Set 8 Eggs In Brinsea Mini Advance Today 9/13/11. Wanna Join?

[CSisley]

I've been around chickens a looong time but this will be the first time I'll be incubating eggs on my own in my own incubator! I've set 2 Swedish Flower Hen and 6 Blue Laced Red Wyandotte eggs. I'm going to post pictures of my progress(hopefully there will be progress!). I'd love to hear from others setting their eggs today or close to it!

 

[henmad]

I have a Brinsea Eco Manual Turn Incubator. I love it....but the egg turning takes real dedication.

So I just got the new Mini Advance. I got a great deal as I bought it as a set with the eco brooder and candler.
It just arrived in the post a couple of hours ago. Can wait to use it. How are you finding yours?

 

[CSisley]

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Sweet! Are you planning to set some eggs soon?

I’ve been running my incubator the last 3 days using a two in one gauge to monitor the temperature/humidity trying to get it right before I set the eggs tomorrow. I set the temperature on the incubator at 99.5°F but the gauge I have in there has read a constant 97°F. I’m a little concerned about that but I’m hoping the thermometer is wrong and the incubator is right. I’ve also noted that if I don’t put water in either of the pots the humidity stays around 35%. If I put water in one of the pots it goes to 58%. So too low and then too high! I’m going to try calibrating the gauge’s humidity reading using a method I saw on BYC to see if that will make a difference in the reading. If that doesn’t work I might try to run the incubator with and without water in one pot in cycles over the course of the 18 days to try to get the average between 40-50% and then put water in both pots during hatching. I currently don’t have a scale that reads in small enough increments to do the egg weighing thing and don’t know of where I can get one local… We have a pretty humid climate here especially in the summer so I’m a little concerned about the eggs loosing enough weight. Currently it is mostly sunny and the humidity is 50% but tonight, which will also be clear, the humidity is supposed to be around 87%. I know the air conditioning in the house will help with the humidity but I know outside conditions can make a difference.

What’s the climate like there? Have you had any trouble with the humidity using the ECO?

 

[henmad]

On the eco. you can't read the humidity it's just one side of pot and both sides filled for last 2-3 days. It's always pretty damp here
so maybe it's less of an issue for that reason. We only hatched under a broody hen before so the incubator stuff is still pretty new to me.
I got the eco second hand on an impulse because it's really hard to work around your broody hen. I always seem to come across good eggs when we have no broody hen. We have no rooster so it means getting fertile eggs elsewhere. It's a long story but I have one egg in the eco now with seven days left. I had three eggs that I was taking a chance were fertile and one someone gave me. The three weren't so now there is one lone egg developing nicely. i can't wait to use the Advance for a few spring chicks. I got it now because of the deal with the brooder. It will be great not turning the eggs three times a day! What do you have in your bator? Also. I only every used a mag light to candle before (And when the hens doing it I don't candle at all) but my set came with a candler and evoscope. It is really cool, I can't get over the detail you can see. Best of luck with your hatch.

 

[discoveregg]

Hello!

I don't have a Brinsea, I have a Hovabator 1588. Just set 12 Cuckoo Marans and 14 Dominiques today. May I join in?

 

[CSisley]

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I don't currently have a rooster but I'm hoping to get a nice one out of this hatch. I had some RIR crosses up until a few months ago but I gave them away because they all had a mean streak. I've always wondered what the advantage of buying an actual candler over just using a flashlight, I guess that answers my question

I was going to get some swedish flower hen and blue laced red wyandotte eggs today from a breeder but he didn't meet me where he was supposed to...

It was his fault but he was very appologetic and has promised to ship me the eggs on Monday so we'll see.
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Of Course! Join the party! Sorry I won't be able to join it till later in the week

 

[cielo]

I'm in! My first incubator attempt.

I've had chickens for years, always bought them as chicks. I wanted to try my hand @ incubating though. This is a trial run for me. I have 3 shipped Wheaten Ameraucana eggs in there, put em in @ 5pm today after letting them rest a day. I bought a used Hovabator 2362n w/turner. I've been running it several days & have been very impressed w/how well it holds an even temp & humidity. My humidity is a bit high though @ 40%. I'm gonna fiddle w/it tomorrow. Fun!
-Cielo

 

[henmad]

Some nice choices for eggs. Everyone will have to post picks of the chicks when they arrive.

 

[Balefire]

I'm in 2. Set my brand new brinsea ecco with 5 quial and some eggs from my girls. They are a mixed flock from NHR and RIR and my current rooster is a silkie. In my bator from TSC I have a couple silkies and havey breed eggs and also some quials. But I don't know for sure, if the quials a fertil.
I like my Eco, but I think it's hard to place the eggs in it, special when he has a turner. I put some spnges in my bators to increase the humity and it works for me.

 

[CSisley]

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Awww I'd like to get some Wheaten Ameraucanas, I love their color and puffy bearded faces. The breeder I'm getting the eggs from just got some Wheaten Ameraucanas but they are young and haven't started to lay yet so I'll just have to wait for my second hatch. 40% is high for your bator? The directions for my Brinsea say the RH should be between 40%-50% but if that's what your directions say I'd stick with that...

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NHR and RIR crossed with your silkie roo?! I wonder what the chicks will look, like how exciting! So what's the purpose of hatching quail, do you hunt or eat them? I've kinda wondered why so many people keep them besides the fact that they are so cute. I almost got the ECO bator because of the cost but I couldn't see myself having the time to turn the eggs unless I brought the bator to work with me which would equal major distraction, especially if they started hatching. The nice thing about the advance is if I want to fit more than 7 I can always take the tray out, turn the turning mechanism off and use it like an ECO.