KDOGG331’s Hatch Thread!!!

[microchick]

@Kiki and @FortCluck to you both for doing a fantastic job coaching.

I've been reading, not commenting but I wanted to pipe in and say, @KDOGG331 if I were you I would be contacting Incubator Warehouse and sending that lemon back if you cannot get the temps in it to settle down.

Did you know that you can get a scratch and dent incubator at Brinsea.com for about 160 dollars? That is how I got my Mini Echo. It was at half price because it was a demo model. I paid 99$ for it at the time.

With my Brinsea I got a 100% hatch rate on my first clutch of eggs. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY before even touching the danged thing. TEST THE INCUBATOR BEFORE YOU PUT EGGS IN IT. Make sure it is doing everything it's supposed to do before you assign eggs to it. If it isn't and you can't figure out why, SEND IT BACK!

I agree whole heartedly with @FortCluck. You have to get in fast and get out fast when you turn. Don't take the lid off unless you absolutely have to. I've gotten to where I can just tip the dome of mine up, slide my hand it and get done what I need to get done. Every time I open my dome I lose about 4 degrees that the heater has to struggle to recover.

I think my years as a nurse has helped me when it comes to turning. I developed a routine like at a hospital or wherever I was working. Meds are given at 8-12-4-8 Those were the times that I turned my eggs religiously and if I was walking by the incubator checking temps, I'd turn them anyway. Set your phone alarm to go off on the hour. It's easier to remember if you work this out so you are giving the eggs a turn on an 'even number' time.

Otherwise leave the eggs alone. Think of a mother hen. She goes into a broody stupor. Doesn't move. Changes positions and rolls the eggs as she moves about on occasion.

I know you are having trouble with temp fluctuations. Not much to do about it other than what you are doing but I agree also. REMEMBER EVERYTHING and take notes to make a cheat sheet.

It does get easier the more you hatch but you have to have a working Incubator that isn't doing what this one is doing, namely killing chicks in the shell and driving you nuts and the rest of us to Valium.

 

[FortCluck]

@Kiki and @FortCluck to you both for doing a fantastic job coaching.

I've been reading, not commenting but I wanted to pipe in and say, @KDOGG331 if I were you I would be contacting Incubator Warehouse and sending that lemon back if you cannot get the temps in it to settle down.

Did you know that you can get a scratch and dent incubator at Brinsea.com for about 160 dollars? That is how I got my Mini Echo. It was at half price because it was a demo model. I paid 99$ for it at the time.

With my Brinsea I got a 100% hatch rate on my first clutch of eggs. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY before even touching the danged thing. TEST THE INCUBATOR BEFORE YOU PUT EGGS IN IT. Make sure it is doing everything it's supposed to do before you assign eggs to it. If it isn't and you can't figure out why, SEND IT BACK!

I agree whole heartedly with @FortCluck. You have to get in fast and get out fast when you turn. Don't take the lid off unless you absolutely have to. I've gotten to where I can just tip the dome of mine up, slide my hand it and get done what I need to get done. Every time I open my dome I lose about 4 degrees that the heater has to struggle to recover.

I think my years as a nurse has helped me when it comes to turning. I developed a routine like at a hospital or wherever I was working. Meds are given at 8-12-4-8 Those were the times that I turned my eggs religiously and if I was walking by the incubator checking temps, I'd turn them anyway. Set your phone alarm to go off on the hour. It's easier to remember if you work this out so you are giving the eggs a turn on an 'even number' time.

Otherwise leave the eggs alone. Think of a mother hen. She goes into a broody stupor. Doesn't move. Changes positions and rolls the eggs as she moves about on occasion.

I know you are having trouble with temp fluctuations. Not much to do about it other than what you are doing but I agree also. REMEMBER EVERYTHING and take notes to make a cheat sheet.

It does get easier the more you hatch but you have to have a working Incubator that isn't doing what this one is doing, namely killing chicks in the shell and driving you nuts and the rest of us to Valium.

