New to incubating

[chloeg001]

Hello everyone this is my first EVER using an incubator instead of my hens. The brand I got, from another fellow chicken person, Magicfly All-In-One automatic egg incubator. I have read the reviews already regarding this incubator and they’re not good. I have noticed that the temp and humidity fluctuate quite a lot. If I set the temp to 103 well, it’ll go to 103. But if I set it back down to 101 it goes below 95. Just these 10-15 minutes here messing with it by covering and uncovering it with a towel to try and keep the humidity low as already been a hassle as well as attempting to the raise the temp back up from 94. Since I work from 1 in the afternoon to 9 at night, I’m worried something bad will happen. I don’t have anyone else to check or mess with it while I’m gone. Part of me just wants to see if this will actually work out fine or just toss the 14 silkie eggs I put in there it has already shut itself off once by getting too hot and I had to press the ‘menu’ button to turn it back on. Even typing this it hasn’t increased from 94

 

[chloeg001]

To add, it has a fan but I don’t think it’s very good.

 

[Susan Skylark]

Toss it and get a semi reliable one! I was given a little giant that went from 95-107F and didn’t dare incubate anything, ended up hand turning 32 quail eggs in a nurture right 360 instead and it worked just fine. I bought an el cheapo one off Amazon for $40 and some temp/hygrometers and it seems to be working fine temp wise (humidity is a work in progress but a bit less acutely vital). I haven’t hatched anything yet but had some fertile fridge eggs I took to day 12 that developed well. An unreliable heater is just going to give you an ulcer!

 

[chloeg001]

Toss it and get a semi reliable one! I was given a little giant that went from 95-107F and didn’t dare incubate anything, ended up hand turning 32 quail eggs in a nurture right 360 instead and it worked just fine. I bought an el cheapo one off Amazon for $40 and some temp/hygrometers and it seems to be working fine temp wise (humidity is a work in progress but a bit less acutely vital). I haven’t hatched anything yet but had some fertile fridge eggs I took to day 12 that developed well. An unreliable heater is just going to give you an ulcer!

I did manage to get the heat back up (after tossing 2 towels and a blanket over it) and so far the temp is eh. A steady 99-100 so I guess that’s good? And the humidity I blame on me pouring too much water in it. It has already beeped twice at me and I am having to hand turn the eggs which I don’t mind. It’s just going to be around 3 times a day instead of a good five times. Fingers crossed I am definitely getting rid of it after the eggs hatch, if they do.

 

[chloeg001]

I am bumping this thread. Sunday (06/30) was day zero. Today is day 3. Checked one of the eggs, is this an early death??

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I am bumping this thread. Sunday (06/30) was day zero. Today is day 3. Checked one of the eggs, is this an early death??

I can't tell from your photo due to the candling glow is too similiar in color to blood vessels, but it may just be my eyes, so I'm replying in hopes you get a more definitive answer.

 

[Altairsky]

Day 3 is too early. Wait at least day 6. At day 3 you might see a blastoderm which looks like a blood ring but it's not.

 

[chloeg001]

Ugh just woke up to a temp spike of 111 Will they be okay? I’ve read it does take a while for inside the egg to heat up but this isn’t the first spike that has happened with them. This incubator has me stressed out!

 

[R.J.]

If you’re going to incubator hatch regularly you need to get a good incubator period. I use the tractor supply nature right, it’s kinda pricey but worth every penny. I’ve hatched hundreds of chicks out of mine so far and not had any issues with it. I set the temp to 100.5 and leave it alone. 1st week I don’t even look at the incubator. 3 days is too early to tell, I 1st candle the eggs at 7 days. At that point you will have no problem telling which eggs are good and which ones aren’t. But seriously get a dependable incubator, you’re going to save yourself a lot of stress and time.

 

[chloeg001]

If you’re going to incubator hatch regularly you need to get a good incubator period. I use the tractor supply nature right, it’s kinda pricey but worth every penny. I’ve hatched hundreds of chicks out of mine so far and not had any issues with it. I set the temp to 100.5 and leave it alone. 1st week I don’t even look at the incubator. 3 days is too early to tell, I 1st candle the eggs at 7 days. At that point you will have no problem telling which eggs are good and which ones aren’t. But seriously get a dependable incubator, you’re going to save yourself a lot of stress and time.

My grandmother just gave me her incubator yesterday. I plan on messing with it today and let it run for 24 hours just to see what it does. HOPEFULLY, it will be much better and a bit more stable than the current one.