Janoel Incubation Experience

[Heron's Nest Farm]

My power has been restored. Almost 48 hours out. Eggs still seem to be doing fine!

One thing I can now tell from experience, these plastic bators do Not hold in the heat very long without power. I even have my base wrapped in some HVAC insulation wrap, and covered it with blankets and it still didn't hold very well.

YAY!
I think that eggs can be forgiving. God made it a little easier than we make it. Glad to hear your story has a happier outcome. Keep us posted on your hatch. How far along are you?

 

[WVduckchick]

YAY!
I think that eggs can be forgiving.  God made it a little easier than we make it.  Glad to hear your story has a happier outcome.  Keep us posted on your hatch.  How far along are you?

Thanks! Today is day 16, but now I am expecting at least a day late hatch, if they continue doing well. I sure hope no long-term damage was done.

 

[WVduckchick]

I would also like to apologize for getting sidetracked by my power outage... Whew!

Now back to our original programming... haha

Here's the bottom of my China version. See how different the water channels are...


Also notice its gray, and not see-through. I used my Dremel multi-max and cut a window in the sides (only one done when this was taken, but since done on all 4 sides) and super-glued a piece of plastic that I cut from an old CD case to the outside. It holds quite well!
I bought this used, the guy had 2, but the one he kept had a see-through bottom. Newer version maybe.

Before I ever put any eggs in, I filled 5 channels and the humidity was about 75%, had to knock it down to 1 channel to get below 50%. Now I alternate just the small square corners, and it holds around 35-40%.

Then I did this to the outside:

It is some type of high-efficiency duct-work wrap that my husband uses for HVAC work. It helps a lot with maintaining temperature. Before putting this on, the heater would kick on and off about every other minute. Now it stays off for about 3 minutes and only has to kick on for a few seconds. Much more stable.


I'd also like to add that I love your mesh divider idea and plan to use it! Maybe even this time, if my turkeys make it.

So Heron, how are your babies getting along now? And have you put more in yet?

 

[Lyss]

Well out of the 14 I set 3 were blood rings early on, one pecked through its yolk and drowned and three eggs are still in the bator

. I'll leave them for a few more days before I give up but I'm not convinced that they made it. BUT I do have 7 healthy chicks, two gold laced Wyandottes and 5 dark barred Plymouth rocks. I'll have to post some piccies later....
I think with my next chickens I'll just leave them in the egg turner unplugged for hatching. I did that with my ducklings and never had issues with them going through yolks or pipping at the wrong end like I have with the chickens. For this hatch I set them on there sides at day 18.. I think it might have been a bad idea

.

 

[WVduckchick]

Well out of the 14 I set 3 were blood rings early on, one pecked through its yolk and drowned and three eggs are still in the bator  . I'll leave them for a few more days before I give up but I'm not convinced that they made it. BUT I do have 7 healthy chicks, two gold laced Wyandottes and 5 dark barred Plymouth rocks. I'll have to post some piccies later....
I think with my next chickens I'll just leave them in the egg turner unplugged for hatching. I did that with my ducklings and never had issues with them going through yolks or pipping at the wrong end like I have with the chickens. For this hatch I set them on there sides at day 18.. I think it might have been a bad idea :/ .

Congrats on your new babies! I know its disappointing to lose any but you didn't do bad! Be sure and post some pics if you can!
And I have a question for you... You hatched ducks in the turner, you just unplugged it? See I've been reading how much trouble some have with ducks in turners. Well I think its more about them being upright instead of laying down. But I have mine upright, so I'm glad to hear that it can work! I hadnt thought about just unplugging it and leaving them in it for the last 3 days though. I was thinking I'd just prop up the large end just a little, with a towel or something. Now I might reconsider.

 

[Heron's Nest Farm]

I would also like to apologize for getting sidetracked by my power outage... Whew!

Now back to our original programming... haha

Here's the bottom of my China version. See how different the water channels are...


