ok time for as much advice as possible

[njduck]

I suck at hatching eggs, when I say I suck. I SUCK. have succeeded in hatching 4 out of almost 300 eggs and 1 had club foot. When I was a kid my grandpop hatched out like a king. I can only ever remember him looseing 1 or 2 eggs a hatch. The incubator is a vintage 40's round metal incubator with the knob on top. so in order to turn the eggs you have to take the whole top off. I have thought my failure was that the incubator is to old and they loose heat every time you take the top off to turn the eggs, but it worked for my grandpop. I have been reading every post on hatching eggs. I am working up the courage to try again. most of my failure is comes in the last 7 days of hatch. I plan on getting a cabinet incubator this winter for next spring, but would really like to be able to hatch out eggs in this old incubator. my grand pop bought this incubator shortly after buying the farm. So it comes down to a pride thing to continue on something he started and I would like to pass it on to my kids before they move out.

there is no window to look into to see the thermostat so you have to open it up. also for moisture you have to use a small bowl of water.
I plan on my first run being chickens, then switching over to ducks.

any help, suggestions is greatly appreciated.
should I try dry incubation?

 

[Clay Valley Farmer]

Likely it is not just because it is old, there could be a number of different tings going on.

Main thing you need to do is get a handle on the temperature and humidity inside the unit. All sorts of options, if you can put a window in it somehow then you could take direct readings from termometer and dry/wet bulb inside. If not then you could use probe type electronic devices.

Once you have control over temp and humidity keeping it close to 99-100f and 40-50% humidity for first 18 days then upping it for the last 3 your hatch should improve. Also being sure you have good freash fertilitile hatching eggs will up you hatch percentages.

Opening an incubator to hand turn eggs is not likely the cause of the problems, hens on eggs get up off the eggs quite often and sometimes leave them for enough time to eat, drink, and take a walk about the yard for a poop.

 

[Gypsy07]

Quote:
Sounds like excellent advice. You really need a way of checking your temp and humidity without opening the thing up.

Also perhaps have a look on Brinsea's website and download their FREE incubation handbook. It's full of loads of useful information about incubation. The more you understand about how the incubation process works, the more will be able to understand the various bits of advice people will give you. Then you can use your own common sense to help you decide what to do. But if you don't fully understand how incubation works, any changes and/or improvements you try to make will really just be guesswork.

 

[yinepu]

Since it's a vintage bator.. I would not do anything to alter it where it would affect it's value

having said that.. is there a way you can replace the top with a clear piece of plexi or acrylic?.. you can drill holes in the acrylic for ventilation .. and cover them with tape if you need to make adjustments.. it would be clear so you could view temp and humidity readings.. and you could glue a knob on top to make it easy to open

I would just hate to see you alter the actual incubator since it was your grandfather's

 

[njduck]

it is all galvinized metal and round, the sides are the top. it has a vewing window of about 1 1/2 inches which isn't much. everything goes fine until the last 5 or 6 days. ducks or chickens it doesn't matter. most of the time the start to pip. then die before they make it out. the others never even pip. i usually only loose 1 or 2 eggs to being bad. I am really good at incubateing them till the very end. my ducks always start to hatch at 29 days

 

[Time-Out]

I have to open mine completely to turn the eggs. I think it's kinda good for them, because it lets fresh air in. I wash and sterilise my hands before ever touching them, though. Do you?

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
so they are making an external pup then they die?.. if that's the case.. how much are you bumping up your humidity during lockdown?.. because if that is the scenario.. sounds like you're not bumping it up high enough.. the membrane dries too quickly and they can't break through it

 

[Gypsy07]

I was just thinking the same thing. Sounds like you need to boost your lockdown humidity.
If you get them all the way to pipping and almost hatching then you're already getting it almost right.

This might be an easy problem to fix!

 

[njduck]

for the people that are much older then I am. here it is from mail order.
Sears & Roebuck
model 3/66
volt 115
watt 100

22" diameter
6" tall
it has 6 - 3/8" holes evenly spaced around it.

I have no clue what the humdity is when it is locked down since cannot really see inside it.
but yes most make it to pipping and then that is it.

 

[Cadjien_De_Louisiane]

Have you ever tried just to hatch from a broody hen?