed it till I came back. All because chickens are so easy until you want chicks.

Lynne

 

[77horses]

Thanks everyone.

Today is day 18 for one of the small bantam eggs that is from the last hatch(was older than the ones that were thrown out). But I am almost certain that it is dead from the temp. changes of the past hatch. This new hatch is going much better I think. But I think too much damage has been done to this one from the last hatch. It's a habit of mine to keep eggs in there until I'm 100% CERTAIN that they aren't alive. I will even give them another whole week after day 21, or until they start leaking/smell bad.



I've also learned a method of finding rotten eggs. In my experience, it works. Whenever I have an egg that is suspected to be dead(if it's late or doesn't show any good signs after candling it), wait a couple days(unless it's leaking) and try shaking it not too hard and putting it up to your ear. It will feel like the egg is filled with water and you may hear it swishing around. In my experience, eggs that feel like they are filled with water= rotten/not viable any more.


Hoping for the best! The egg is planned to hatch this Sunday(sooner or later, and if it's even alive), which is a day before our Bantam Cochin pullet, Pumpkin's, birthday. Which is cool because the egg came from her.

Wish us luck!

 

[McCord6]

Quote:
hhhmmm... thanks for the idea. Maybe I should talk to hubby and my step father about building me one of those. My Stepfather has a degree in electronic engineering and hubby is going to school for it. Maybe that'll make a good A+ project for hubby.

 

[McCord6]

Quote:
I have a mini-fridge that would work wonder for that purpose. Mind telling me how you built it?

 

[canada-goose]

It would be a great if someone invented an incubator that would be specifically designed for hatching eggs; like you could set it for chicken eggs, duck eggs, etc. and it would know the right temp. and humidity. For example if you had chicken eggs, just push button to put it on "chicken egg mode" or something, and it would regulate the temp. and humidity perfectly and would automatically change temp. and humidity, stop turning the eggs, etc. on day 18. That would be so cool! It could be called "The Smart-Bator"!

But imagine how much that would cost?

I think that's what the R-com mini is. And yes, it is horribly expensive!​