Hahaha Valium I agree with contacting incubator warehouse! It isn't fair you paid that price and it doesn't work the way it should!

 

[microchick]

My husband just had a GREAT idea.

Contact the Warehouse and tell them you have eggs in a defective incubator and have lost half of the clutch already due to temperature spikes.

Ask them if they will send you another incubator. You WILL check it out thoroughly, then if it is working to specs you will transfer your surviving eggs to it and return the defective incubator in 48 hours upon receipt of the replacement.

Even if they won't do it, then they know you plan to return the incubator as soon as your eggs do or do not hatch. If the incubator's turning motor is putting out that much heat and not turning the eggs properly then I'd say they owe you the cost of your hatching eggs.

My Brinsea, even bought at their scratch and dent sale has a 3 year guarantee with it.

I'd contact them sooner other than later.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Kdogg, Fortcluck, these are two of my babies after only two weeks and a couple of days, Swedish Flower Hens;
View attachment 1962255 View attachment 1962256

Awww so cute!!

I want to pet them and can't they look great!

x2!!

Good morning! I need to catch up but I wanted to say something real quick before I forget.

The picture you posted last night of the eggs in the incubator with the lid off has been driving me nuts.

I assumed that when I was telling you to move the thermometers that you were doing it fast... As in just cracking the lid putting your hand in moving it and closing it.

I'm thinking now that you have not been doing this fast.

I think it is important for you to be fast.

I do not think that you should be taking the lid off for more than a second.



Where is your calibrated thermometer and what is it reading this morning?

Whoops

Definitely need to be faster! I leave it off when I candle too

I’ll try to be faster and/or put it back on when I’m candling or something. I figured it was easier or faster but probably not good for the eggs.

Although... how do I turn them with the lid on? Just reach in?

I turned this morning but the lid still kinda was off with my arm in there? I mean, it was on but doesn’t heat still escape? I guess maybe this way the lid at least traps some of the heat/it escapes slower instead of letting it all out at once??

And it was in the supposedly hot corner and I think it was reading 100.

I loved it to the cool corner when I turned this morning.

You have to be a lid ninja... Fast in and fast out!

I definitely need to get faster!! I usually leave it off for candling and turning.

I assume that is a horrible idea. I try to be as fast as possible but still probably not good.

I’ll try to leave the lid on. Makes it a tad harder to do things but definitely worth it if it means not killing the eggs haha

I murdered a whole batch eggs once remember?
I won't make that mistake again.

It's all a learning game. Hopefully you are learning everything at once this first time.

I am sure thing would be going better had you started with a calibrated thermometer.

I think I forgot about that one.

All I remembered was all the perfect hatches you’ve had and how mine is definitely not

And hmm yeah probably true.

But tbh the calibrated one really is reading basically the same as the other 3 anyway so I don’t think they’re that off if at all or that it made much difference.

But I guess I had no way of knowing that for sure before which is the point of getting it? To know? But still. And I also haven’t really messed with the temp settings or anything since the first couple days but it still seems to be having spikes and cool downs and stuff.

Also I guess the other ones were maybe a degree or two off which is probably big in incubation? So I guess it’s good having the calibrated one. Like now I know that corner is not 101+.

Unless it was only reading that during a temp spike which is also possible.

Kelsey is awake!



K- go pee and peek at the bator. Check them temp.

Okay so I checked it and turned like an hour ago and it was reading 100 in the hot corner and the other two in the bottom right corner and top left corner were reading 98 and 98.5 and the spot check in the middle was reading 99.5.

Now the spot check says 99.2 and the other two digitals both say 99 even.

They’re both in the corner. One is in the hot corner (top right) and one is in the bottom right.

Moved the calibrated to the cool corner and it’s reading 98 I think.

The digitals are also probably a little cool cause I cracked the incubator to take the calibrated one out briefly and read it and put it back so that’s probably why they’re reading lower cause it hasn’t gotten back up yet even though I was super fast.

