Setting 41 on 6-15, 7-8, 7-31, and 8-23 feel free to join in at any time

[NTBugtraq]

Really, humor me. Would you just try running a full batch at 35-40% humidity for 18 days, 65% at lockdown, and 100.0 degrees on the display? I think the first time you tried that, you had egg issues. It sounds like your eggs have improved substantially, and you really do have a great incubator

Sure @scflock , np, I have said all through this setting that the quality of my eggs could very well be the entire issue. I like to think that the fact I have tried so many different hatch settings with these eggs, and its been a consistent failure. So obviously you have to think point a finger at the eggs, which I realized had been sorely lacking.

Unfortunately, the Janoel expects to be 45% or higher...its factory default is to alarm below 45%...if I try to keep it close to that, it means putting water in every day. I am not against that idea, but is that too high for you? I can set the Janoel's temperature for day 1-21, but as you've seen, it reverts to 32.2C on day 22 by default.

Today I have ~60-65 eggs ready to be set. The oldest, today, is 11 days old. I am getting ~ 15-20 eggs a day, but most are on the higher side of X-Large or Jumbo (>65g), which I have been trying to avoid setting. Anyway, I have at least 2 days more in this run (1-2 days more waiting for hatches, then 1 day of sterilization), so I will end up with 80 eggs at < 14 days old. The strangely unfortunate side of feeding my layers better food is that they make way more, and way bigger, eggs...;-]

So, with the caveats I have mentioned about the Janoel, I will run the Brinsea as you suggest.

 

[scflock]

Sure @scflock
, np, I have said all through this setting that the quality of my eggs could very well be the entire issue. I like to think that the fact I have tried so many different hatch settings with these eggs, and its been a consistent failure. So obviously you have to think point a finger at the eggs, which I realized had been sorely lacking.

Unfortunately, the Janoel expects to be 45% or higher...its factory default is to alarm below 45%...if I try to keep it close to that, it means putting water in every day. I am not against that idea, but is that too high for you? I can set the Janoel's temperature for day 1-21, but as you've seen, it reverts to 32.2C on day 22 by default.

Today I have ~60-65 eggs ready to be set. The oldest, today, is 11 days old. I am getting ~ 15-20 eggs a day, but most are on the higher side of X-Large or Jumbo (>65g), which I have been trying to avoid setting. Anyway, I have at least 2 days more in this run (1-2 days more waiting for hatches, then 1 day of sterilization), so I will end up with 80 eggs at < 14 days old. The strangely unfortunate side of feeding my layers better food is that they make way more, and way bigger, eggs...;-]

So, with the caveats I have mentioned about the Janoel, I will run the Brinsea as you suggest.

45 would be too high for me, but I'm also at 800 ft elevation. Didn't you say that the humidity factors in higher for your elevation?

 

[scflock]

Also, my largest eggs have the highest hatch rate. I can't explain why, of course

 

[NTBugtraq]

Also, my largest eggs have the highest hatch rate. I can't explain why, of course

Well, if egg size doesn't matter, I can make up the difference to 80 in the next couple of days. I have been getting like 5-6 eggs a day that are > 70g...so I will leave them out of the setting.

45 would be too high for me, but I'm also at 800 ft elevation. Didn't you say that the humidity factors in higher for your elevation?

I am also at ~800' and was told that for that elevation, 36.9C/98.5F was ideal in that elevation. As far as the humidity, since we're going for wet bulb, perhaps that's why the temperature is lower than you expect?? Higher humidity needs lower temp to reach the right wet bulb. So let's just leave the Janoel out of the equation, I will set the brinsea as you suggest.

 

[RubyNala97]

I just read an article about weighing eggs.  The person took the whole tray out of the Brinsea and weighed it with all the eggs on day 7/14/18 and used those numbers for calculating the weight loss, not individual eggs - since eggs, even from the same hen, are all slightly different. 

Where did you read to incubate lower days 1-18, raise the temp day 19-20 and then drop the temperature 11 degrees on day 21?  I'd like to look at that article.

I have read this a ton. Common practice is to weigh the whole tray.

The chicks in the brooder are eating, but I haven't seen them drink yet. I put electrolytes into the water container to be sure this time.

Good job!

 

[NTBugtraq]

I have read this a ton. Common practice is to weigh the whole tray.

Good job!

Thx Ruby!

 

[scflock]

Well, if egg size doesn't matter, I can make up the difference to 80 in the next couple of days. I have been getting like 5-6 eggs a day that are > 70g...so I will leave them out of the setting.


I am also at ~800' and was told that for that elevation, 36.9C/98.5F was ideal in that elevation. As far as the humidity, since we're going for wet bulb, perhaps that's why the temperature is lower than you expect?? Higher humidity needs lower temp to reach the right wet bulb. So let's just leave the Janoel out of the equation, I will set the brinsea as you suggest.

I really think with your improved eggs, and those parameters, you could have a really good hatch. If not, you get to the crap out of me in front of everyone

 

[NTBugtraq]

I really think with your improved eggs, and those parameters, you could have a really good hatch. If not, you get to

the crap out of me in front of everyone

Lolz, well I said up front with this hatch that those were the last lousy eggs I was using, so you are preaching to the choir. I had hoped I didn't degrade the survivability of the eggs to that extent, but I'm ready to admit I did.

Now the funny thing will be to see whether the health of the eggs aren't the only thing that matters...;-] But the next 80 will be set on their side as I did in these settings, to ensure there's enough room for them to do their pip and zip stuff. Any issues with that? (honestly, just asking, not confronting)

 

[scflock]

Lolz, well I said up front with this hatch that those were the last lousy eggs I was using, so you are preaching to the choir. I had hoped I didn't degrade the survivability of the eggs to that extent, but I'm ready to admit I did.

Now the funny thing will be to see whether the health of the eggs aren't the only thing that matters...;-] But the next 80 will be set on their side as I did in these settings, to ensure there's enough room for them to do their pip and zip stuff. Any issues with that? (honestly, just asking, not confronting)

I'm not confronting, either. It's fun sparring with you, but it's not good for either of us when it gets ugly. Honestly, I would set them up right in the rails, but that is the only way I have ever done. I can't say that laying them on their side would help or hurt. I know the Styrofoam incubators operate on their sides, but I have good luck going up right in the Brinsea

 

[NTBugtraq]

I'm not confronting, either. It's fun sparring with you, but it's not good for either of us when it gets ugly. Honestly, I would set them up right in the rails, but that is the only way I have ever done. I can't say that laying them on their side would help or hurt. I know the Styrofoam incubators operate on their sides, but I have good luck going up right in the Brinsea

My first experience with the Brinsea standing them up with eggs > 64g led to 2 cracked eggs during incubation. The rails were too constraining with the larger eggs in a row. Even this hatch with them on their side I had to be so ginger with them I felt uncomfortable candling day 7 and 10. Now I know, I should be able to avoid those candling days, but...maybe if I put the eggs in according to size this time??

I read somewhere that nature made a fat end and a thin end so there would be a natural tilt to the egg with the larger end up...can't we just go with that? So far in this setting, I have only had 1 egg hatch from the end I didn't mark. Anyway, if I try to get to 96 eggs, it only means I will end up with more large eggs.

What size of egg do you consider too big to set?