You have to place the bator in a VERY controlled environment. I use my "dinning room" and actually put a blanket in the operning to this room and I have a space heater in there.
I have taped the small holes on the bottom of the bator and punched a fair sized one in the lower side.
The turner motor will put off a substantial amount of heat, so be sure this is on and the bator is calibrated with this turning.
I have connected the reserviors in the base of the unit and run a rubber hose to this from the outside so I NEVER open the unit once the eggs are in and turning.
I use a digital thermo/humidity thngy I bought off ebay. It works really well. The small holes on the top of the bator need to be open and not obstructed. I have turned the top around and taped the cord from the front to the back because this is how it should have been in the first place. So the lid is actually on backwards as compared to the way it came.
I DO NOT candle the eggs until day 18. Then I take the turner out and replace it with the screen. As mentioned in a post on this thread, put an extra container of water in there when the turner comes out. Take ONE red plug out NOT two and continue on with the hatching.
When you get peeps, DO NOT open the lid. When you get a chick, DO NOT open the lid. WAIT....... until all that are going to hatch do so. I use the egg carton method (after making sure the chick is in the correct orientation to the air sac). This way I do not worry about the hatched chicks and the unhatched ones.
Candling at day 18 is crucial, take your time. For some reason they are good right after the turning and then they HAVE to find orientation in a steady environment. How a mama hen knows not to turn is beyond me.
If you find that you JUST HAVE to help a chick from the egg, take that one out as quickly as you can and place them in a closed container with a heat lamp and all preset to 95 degrees with a container of water. After the chick is sucesfully hatched remove the water and the lid. Wait unti they are fuzzy butted and then transfer them to your brooder. Usually though, if you just leave the bator alone, the humidity will work with you instead of against you andt he chicks should find their way out.
Remember, once you see a peep, be sure you can see the beak. If the membrane is obstructing the hole, the chick will die eventually. They tend to rest for some time right after they peep.
If you see a peep and withn a few hours you do not see a beak, you will need to open the bator and make the hole so the chick has air to the outside of the shell. This is why the egg carton method is so well tailored to this. Some chicks are so big for the shell, they do not have the required room to get this done.
I have taped the small holes on the bottom of the bator and punched a fair sized one in the lower side.
The turner motor will put off a substantial amount of heat, so be sure this is on and the bator is calibrated with this turning.
I have connected the reserviors in the base of the unit and run a rubber hose to this from the outside so I NEVER open the unit once the eggs are in and turning.
I use a digital thermo/humidity thngy I bought off ebay. It works really well. The small holes on the top of the bator need to be open and not obstructed. I have turned the top around and taped the cord from the front to the back because this is how it should have been in the first place. So the lid is actually on backwards as compared to the way it came.
I DO NOT candle the eggs until day 18. Then I take the turner out and replace it with the screen. As mentioned in a post on this thread, put an extra container of water in there when the turner comes out. Take ONE red plug out NOT two and continue on with the hatching.
When you get peeps, DO NOT open the lid. When you get a chick, DO NOT open the lid. WAIT....... until all that are going to hatch do so. I use the egg carton method (after making sure the chick is in the correct orientation to the air sac). This way I do not worry about the hatched chicks and the unhatched ones.
Candling at day 18 is crucial, take your time. For some reason they are good right after the turning and then they HAVE to find orientation in a steady environment. How a mama hen knows not to turn is beyond me.
If you find that you JUST HAVE to help a chick from the egg, take that one out as quickly as you can and place them in a closed container with a heat lamp and all preset to 95 degrees with a container of water. After the chick is sucesfully hatched remove the water and the lid. Wait unti they are fuzzy butted and then transfer them to your brooder. Usually though, if you just leave the bator alone, the humidity will work with you instead of against you andt he chicks should find their way out.
Remember, once you see a peep, be sure you can see the beak. If the membrane is obstructing the hole, the chick will die eventually. They tend to rest for some time right after they peep.
If you see a peep and withn a few hours you do not see a beak, you will need to open the bator and make the hole so the chick has air to the outside of the shell. This is why the egg carton method is so well tailored to this. Some chicks are so big for the shell, they do not have the required room to get this done.
