Only one hatched - help me figure out what went wrong please.

[newdock]

Hey all....I am a bit of a lurker here, but read the forums everyday so feel like I'm a regular.

I tried incubating last year and had poor results. Only 2 eggs hatched and I had over 20.

I have read every bit of information that I can find on this forum over the past year and hope that I can improve on last year!

I have the bator fired up and have found the first 2 problems. Last year I used one thermometer and no hydrometer - I just added water as per the incubator instructions.

This year, I have 3 thermometers and a hydrometer. Turns out my thermometer from last year is almost 4 degrees off and my bator is running at 60% humidity with NO WATER in it. I removed one vent plug and it is down to 50%. I guess I will be dry incubating.....perhaps the ferns, moss and cedar trees growing in my front yard should have been a big clue that I live in a humid area!!!

I have 12 maran eggs, 12 americauna (well, I actually think they are easter eggers, but they were sold as americaunas...I didn't pay too much for them so I'm okay with it), and 12 easter eggers for a friend.

I put a couple of infertile grocery store eggs in one of my nest boxes and one hen has been sitting on them for 2 days..so I will put 4 maran eggs and 2 americauana (EE) eggs under her and the rest in the bator.

I am crossing my fingers that it all goes well....

Since I don't have any water in the bator, I wondered if I could just put the eggs into carton bottoms and then tilt the entire incubator side to side instead of opening it to turn them by hand. If there is an obvious problem with that, please let me know.... P.s. I have a hovabator with forced air (the styrofoam one)

Thanks!
Donna

 

[shortcake1806]

I don't know about tilting the bator I'll defer to someone more knowledgable than me on that one.

If I a broody hen I'd be putting more of the eggs under her than in the bator. As great as they are they don't compare to mother nature.



Good luck with your hatch!

 

[newdock]

Quote:
I would love to put more eggs under her, but she is a tiny little frizzled bantam and the eggs are standards so I feel as though I am even pushing it with 6....

 

[Frizzledhen]

Hi Donna,
Welcome aboard. You might want to watch your little banty for the first couple of days when you give her the eggs. I have found my first time broody bantys don't readily take to the bigger eggs. I have to encourage them to go back to the eggs once they get off the nest for the first couple of days. They usually try to find eggs more their size and set on them. Hopeing you have a great hatch.

 

[newdock]

Quote:
Thanks Frizzledhen. I will keep a close eye on her. The non-fertile eggs that I gave her to see if she would stay on them are standard eggs. I'm just not sure if 6 is too many. I will check them frequently and will have room in the incubator in case she decides to either abandon them or kick a few out.

I REALLY hope I get some Marans from this. I love the dark brown eggs. (not to mention the eggs were expensive!)

 

[tat2edlady]

my banty Splash Cochin is sitting on 6 duck egg right now and she is loving it.

Mindy

PS this is her first time too

 

[newdock]

These are the Maran Eggs that I put in the incubator today.

They came in a very sturdy box - the lady at the post office kept flipping it around to find the bar code to scan it in when I picked it up and I just about had a heart attack! I think she thought I was crazy......

They were very well packaged with perfectly cut foam.

Then inside, they were in a clear carton which was wrapped with bubble wrap.

And here they are! They are beautiful...I can't wait!

So they are now in the incubator (well, 8 of them)...the other 4 are going under mama hen with a couple easter egger eggs.

I still didn't get a response on tilting the bator as opposed to turning the eggs....anyone? I have them in cartons in the bator so I wondered if I could just tilt the whole unit as I don't have any water in it (our humidity is 50%).

Also, if our humidity is 50% on a sunny day, how will I LOWER the humidity in the bator if we have a rainy day....???

Thanks everyone! I am having fun and so thankful to have all of you to help.....

Donna

 

[hiddenmagnolia]

Yes you can just tilt the whole bator since you do not need to put water in. I also live in a humid climate so I do not put extra water and have to open my vents. You can start the eggs in the cartons from day one and leave them in the carton for the hatch. Good luck with your eggs.

 

[Crunchie]

Those are nice eggs! What variety of Marans?

 

[newdock]

Quote:
Thanks! That's what I was hoping to do. I will continue onward then....