Octo Eco Egg Layout

[chicken stalker]

I just got my Brinsea Octogon 20 Eco yesterday...YEAH!!!!

I also bought the auto turning craddle. I've had it running since last night and I have a couple questions before I through in some eggs.

1. The temperature was high according to the built in themometer (about 101.5), so I turned it down an smidgeabout (100 now). I put in my accurite thermometer and it said 97. which should I believe.....I'm guessing the built in. I'm going to get another themometer to triple check.

2. In the manual it says eggs can be either laid on thier sides or stood up (big end up). Which is better and how would I stand them up?

3. When hatching should I put a liner on the bottom of the egg tray...maybe a egg carton?

Thanks

 

[addicted2chicks]

Have you tried a 3rd thermometer to just triple check and see if anything matches up? I don't know how the Brinsea is set up because mine won't be here til tomorrow. But are you taking the temp with your extra thermometer at the same height as the one in the Brinsea?

 

[chicken stalker]

Ok so I put in an old mercury thermometer and it read the same as the built in. So I'm guessing the cheapo digital one is off by a dgree or two.

 

[l'uccello]

We have our first set of eggs in our ECO now, and they are standing up. They were shipped eggs so we wanted to be sure to keep the large end up. Otherwise, I don't think it would matter. To keep them standing we used small chunks of soft packing foam at the end of each row of eggs to give just enough pressure to hold them up. They've been in for five days now and are still in position.

Ours heated to 100deg so we tweaked it back to 95.5 and it's held right on. We've decided to just go by the included thermometer.

Don't plan to hatch in it, but if we did we'd probably put in a liner, but being plastic it should be no problem to clean either way.

 

[pascopol]

chicken stalker ;p :

I just got my Brinsea Octogon 20 Eco yesterday...YEAH!!!!

I also bought the auto turning craddle. I've had it running since last night and I have a couple questions before I through in some eggs.

1. The temperature was high according to the built in themometer (about 101.5), so I turned it down an smidgeabout (100 now). I put in my accurite thermometer and it said 97. which should I believe.....I'm guessing the built in. I'm going to get another themometer to triple check.

2. In the manual it says eggs can be either laid on thier sides or stood up (big end up). Which is better and how would I stand them up?

3. When hatching should I put a liner on the bottom of the egg tray...maybe a egg carton?

Thanks

If your eggs will fit in I would put them on sides.

If you have more then put them in "stand up" position.

My last hatch on shipped eggs in ECO 20 stand up, then on the side day 18-21 (cause some eggs candled were clear so it freed some room in the bator).

I hatched 90% of shipped eggs this way.

Some people hatched a 100% in ECO20 as reported on this board.

If an egg is hatchable ECO 20 will hatch it, providing you will not interfere much with the process.

LOL​

 

[addicted2chicks]

l'uccello :

We have our first set of eggs in our ECO now, and they are standing up. They were shipped eggs so we wanted to be sure to keep the large end up. Otherwise, I don't think it would matter. To keep them standing we used small chunks of soft packing foam at the end of each row of eggs to give just enough pressure to hold them up. They've been in for five days now and are still in position.

Ours heated to 100deg so we tweaked it back to 95.5 and it's held right on. We've decided to just go by the included thermometer.

Don't plan to hatch in it, but if we did we'd probably put in a liner, but being plastic it should be no problem to clean either way.

Did you tweak it to 95.5 or 99.5?​

 

[DrakeMaiden]

About the thermometer -- I would trust the included one because it is the type of thermometer that only reads within a small range (80 to 110 or so degrees F), which means that it is probably a scientific grade thermometer that should read more true than a cheapo digital. JMO.

I don't know about chicken eggs, but duck eggs are supposed to hatch better if the air cell is raised.

The manual recommends a separate hatcher. I don't see a problem with hatching on the egg tray itself, it looks pretty non-skid, if that is what you are worried about.

Good luck with your incubation and hatch!

 

[l'uccello]

Quote:
Good catch. I hate to say it, but I even previewed the post and still didn't see the typo. 99.5 it is!

 

[pascopol]

Quote:
Did you tweak it to 95.5 or 99.5?

My included therm in ECO confirmed with proven mercury therm.

It was set at 95.5, my first hatch was 9 out of 10 shipped eggs.

Hatched day 21-23, so I am on second hatch jacking up the temp to a 100.

For the hatch (day 18-21) I filled 2 wells with water and put a small fabric piece in one of the wells, giving me humidity of 65-70%

I believe humidity was perfect chicks just popped up with no struggle.

Cleaning was easy, cleaned bottom of bator in detergent and bleach solution, dried it uo in the sun.

 

[chicken stalker]

Quote:
Did you tweak it to 95.5 or 99.5?

My included therm in ECO confirmed with proven mercury therm.

It was set at 95.5, my first hatch was 9 out of 10 shipped eggs.

Hatched day 21-23, so I am on second hatch jacking up the temp to a 100.

For the hatch (day 18-21) I filled 2 wells with water and put a small fabric piece in one of the wells, giving me humidity of 65-70%

I believe humidity was perfect chicks just popped up with no struggle.

Cleaning was easy, cleaned bottom of bator in detergent and bleach solution, dried it uo in the sun.

Was your fabric partically in the well (to create a wick?) or was it all in the well?