So the calibrated one seems to agree with the others I think.

 

[FortCluck]

My husband just had a GREAT idea.

Contact the Warehouse and tell them you have eggs in a defective incubator and have lost half of the clutch already due to temperature spikes.

Ask them if they will send you another incubator. You WILL check it out thoroughly, then if it is working to specs you will transfer your surviving eggs to it and return the defective incubator in 48 hours upon receipt of the replacement.

Even if they won't do it, then they know you plan to return the incubator as soon as your eggs do or do not hatch. If the incubator's turning motor is putting out that much heat and not turning the eggs properly then I'd say they owe you the cost of your hatching eggs.

My Brinsea, even bought at their scratch and dent sale has a 3 year guarantee with it.

I'd contact them sooner other than later.

She doesn't like calling places! Maybe her parents will call for her or @Kiki can help her out with it. I think that it's fair that they send her a new one and she returns the old one. That's quite a loss to lose almost all of your eggs. The turner is complete junk, most of the embryos are stuck on the side of the egg! That's the part that frustrates me the most because some people have used this Turner and not had issues, but she gets the lemon and she was so excited to hatch these eggs

 

[FortCluck]

Awww so cute!!



x2!!



Whoops

Definitely need to be faster! I leave it off when I candle too

I’ll try to be faster and/or put it back on when I’m candling or something. I figured it was easier or faster but probably not good for the eggs.

Although... how do I turn them with the lid on? Just reach in?

I turned this morning but the lid still kinda was off with my arm in there? I mean, it was on but doesn’t heat still escape? I guess maybe this way the lid at least traps some of the heat/it escapes slower instead of letting it all out at once??

And it was in the supposedly hot corner and I think it was reading 100.

I loved it to the cool corner when I turned this morning.



I definitely need to get faster!! I usually leave it off for candling and turning.

I assume that is a horrible idea. I try to be as fast as possible but still probably not good.

I’ll try to leave the lid on. Makes it a tad harder to do things but definitely worth it if it means not killing the eggs haha



I think I forgot about that one.

All I remembered was all the perfect hatches you’ve had and how mine is definitely not

And hmm yeah probably true.

But tbh the calibrated one really is reading basically the same as the other 3 anyway so I don’t think they’re that off if at all or that it made much difference.

But I guess I had no way of knowing that for sure before which is the point of getting it? To know? But still. And I also haven’t really messed with the temp settings or anything since the first couple days but it still seems to be having spikes and cool downs and stuff.

Also I guess the other ones were maybe a degree or two off which is probably big in incubation? So I guess it’s good having the calibrated one. Like now I know that corner is not 101+.

Unless it was only reading that during a temp spike which is also possible.



Okay so I checked it and turned like an hour ago and it was reading 100 in the hot corner and the other two in the bottom right corner and top left corner were reading 98 and 98.5 and the spot check in the middle was reading 99.5.

Now the spot check says 99.2 and the other two digitals both say 99 even.

They’re both in the corner. One is in the hot corner (top right) and one is in the bottom right.

Moved the calibrated to the cool corner and it’s reading 98 I think.

The digitals are also probably a little cool cause I cracked the incubator to take the calibrated one out briefly and read it and put it back so that’s probably why they’re reading lower cause it hasn’t gotten back up yet even though I was super fast.

So the calibrated one seems to agree with the others I think.

I would continue turning them and then candle them in a couple more days to see if the embryos are unstuck!

We just checked one of our eggs from the local farm and I swear the chicken has no room It's literally like a Brahma hatching out of a Polish egg!

 

[ShrekDawg]

@Kiki and @FortCluck to you both for doing a fantastic job coaching.

I've been reading, not commenting but I wanted to pipe in and say, @KDOGG331 if I were you I would be contacting Incubator Warehouse and sending that lemon back if you cannot get the temps in it to settle down.

Did you know that you can get a scratch and dent incubator at Brinsea.com for about 160 dollars? That is how I got my Mini Echo. It was at half price because it was a demo model. I paid 99$ for it at the time.

