Ok my first try at hatching is done. 9 blue copper marrans shipped
7 clear no developement ever
1 looked like had 5 0r 6 day chick
1 about 18 ot so
13 welsummer shipped
5 hatched on day 21
2 clear
3 fully develop no pip
2 looked like the copper about 18 days
Homemade cooler bator
temps very stable, but did have coulple of cool nights. maybe 97.7 or so at least for a bit. I would reset my high low every night and every day.,I then put blanket over it at night.
I tried to maintain 35 or so humidity for first 18 then 75 for hatch. The 75 was easy. but temps did drop about 1.5 degree for few hrs when I upped the humidity.
The lower humidity was a bit harder to maintain. Over I am happy with the first attemp at hatching, shipped eggs in January. Oviously the coppers had issues, either did not ship well, or the guy has fertility problems.
The welsummers were very good eggs, but did have some cracked in the shipment, but still had good development. What can I do to improve the hatch rate on the late quitters?
Thsi is a forced air bator, and my temps was stable at about 100. I probably was just a bit hot. When I would check, it was more apt to be 100 than 99.5 on my water wiggler. Maybe even 100.2. The high low would be 98 to 101.5 on my air therm, and I had 3 temps in and 2 hydros, and when all were in the bator before chicks they all were exactky the same. The temp variation from corner to corner and top to bottom was nothing. I played with this bator for 2 weeks before setting, and was happy with no cold spots. I have 6 pencil sized holes about 2.5 inches from the bottom, and 4 slighty bigger ones about 2 inches from the top. they were all open all the time, but the temps were very stable. I placed a glass window pane in the top of the bator for veiwing, had a tube into my water pan for adding water, and turned eggs by placing a 2x4 under ends of the bator. I did candle at 5 and 14 and lockdown, but that was the only time the lid was open. I did have to open to hepl a chick in lockdwon. It was that last one and he was giving up, and was kinda stuck in his shell,m even though my humidity was about 80% at the time, He had been ppped and zipped for 6 hrs. I did hatch in cartons, don't know if I liked that or not. What should I do differntley for next hatch? I will probably set on Friday again.
