Minnesota!
- Thread starter foxhollow
- Start date
KlopKlop
Crowing
I wish I could justify dropping cash on a brindea automated 24 or 48 incubator.... I would have to hatch so many chicks to justify it haha
MinnesotaNice
Songster
Hatching makes me crazy. I used the hovabator 1602n. No fan, wafer "technology". I ran it so it was around 101.5 during the day and at night it got down to 99-99.5. The lack of consistency bugged me, but I read that marans eggs do well with higher temps because of their darker, thicker shell. I have no idea if there's any truth to it, but I hatched 22/24 with my first go.
The Brinseas look pretty cool. I want one. Okay, two.
The Brinseas look pretty cool. I want one. Okay, two.
MinnesotaNice
Songster
Awesome! I heard some theories that more roosters hatch with higher temps. Sounds made up.
KlopKlop
Crowing
Hatching more roosters is a good thing if you are hatching broilers!
KlopKlop
Crowing
I think I read/heard the same thing but there is no hard evidence in regards to poultry. I think there is in regards to reptiles/lizards however
Incubation is pretty precise as far as time frames. If you set on the 4th, they should hatch on the 25th. The only thing that will effect that will be if temps are set too high, then they will hatch earlier. If the temps are set low, they will hatch later. That is, of all the healthy, viable eggs that develop normally. You don't count in weeks with them, go by days. 'Lockdown' is day 18. Stop turning, crank up the humidity.
Is yours a foam? If so, they are notorious for the thermostat crapping out. They will spike, then run normally, then spike again or just stop working. Keep an extra on hand and watch closely to what is going on. If it does spike, it often kills most or all of the chicks/embryos, and often those that survive come out with feet problems or are just weak. I am not saying all of the time, just often.
So, the other thing that can effect incubation time is if you are trying to hatch in June or July when the heat and humidity cranks up on its own in our part of the country. That is part of reason why I don't really hatch after June 1 or around there. I have had them hatch on Day 25, and Day 18 during those spells and it is just whacky.
I have the big GQF incubator/hatcher set. They are fully automated, all I have to do is add water, and do the candling when needed. The temp and humidity quickly return to settings once I close the door.
I used to have a redwood one that held 624 eggs but I sold that in the fall since I am cutting back. I have a 300 egg capacity on the GQF (each unit) and I have a LG foamy I use sometimes for overflow or doing bantams, but I have my own method of running that with sponges and don't use the bottom tray. If I hatch with it, I always line the wire with paper towel and it makes clean up so much easier.
If you don't have an auto turner, then it is well worth it to invest in one. Opening and closing the incubator to turn them will effect your hatch rate. Don't candle too much, that does the same thing.
I candle once the first week about day 5-7, then again at lockdown. There is no reason to do so at other times.
Still, following all I said with the foams, they can still not produce good hatches. They are just fickle units. I think most people who do use them have their tricks they use to get them to work better, like me using sponges I dampen twice a day instead of using the pan. I use a dish with a sponge in it for the hatching part too. It took many batches to get this right though.
I have never used Brinsea, but I know of a lot of breeders who do and they love them.
@scandiafowl
The only big issue that I know of with locking down too early is drowning in the shell if they can't lose the correct amount of moisture. If they were put in within a couple of days of each other, I think you'll be fine locking down on time. Do you circle the air pocket by drawing the outline with pencil (ok, I can't think of any technical terms this morning, sorry) to make sure that it is increasing in size?
I've hatched 3 rounds of eggs in my brinsea 20. I'm going to need to check heating though, had some curled toes. I guess too hot can do that. I have some blue orpington eggs coming this spring from Hog Creek and Papa's poultry. Super excited! Hope they are reputable.
It is actually incorrect humidity that will cause toe curling. If it is just the toes though, you can fix that if you catch it right away.
There are other issues of locking down early though, if you increase the humidity too early is one, but you also increase the possibility that the chick will be in the wrong position to hatch and pip out the air cell. Often when they pip out improperly, they die before they can get out of the shell because this gooey membrane dries around their beak.
It is kind of funny how hens can do it all so easily, or seemingly so, but when we do artificial incubating, we can mess it up seven ways 'til sunday.
Why would you stop turning so early?
Think of it as a long-term investment. If you are able to replenish your own laying stock for 5 years with it, would it pay for itself?
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