With my Brinsea I got a 100% hatch rate on my first clutch of eggs. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS THOROUGHLY before even touching the danged thing. TEST THE INCUBATOR BEFORE YOU PUT EGGS IN IT. Make sure it is doing everything it's supposed to do before you assign eggs to it. If it isn't and you can't figure out why, SEND IT BACK!

I agree whole heartedly with @FortCluck. You have to get in fast and get out fast when you turn. Don't take the lid off unless you absolutely have to. I've gotten to where I can just tip the dome of mine up, slide my hand it and get done what I need to get done. Every time I open my dome I lose about 4 degrees that the heater has to struggle to recover.

I think my years as a nurse has helped me when it comes to turning. I developed a routine like at a hospital or wherever I was working. Meds are given at 8-12-4-8 Those were the times that I turned my eggs religiously and if I was walking by the incubator checking temps, I'd turn them anyway. Set your phone alarm to go off on the hour. It's easier to remember if you work this out so you are giving the eggs a turn on an 'even number' time.

Otherwise leave the eggs alone. Think of a mother hen. She goes into a broody stupor. Doesn't move. Changes positions and rolls the eggs as she moves about on occasion.

I know you are having trouble with temp fluctuations. Not much to do about it other than what you are doing but I agree also. REMEMBER EVERYTHING and take notes to make a cheat sheet.

It does get easier the more you hatch but you have to have a working Incubator that isn't doing what this one is doing, namely killing chicks in the shell and driving you nuts and the rest of us to Valium.

Thank you!! This is very very helpful!! And great info. And makes me feel a lot better.

I think I will contact them because it definitely seems like it’s not working right at all!! But I honestly thought it was just me

But I’m starting to think maybe not.

Hahaha Valium I agree with contacting incubator warehouse! It isn't fair you paid that price and it doesn't work the way it should!

Yeah, that’s true. I honestly didn’t even really think of it being the incubator, I just thought I sucked at hatching.

My husband just had a GREAT idea.

Contact the Warehouse and tell them you have eggs in a defective incubator and have lost half of the clutch already due to temperature spikes.

Ask them if they will send you another incubator. You WILL check it out thoroughly, then if it is working to specs you will transfer your surviving eggs to it and return the defective incubator in 48 hours upon receipt of the replacement.

Even if they won't do it, then they know you plan to return the incubator as soon as your eggs do or do not hatch. If the incubator's turning motor is putting out that much heat and not turning the eggs properly then I'd say they owe you the cost of your hatching eggs.

My Brinsea, even bought at their scratch and dent sale has a 3 year guarantee with it.

I'd contact them sooner other than later.

Wow that is indeed an excellent idea!! Thank you!! I think I will do that!!

And I think they only have a 1 year guarantee but it’s still well within it because I only ordered it in March.

I’ll have to contact them. I normally hate doing stuff like that (any sort of “conflict” or standing up for myself or anything) but I think I need to.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I would continue turning them and then candle them in a couple more days to see if the embryos are unstuck!

We just checked one of our eggs from the local farm and I swear the chicken has no room It's literally like a Brahma hatching out of a Polish egg!

Thanks! I’ll do that!!

And OMG!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

She doesn't like calling places! Maybe her parents will call for her or @Kiki can help her out with it. I think that it's fair that they send her a new one and she returns the old one. That's quite a loss to lose almost all of your eggs. The turner is complete junk, most of the embryos are stuck on the side of the egg! That's the part that frustrates me the most because some people have used this Turner and not had issues, but she gets the lemon and she was so excited to hatch these eggs

thank you!!

Maybe they have an email option or something. I’m gonna have to check it out.

But yeah, it really sucks and honestly up until now or I guess like yesterday when you guys have been mentioning that these problems with the incubator are not normal, I really thought maybe it was just me and that I just suck at hatching or something.

 

[FortCluck]

I weighed the chicks...

The white ones are 8.5 oz

The black are 8.6 oz