NY chicken lover!!!!

[featherz]

That's interesting. The reason why I asked is bc I have read varying opinions of the brinseas. Seems like people either love them or hate them (tho usually more love). Anyone out there have/use the advance 20 w humidity pump? Seems crazy expensive, but if it works... & is next step after brinsea a cabinet bator? Thanks for all opinions!!!

I love my brinsea. I have an advance 20 with the pump and have never had a problem with it. The replacement tubing for the pump is kind of expensive - could not find a replacement that was cheaper - but other than that I love mine. I set it at 42% for hatch, 62 for lockdown and have always had a good percentage hatch with no shrinkwrapping. It's kind of small and I do open during hatch to get chicks out when they are sandwiched in like sardines, but other than that..

 

[AbiLuv]

I've never incubated, but I'm planning on it next year if my roos cooperate
What incubator should I use to start out with? I wouldn't be doing any more than 20 eggs, so maybe something smallish?
My neighbor says I can use hers, but last year was her first time trying, and all the chicks drowned in the eggs after they had already pipped. Could that problem be connected to the bator's performance at all?

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Afternoon all. Busy day today at the Vly emporium. Had someone come and get the six silkie chicks she wanted. Let Junior out for a while with his girl then locked him up while Little Man and Legolas and women got out for a while. They are now locked up and the terrorists are out doing their thing. Dh got the run and skirting all fixed up around the brats coop and they went out after I threw three of them out the pop door. Now the boys can really spar! They are looking really good though. Bill took a run at me again last night and this morning. He will be going soon. Timmy came over with his mom and grandparents to visit the bawk bawks and the babies. I guess if he comes up missing at home my yard is the first place to check, including the coops! Got my composter repositioned into the sun so it can bake properly and loaded it up some. Made sure to get dirt and leaves in it as well as the shavings from the brooder. Mixed it up good. Going to set another 12 blue silkie eggs and see what happens. I candled the eggs under the girls in Legolas coop and left them each with two.

Horsekeeper--I have the octagon 20 and had a decent hatch last week. I was dryhatching my silkies (not intentionally) and still the humidity was around 40 percent but the temp held at 100. It only went up to 65 percent when I added water to both wells at lockdown. My temps held pretty steady. I have a hovabator 1500 that also does very well. Maybe try dryhatching in it next time and see what happens.

Gotta go do more domestic stuff. Later

 

[help4me]

Hi,

I have a quick mini Brinsea question. Today was the start of day 22 and nothing is happening, not a pip, no rolling, no peeps. I feel as though I may of been staring at infertile eggs for the past 22 days.

My question is the water level is getting low, should I chance opening it to put more in or just leave it? I am a rookie, and can't seem to figure out the candling thing, and no I don't know what the humidity is as there is not one in the mini. I just followed the direction about lock down which strangely is only the last two days, unlike what I have been reading here. Either they weren't fertile, or I made some rookie mistakes.

How very disappointing especially for the kids. Anyway, not sure how long I should leave them, but I had filled both sides according to the directions and now there is about 1/4 left in both chambers. What should I do? Thanks.

 

[Pyxis]

Hi,

I have a quick mini Brinsea question. Today was the start of day 22 and nothing is happening, not a pip, no rolling, no peeps. I feel as though I may of been staring at infertile eggs for the past 22 days. My question is  the water level is getting low, should I chance opening it to put more in or just leave it? I am a rookie, and can't seem to figure out the candling thing, and no I don't know what the humidity is as there is not one in the mini. I just followed the direction about lock down which strangely is only the last two days, unlike what I have been reading here. Either they weren't fertile, or I made some rookie mistakes. How very disappointing especially for the kids. Anyway, not sure how long I should leave them, but I had filled both sides according to the directions and now there is about 1/4 left in both chambers. What should I do? Thanks.

Did you candle them? You should have seen veins and things if they were fertile if you candled. With no pips you can pop it open and add some water, that's fine, and while you're at it you may want to candled to see if they are fertile or not. Fertile at this stage would look like a really dark egg with a small clear space at the top. Nonfertile would just be a clear egg.

Edit: A handy candling chart. If yours are fertile and developing properly they should look like the day 18 image: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/candling-pics-progression-through-incubation-of-chicken-eggs

 

[help4me]

Thank you for the quick reply. I just can't seem to get the whole candling thing. Not so much what to look for, but rather I can never see through it enough.(either I don't have the right lighting, or I just plan don't get it.) So sorry for my ignorance. I panic taking them out, as I feel like I will drop them, or I worry that they have been out of the incubator to long so I rush. Hmm, I guess I have nothing to lose to try again. Oh, nuts.

 

[Sweetpea3829]

This is what my incubator looks like tonight. I blame Metella. Somehow I also need to add nine duck eggs tomorrow. Wish me luck.



Wait, you can fill it like this???? I sent five eggs over to my neighbor's incubator because mine was full (at 20 eggs) and I didn't think you could add extra on top, lol!!!

 

[featherz]

I never fill mine like that, but I do generally get in about 30 LF eggs in my brinsea - I just stuff them in with no rails.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Help,

Dont panic. Wait till dark then candle. Compare what you see to the chart Pyxis posted. You may have miscounted or your hatch may be later. My last three hatches have all started on day 22 and ended on day 24. As long as there are no pips, go ahead and add more water to the bator. Your humidity should be somewhere around 65 percent and your temp around 100. Do you have a hydrometer in the bator so you can see what the humidity is? Hold the flashlight in your hand with your thumb and forefinger gripping the top (light) of it. Gently place the small tip of the egg on the light. If you have to move the flashlight down a bit so there is no light coming out of your hand up around the egg, do so. The light should light up the inside of the egg enough to see what is going on. Compare to the chart.

We were all newbies once. Dont panic. Every time you hatch its a learning experience. You will find what works for you. I finally got it right this year!

 

[Sweetpea3829]

Thank you for the quick reply. I just can't seem to get the whole candling thing. Not so much what to look for, but rather I can never see through it enough.(either I don't have the right lighting, or I just plan don't get it.) So sorry for my ignorance. I panic taking them out, as I feel like I will drop them, or I worry that they have been out of the incubator to long so I rush. Hmm, I guess I have nothing to lose to try again. Oh, nuts.

You probably need a better flashlight. I usually use two LED type. My husband's is particularly bright and I can even see inside the dark Marans eggs. Not as well as other eggs, but well enough to see veining.

Anyways, I hold one in my left hand, light pointed up. I rest the egg on top of that light, with my fist cupping the top of the flashlight, so it makes a "bowl" if you will...which keeps the egg from rolling off. Then, I hold the other flashlight in my other hand and place that on top. You have to really cup the light so it can't escape around your hand.