January Hatch-a-long 2018

[ambe0487]

@Scott214 I have your Charlie’s doppelgänger! This is my sweet Journey girl! She is so lovey!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

What do you guys think of: Farm Innovators 2450 Digital Circulated Air Incubator with Automatic Egg Turner

Thinking of getting another incubator and I saw this one on amazon and thought hmm.. possibly? Anyone have it here? Have successes it with it?

That's the incubator I have. I think I'm on my 5th hatch with it. I keep meaning to post an in depth review on BYC. I would recommend it but I have a few pointers. It's good deal for the price but it's not a set it and forget it unit. You'll need to be involved with verifying temperature and humidity. If that's not for you then buy a more expensive machine that does it for you.

Biggest flaw is this unit does have hot spots. In mine it's the left edge of the fan. When full this area is about 1.5-2 degrees warmer than outside edges. I measured this using independent thermometers and checking egg temps. I've had success rotating the eggs daily through the incubator. I do this by moving them all down a row. Then bottom row to the top. This is so all eggs get a chance in the hotter and cooler areas. In hopes of evening out development and avoiding a staggered hatch. After the first candling I stop this as usually numbers have thinned enough its unnecessary.

Temperature sensor placement and security is key. It comes attached to a clear plastic square so it will float over the top of the egg. After having it drop down between eggs into turner and barbecue 2 dozen Marans eggs I don't take chances. I tape it right onto the top of an egg in the hot zone. This makes it a little fiddly but is well worth it. I've never had temperature spike with it secured this way. I also use thermometers on both sides and sometimes I drop a meat thermometer down the large vent holes. This might seem like overkill but the purpose was to identify and correct fluctuations.

Make temperature adjustments half degree at a time. Wait 15 minutes before adjusting again. Especially when turning it up! This takes time to do properly. Plan accordingly.

This should not be advertised as a 41 egg turner. The bottom row, near the turner motor, has too great of a temperature variance. Because the fan and heating element are not located in the center of the unit but towards to top. I would not use the bottom row at all. The temperature on this row is a full 4 degrees colder than the warmest eggs. This means it's really a 35 egg turner at most. This might factor into your decision to get one or not.

The humidity on mine calibrated 3% low. Not too bad but worth noting. This unit really shines as a hatcher. It maintains humidity and temp very nicely with less opening and closing and the turner pulled out. I generally incubate in a fully indoor basement room. But for lockdown I bring it upstairs, into the kitchen, so the kids and I can keep a closer eye on things. It's never had a problem maintaining temp/humidity despite this shuffling.

Let me know is you have any questions. I'm still working towards 100% hatch rate but I'm confident one day soon I'll get there! I love hatching and this little machine is definitely a good partner in crime.

 

[Cynthia12]

Lots of activity in the last 12 hours. Found my first pip at 4am and second by 6 am. Didn’t look like much progress when I went to the store here a half hour ago 2pm so I put my IPod on top of the incubator and played videos of cheeping babies. Must have kicked things into action. I came home to a new hatched baby and 4 additional pips! YAY!!!!!

Congratulations!! I have one zipping right now! Have my brooder set up....

 

[Cynthia12]

View attachment 1239056 @Scott214 I have your Charlie’s doppelgänger! This is my sweet Journey girl! She is so lovey!

Nice looking chicken! And very cute girl! Loves chickens?

 

[ambe0487]

Duplicate

 

[ambe0487]

@Scott214
Thank you and yes my three girls love the chickens! My oldest (in original photo) is in 4H and has shown interest in showing a few chickens.

 

[Cynthia12]

@Scott214
Thank you and yes my three girls love the chickens! My oldest (in original photo) is in 4H and has shown interest in showing a few chickens.

View attachment 1239081 View attachment 1239082 View attachment 1239083 View attachment 1239084

Awww!!

 

[Cynthia12]

I have a baby here.

 

[NNYchick]

I have peeping coming from the bator. Tonight is day 21! I can’t see any pips yet.

 

[NNYchick]

I'm a bit late to the party, but as my eggs were set on Jan. 1, I'd love to join in! Incubating 5 bantam mix eggs. We have Silkie, Cochin, D'uccle and Japanese hens, but the eggs look like they came from several of the cochin girls, or *maybe* a silkie- too large for the littler girls.

This is my first time hatching with an incubator- was given a MagicFly/Janoel for Christmas from my chicken-loving father-in-law. All 5 eggs are developing nicely. I, on the other hand, am driving myself crazy checking the temp and humidity every ten seconds and taking careful notes on each egg! I'm already dreading how lock down will drive me crazy. On the upside, my birthday is on the 23rd, so if all goes well, I should have some adorable fluffy little newcomers just in time!

I am hatching in a janoel mine is the 12. So far I really like it. I am on day 21, it has held temperature awesome and regulates back really fast after opening to candle or add water. It took me a little to figure out how much and when to add water to get humidity where I needed it but once figured it out it has stayed constant. I do wish it had a window to see what’s going on right now as I’m in lockdown and really can’t see much unless I lift the top, which I did quickly to add water.