pros/cons of incubating?

[miss_jayne]

oh, great! now i need three! my husband is cracking up. and probably applying for a second job somewhere!

 

[Hooterville]

Watch out you will be bitten by the bator bug!

Although my first hatch didn't go as well as I had hoped, I'm already missing checking on my egglets. I already have another batch of eggs on the way to me so I can try again.

My issue was humidity in the last 3 days--I did manage to hatch 3 little fuzzies who are now my official favorites!

 

[klf73]

I will note that hatch percentage with any bator changes with shipped eggs. Those are on a case by case basis. I have had 100% down to 6% with shipped eggs, and I don't think it has anything to do with my bator.

The post office is rather rough sometimes

Krista

 

[miss_jayne]

okay, more good info...i am storing this all in my noggin.

i think i may have the hubby broke down to it...actually, i think he likes the fuzzies more than me.

heard in garage: "aren't you a pretty little lady? your momma is going to spoil you rotten! you are just a sweetheart." yeah, that's my man.

they call him "chickenman" at church and work now....he needs an incubator or three, right?


any more opinions are welcomed and thanks for all info.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

In my opinion there are only pros with incubating...the only con would be if the baby does not make it. I have that incubator and it's very easy...pretty much just plug in and go. The only bad thing is the clean up afterward but still not that bad. I would say go for two...I have only one and I can't do a staggard hatch. Have to set all at the same time

If I had another I could just keep adding eggs whenever! LOL

 

[dangerouschicken]

I have only one (Genesis 1588) and I'm on my first hatch. IT IS HORRIBLE!

I totally BITE IT at candling, so not even trying that now. The humidity keeps going up and down, too. I check them and it is 60%, then I check them later, and the humidity is 30%, and that is in less than a 24 hour period. I am convinced they will all be worthless stink eggs in the end, or even if they are born, they will all be deformed or something I don't know why I feel that way, I just do.

It bugs me, the wait, you know, just trying to make sure everything goes fine until the first pip... if there even is a pip

I would think just start with one, Miss Jayne. You may be bugged by your inabilities as much as I am by my own. But you are probably perfect, right?

 

[thepetpaw]

I know what you mean dangerous chicken - I suck at candling - really dont know what I am doing when it comes to hatching..If I have 1 live chick I will be suprised. I have the genesis 1588 and cant even figure out how to check the humididty. Ebverything is supposed to be automatic - we shall see. I am on day 14 and cleaned out the clear eggs 9non fertile - so I am told) and the rest I saw an air bubble and a big black mass - I think all the eggs are rotten but again we shalll see. I hope I get some little chicks out of this - I started with 42 eggs in the bator and then put 12 under my broody hen. all were mail order eggs from this site and ebay....hopefully I will get at least 10 chicks out of 50+ eggs but if I get any I sure will amaze myself. i just feel like such a dummy and dont feel like I am doing anything right!!!!

 

[miss_jayne]

Quote:
ohmygosh! you've met me in real life!?!?!?! haa!

yeah, almost, kinda, not really at all.... keep me posted on your turn out....

 

[Jenlyn9483]

It is very addicting, since i got back into chickens this past march i have purchased alot of different fowl and chickens from my local feedstores and one hatchery order. I really wanted a bator but i wanted a nice one with a fan. They were expensive, my local feedstore had one for $90.00. That is a bit much for our budget for something I wasnt sure how much I would actually use it, just for my amusement. We are very much do it yourself, self sufficient wannabes in this house, Imagine my great joy when i found MissPrissy simple instructions on how to make a very good, cost effective forced air incubator. I made my first one and it ended up costing me like $13 for materials. This incubator has been AWESOME for me. my first hatch I had 10 out of 13 fertil eggs hatch out perfect heathy chicks, my second hatch was 12 ebay Courtunix quail eggs that I tried just for the fun of it to see if I could...I got 8 babies all alive and doing well..(Great odds for shipped ebay eggs)..I am now on my third hatch as we speak and have already had one chick hatch.
I decided to build a second one as a hatcher since I like being able to stagger my hatches without effecting my newer eggs with higher hatching humidity levels. This second one I only had to buy the $8 thermostat from lowes.

 

[miss_jayne]

hmmm....getting more ideas in my head...i will check MissPrissy's thread on it. my husband is pretty handy and might be able to whip one up!

thanks!