No one told me how bad the incubator would smell during hatching!

[lceh]

Ugh! This is our first hatch, using a HovaBator 1588. We did candle all eggs so I know this is not a "rotten egg" smell, just a nasty-broken-eggshell-and membrane-and-gunk smell. We had 6 hatch yesterday, 2 today, one who appeared to die while hatching, and one more pipping now. I am desperate to get the chicks and the nasty old shells out of there but I've decided to wait until the last pip is out and dry, hopefully this evening. We have 5 eggs left with no sign of a pip, unless it's on the underside where I can't see it. It's Day 23 today. Is it okay to open the incubator after this last pip hatches and dries? Can I have it open long enough to throw out the nasty shells, etc.? I'll candle the ones that haven't hatched, but if there's still hope I want to put them back in and give them another day or so. The incubator's in DD's room and the smell is really getting to me. Blech.

 

[bockbock2008]

I've got the same problem. hatcher in the spare bedroom and I keep the door shut so the peeping doesn't keep us all awake. When I went in there to check on them this morning...

Just pulling out the shells and chicks won't solve it. You will have to bleach it. Mine are now done hatching and tonight I'll take the last ones out to put in the brooder but I'm not even going to open the incubator in the house to get them out.

 

[StormyMoon]

There shouldn't be any smells.

 

[TriciaHowe]

I put down paper towels to make clean up easier but definitely you want to make a 10% bleach solution in a spray bottle and after you hose it out spray it with the bleach and let dry. I also use a compressed air can to get the fluff out of the top of my bator.
My ducks make mine stinky when they hatch....

 

[Emmalion]

Yeah I did the spare bedroom bit with mine too. I get the humidity up in the room so the bator doesn't change all the much but when they start hatching it has a smell to it.

Nothing airing out the room and bleaching out the bator wont fix.

 

[kathyinmo]

Your incubators should not stink. You may have a rotten egg or something going on.

 

[lceh]

If it's not supposed to stink, then I guess I do have a problem! What should I do? I do have a viable pip, but it's not moving along very quickly. If I fish out the unhatched (possibly rotten?) eggs (and the fluffy chicks) won't I jeopardize my pipping chick? Should I just wait it out and hope nothing explodes until the last baby's out? Please advise!

 

[rb roosting]

I agree that there should not be much smell?? My first time hatching i had smell and real bad hatch (i gave to many eggs a chance when they should of been tossed). Learned the hard way 1 or 2 bad eggs can ruin an entire hatch. I now disinfect between hatches candle on day 7/14/and 18 before lockdown. If i question any eggs in first two candling (7&14) i write ? mark on egg. If its not really dark on day 18 (goes for the rest of eggs also) it doesn't go into lockdown. If majority are hatched and fluffy 24 hrs after first pip i remove chicks as long as no others are pipped and the membrane is broke. Day 23 any eggs not pipped get tossed. Just my thoughts and practice's good luck

 

[lceh]

So should I wait until this last pip hatches? That may take a while! I'm worried now that something might blow up all over my fuzzy babies, but this little one's beak is out and it's still trying.

 

[Terri O]

You either have a really good nose or I am used to yucky smells in my house!

My 1588 is on my kitchen table and I really dont smell anything. I keep a blanket tossed over it to keep the cats from scratching the styro...dont smell anything though....Terri O