Also notice its gray, and not see-through. I used my Dremel multi-max and cut a window in the sides (only one done when this was taken, but since done on all 4 sides) and super-glued a piece of plastic that I cut from an old CD case to the outside. It holds quite well!
I bought this used, the guy had 2, but the one he kept had a see-through bottom. Newer version maybe.

Before I ever put any eggs in, I filled 5 channels and the humidity was about 75%, had to knock it down to 1 channel to get below 50%. Now I alternate just the small square corners, and it holds around 35-40%.

Then I did this to the outside:

It is some type of high-efficiency duct-work wrap that my husband uses for HVAC work. It helps a lot with maintaining temperature. Before putting this on, the heater would kick on and off about every other minute. Now it stays off for about 3 minutes and only has to kick on for a few seconds. Much more stable.


I'd also like to add that I love your mesh divider idea and plan to use it! Maybe even this time, if my turkeys make it.

So Heron, how are your babies getting along now? And have you put more in yet?

Thanks for the pics of your bator! I am going to get some of that duct wrap. I feel like my bator had to work hard and I really want it to last.

Well out of the 14 I set 3 were blood rings early on, one pecked through its yolk and drowned and three eggs are still in the bator

. I'll leave them for a few more days before I give up but I'm not convinced that they made it. BUT I do have 7 healthy chicks, two gold laced Wyandottes and 5 dark barred Plymouth rocks. I'll have to post some piccies later....
I think with my next chickens I'll just leave them in the egg turner unplugged for hatching. I did that with my ducklings and never had issues with them going through yolks or pipping at the wrong end like I have with the chickens. For this hatch I set them on there sides at day 18.. I think it might have been a bad idea

.

I hatched in egg cartons last time. I am going to lay them on their sides nest time in no carton. I had 4 pip and drown and a few more I opened that I believe drowned before hatching. I believe it was humidity BUT I also saw them getting stuck in the eggs a lot.

My concern with using the egg turner with Chicken babies is that they would get their little legs or a head stuck in the spaces between rows. Watching that might lead to opening the bator and jeopardizing more chicks. Just a thought. If you do do this please let us know how it works.

I put my babies out with the 100 chicks I have that are 10 days older. I have them in a little pen so that they can see each other. They keep getting out! But the other chicks don't hurt them. They are so tiny in comparison!!!!

 

[Lyss]

Congrats on your new babies! I know its disappointing to lose any but you didn't do bad! Be sure and post some pics if you can!
And I have a question for you... You hatched ducks in the turner, you just unplugged it? See I've been reading how much trouble some have with ducks in turners. Well I think its more about them being upright instead of laying down. But I have mine upright, so I'm glad to hear that it can work! I hadnt thought about just unplugging it and leaving them in it for the last 3 days though. I was thinking I'd just prop up the large end just a little, with a towel or something. Now I might reconsider.

Yep just unplugged the turner and all of my ducklings hatched with little drama.. I did help around 3 I think, one was because my humidity just wouldn't go up so the little guy got shrink wrapped the the other two just seemed to get tired but were perfectly healthy. I've heard some people are against letting them hatch like that which was why I thought I was doing the right thing with my chicken eggs but I just seemed to have dramas so I think I'll definitely keeping them in the
turner next time.
editing to add over different hatches all up I've incubated over 40 ducks with no trouble doing it this way.

 

[Lyss]

My concern with using the egg turner with Chicken babies is that they would get their little legs or a head stuck in the spaces between rows. Watching that might lead to opening the bator and jeopardizing more chicks. Just a thought. If you do do this please let us know how it works.

I did worry about this with my ducklings but didn't have any issues with it turned off. They just seemed to wiggle down into the middle gap between the rows... I've never had my bator full though so it may be an issue with 48 chicks in there. I think I will give it a go

.

 

[chickster5003]

I start 6 or so eggs on Thursday with the janoel 10

 

[Lyss]

Good luck Chickster5003 what breed?
Here's some piccies of the new babies .