October Hatch-A-Long 2017

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

Your MHP is looks great! Will be much easier to clean that way too.

I bet your eggs will be totally fine. I think they’re pretty tough little customers at that point. At least I hope so, given that the chicks drying out in my ‘bator are playing soccer with the ones who have yet to hatch, lol. Can’t wait to hear of your progress in a couple days!

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Three more have hatched, all one right after another, including the one who pipped on the wrong end! It looks like it’s doing just fine!
One that hatched last night, however, seems to be having a hard time getting on its feet, it keeps tumbling over on its side or back. I tried placing it upright in a small container but it just knocks the whole container over. Anyone ever experience this? Any advice?

The one I helped out kept falling on his back. I think he had some membrane stuck, so I washed him in warm water and he got an energy boost from that, I think.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I’m glad I went ahead and piddled around with this incubator early. The built in thermometer is definitely high a couple degrees. So nice of them to include a real thermometer to compare. The built in thermometer had slipped beneath the egg turner, I left it on without thinking, no need for that yet, but the incubator thought all was well on the mesh floor. The real thermometer read a shade over 100 degrees. When I replaced the built in thermometer, the incubator thought it was 104 inside! 104 looks like it’s a little high, but 103 or so should make for an actual temp of right at 100 degrees.

I haven’t even started trying to regulate the humidity yet.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Yup, I was right. The built in thermometer says 104 before the independent thermometer reads 99.5-100. So, even though it’s flashing at me that 104 is too hot, it needs to stay there, right? I’m interpreting this the right way?

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

Yup, I was right. The built in thermometer says 104 before the independent thermometer reads 99.5-100. So, even though it’s flashing at me that 104 is too hot, it needs to stay there, right? I’m interpreting this the right way?

This is the incubator I use. I bought it 2-3 months ago and it's been running ever since (except for cleaning). I intend to write a full review once this hatch is complete. In general it's been great.

My best advice is tape the built in thermometer onto an egg (or fake egg) in the "hot zone". In my incubator that's toward the top about an inch from the heating element. Second row down 3rd egg in. I lost a bunch of eggs before when it dropped below the turner and temp spiked. Learn from my mistake and tape that puppy on.

I measure egg shell temperature and the eggs on the last row, nearest the turner, remain significantly cooler than the top eggs. About 3-4 degrees in egg shell temp. I'm still figuring out the best way to combat this. This hatch and the previous one I ran the icubator slightly high (temp similar to a still air) until about day 10 when the embryos start making their own heat. It's actually day 12 but I turned it down just shy of that to avoid over heating. I've also rotated the eggs daily. So that all got a chance on the hot and cold sides. Like I said still figuring things out. Next hatch I'm probably going to take that row out. Even one row up makes a bug difference.

Let me know if you have any more questions. I've included a picture of where I tape the thermometer.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Let me know if you have any more questions. I've included a picture of where I tape the thermometer. View attachment 1151636

Wow, that’s VERY helpful to know. The thermometer fell earlier but somehow I thought it would be ok once eggs were inside. The tape tip is a great one.

I’ve only ever hatched a dozen eggs at a time, but now I want to take full advantage of the incubator’s capacity. How do you rotate? What’s the temp difference between the hottest and coolest area? The incubator is up and running at the new house, but we have hardly anything there yet. I checked on it once today and spent an hour messing with temperature, but I won’t be back over there to check it again until tomorrow. I could tape the built in thermometer and then place the other in the cool zone, now that I know how warm to keep the bator set at in general.

I’m awfully glad i joined in here to get all this advice. It’s super helpful!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

I'd say your right on track. When you adjust the temperature only do it half a degree at a time. Then give it 30+ minutes to regulate before bumping it again. I keep mine in a fully interior storage room in the basement with a stable temp. Once adjusted, and taped, it has varied very little.

How do you rotate? I gently removed the bottom row. Shifted everyone one down and placed the eggs back in the top row. It wasn't ideal and I didn't like messing with them that much. But because they were shipped eggs I knew I'd have quite a few early quitters. I was able to purge one row's worth of eggs pretty quickly, under a week. And stopped the rotating when I was down to 5 rows.

What’s the temp difference between the hottest and coolest area? A full 3 degree difference. When I had it set at 101.5 the air temperature was 98.5-101.5 between hot and cold areas. I'd move your thermometer around in yours and make sure you know where the hot spots are. The eggs in the hot spot had shell temps of 99.5. The other eggs ran cool (94-96) but developed just fine. I have not factored egg placement into my hatch rate yet but hopefully next spring I'll track that too.

 

[theuglychick]

Poop y'all. I got a cracked egg. It's moving a lot, but... I guess we will see. I'm going to put some antibacterial on the crack. Shoot.

 

[Fanci Feathers Marans]

The one with the funky aircell is dead. There's another one I'm not sure about. I haven't opened the egg yet, but there is no movement inside.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

I'd say your right on track. When you adjust the temperature only do it half a degree at a time. Then give it 30+ minutes to regulate before bumping it again. I keep mine in a fully interior storage room in the basement with a stable temp. Once adjusted, and taped, it has varied very little.
/QUOTE]

I can't tell you how helpful your input has been. I'm so happy not to have to discover this stuff mid-incubation.

The incubator is in a spare bedroom. I left the attached thermometer in place and moved the other to the cool spot. So far, the difference is only one degree, which would be fantastic and mean no rotating necessary, but I'll check again tomorrow.

 

[Stuckinlove]

The one with the funky aircell is dead. There's another one I'm not sure about. I haven't opened the egg yet, but there is no movement inside.

Oh no sorry