Kebonnix 12-egg Incubator Thread

[achillar30]

I hatched with a Kebonnixs last year, it was my first hatch and I tried to keep the humidity around 30 to 40%. About half my eggs hatched and they were all male! The others seemed to have a hard time hatching. I tried to keep the humidity very high at hatching.
Any advice for us this next time around? I want to put some eggs in to hatch in a few days. I was thinking of setting the temperature lower and maybe making the humidity higher. I would really like to get some hens this year. lol

Take this with a grain of salt because it’s just one data point, and it’s the only time I’ve used this incubator since buying it in July of 2021 (I have a flock of Buff Orpingtons, and a hen will go broody about every three months like clockwork).

I set six eggs last September. When setting up the incubator before placing my eggs, I held down menu and lowered the temperature to either 98°F or 98.5°F. During the course of the first 18 days I kept the vent fully open and the first chamber of the water reservoir more or less full, resulting In humidity right around 50%. I filled the second chamber with water for lockdown and had humidity around 65% during the hatch. Five of the eggs pipped (the other one ended up being unfertilized). Of those five that pipped, three hatched and two just couldn’t get very far and I didn’t help them. All three of the ones that hatched turned out to be hens.

I read somewhere that male embryos tolerate warmer incubation temperatures better and female embryos tolerate cooler temperatures better. I’ve never tried replicating it and it’s probably just luck, but that’s my only experience with this incubator since I bought it. If I ever hatch another set of my flock’s eggs I’ll probably try the same thing and update this thread on what ends up happening.

Something interesting on the flip side of this - every time a particular hen of mine goes broody, I always notice the eggs feel really warm every time I candle them. The two batches of chicks she’s hatched out for me have had 4 roosters out of 5 hatched the first time and 4 roosters out of 6 hatched the second time. Another one of my hens went broody for the first time and just hatched out a batch of chicks this past week and her eggs felt noticeably cooler when I candled them as compared to what I remember with my other hen. I won’t know for some time the ratio of hens to roosters, but I’ll update this thread after I do.

No real evidence here, but just my observations on incubation temperature and the results of what ends up hatching from a particular batch of eggs.

 

[TheMic434]

Take this with a grain of salt because it’s just one data point, and it’s the only time I’ve used this incubator since buying it in July of 2021 (I have a flock of Buff Orpingtons, and a hen will go broody about every three months like clockwork).

I set six eggs last September. When setting up the incubator before placing my eggs, I held down menu and lowered the temperature to either 98°F or 98.5°F. During the course of the first 18 days I kept the vent fully open and the first chamber of the water reservoir more or less full, resulting In humidity right around 50%. I filled the second chamber with water for lockdown and had humidity around 65% during the hatch. Five of the eggs pipped (the other one ended up being unfertilized). Of those five that pipped, three hatched and two just couldn’t get very far and I didn’t help them. All three of the ones that hatched turned out to be hens.

I read somewhere that male embryos tolerate warmer incubation temperatures better and female embryos tolerate cooler temperatures better. I’ve never tried replicating it and it’s probably just luck, but that’s my only experience with this incubator since I bought it. If I ever hatch another set of my flock’s eggs I’ll probably try the same thing and update this thread on what ends up happening.

Something interesting on the flip side of this - every time a particular hen of mine goes broody, I always notice the eggs feel really warm every time I candle them. The two batches of chicks she’s hatched out for me have had 4 roosters out of 5 hatched the first time and 4 roosters out of 6 hatched the second time. Another one of my hens went broody for the first time and just hatched out a batch of chicks this past week and her eggs felt noticeably cooler when I candled them as compared to what I remember with my other hen. I won’t know for some time the ratio of hens to roosters, but I’ll update this thread after I do.

No real evidence here, but just my observations on incubation temperature and the results of what ends up hatching from a particular batch of eggs.

The hotter temperature is what I think caused only the males to hatch. Maybe I’ll try lowering the temperature this time.

 

[TheMic434]

It’s all luck of the draw! What time of year was it? I have heard there are more pullets born in the spring and cockerels in the summer heat. But nothing you specifically did would cause only males to hatch!

It was early spring

 

[BarnyardChaos]

The hotter temperature is what I think caused only the males to hatch. Maybe I’ll try lowering the temperature this time.

I agree that's a good possibility. I'm going to double-check my incubators before doing any more batches, and might lower the temp a full degree to see if there's a difference. Thanks for bringing up the subject.

 

[FeatherProfessor]

Hello hello! Got pointed to this thread from the May hatch. On my fifth round of incubating with my Kebbonix and have been delighted every time. Right now I have 6 silkie/satin and 6 seramas in. They’re due around May 12th. Looking at getting a second one now for larger hatches

 

[Kitaki]

Does anyone have advice for incubating duck eggs? Will the auto turner work for duck eggs? If not how often and how mich should I turn the eggs each time? I'm getting my first ever eggs soon (welsh harlequin duck eggs). Thank youu

 

[BarnyardChaos]

Hello hello! Got pointed to this thread from the May hatch. On my fifth round of incubating with my Kebbonix and have been delighted every time. Right now I have 6 silkie/satin and 6 seramas in. They’re due around May 12th. Looking at getting a second one now for larger hatches View attachment 3482070

How did the hatch go?

 

[FeatherProfessor]

How did the hatch go?

I feel like I shot myself in the foot with sharing my good hatch rates previously. Ended up with 3 seramas and 1 silkie. That’s it. I’ve got six more (D’Uccles) going into lockdown tomorrow in the second incubator.

These are also the first hatches I’ve done with eBay eggs though. My hatchery orders have all been much better thus far.

 

[FeatherProfessor]

Pictures of the adorable little bugs

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I feel like I shot myself in the foot with sharing my good hatch rates previously. Ended up with 3 seramas and 1 silkie. That’s it. I’ve got six more (D’Uccles) going into lockdown tomorrow in the second incubator.

These are also the first hatches I’ve done with eBay eggs though. My hatchery orders have all been much better thus far.

I've never ordered shipped eggs, so I have nothing to compare to with my Kebonnixs. I've always been leery of the handling or temperature fluctuations during shipping causing damage to the eggs. I also wonder what effect air pressure has on the eggs if they are put on an airplane. Sooo.... I haven't risked it. I've had great luck with day-old chicks, though! So unfortunate that so many of yours didn't make it.