She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[sideWing]

He cant straighten it out and he "screams" when I try to pull it to attempt to twist it back where it should be. He tries his darnedest to get along with one foot but it is stressful. His other leg seems to be fine I think that this leg just wasnt positioned/ developing properly in the egg. (I was having a bunch of problems with these eggs. And they were my first) I am happy that it made it out of the egg and has made it this far. I got 2 chicks out of my own 6 EE eggs (with a homemade bator) and 3 out of 9 "foreign" eggs ( supposed to be Jersey Giants but weren't) I am still pleased with my first try though and I will being having another go at it after our family vacation. But I feared I wouldn't be able to do much for him I hope he will be okay and that we can figure out some way to help him overcome this disability.

Just out of curiosity, did you have any temp spikes?

Well, I have to say, scflock must have got his Brinsea so long ago he forgets what its like to set one up for the first time, or, he's one of those who reads all instructions before he starts anything. No slight intended sc...

So, I had the Brinsea Octo 40 Adv EX all assembled, except the automatic humidity pump...including setting eggs into the trays with the rails (not in the bator, but put into the trays). So then I move to manual #2...the humidity pump manual. It says put the supplied foam into the trays and inside the rails...lolz, so now I gotta take all eggs out. So I do that, brushing eggs against metal rails...never felt so feeble in my life. Of course I break an egg...darn. Put in all the foam they recommend, some eggs won't sit down completely into the rail, leave the trays out and start the unit to get it up to speed (run it for an hour or so).



So, I got 48 eggs set and am going to put up with the clicking of the eggs and the darn pump noise. I only wish the pump noise was continuous, cause then I could get used to it as background noise...but, whatever...

This darn thing better give me a 100% hatch rate on fertile eggs...but I gotta say, this start up was way harder because I bought their top of the line product...lolz...what a marketing concept.

Keep us posted. Interested to see how the hatch goes. I would gladly have the chicks a day later for 100% hatch rate.

 

[scflock]

Well, I have to say, scflock must have got his Brinsea so long ago he forgets what its like to set one up for the first time, or, he's one of those who reads all instructions before he starts anything. No slight intended sc...

So, I had the Brinsea Octo 40 Adv EX all assembled, except the automatic humidity pump...including setting eggs into the trays with the rails (not in the bator, but put into the trays). So then I move to manual #2...the humidity pump manual. It says put the supplied foam into the trays and inside the rails...lolz, so now I gotta take all eggs out. So I do that, brushing eggs against metal rails...never felt so feeble in my life. Of course I break an egg...darn. Put in all the foam they recommend, some eggs won't sit down completely into the rail, leave the trays out and start the unit to get it up to speed (run it for an hour or so).

After 2 hours, I had set the humidity at 45%...its reading 65%, and there's water on the counter-top its sitting on. The bator is on a 45 deg angle, and eggs are being kept from falling into the next rail only because the lid is stopping them. I call Brinsea.

1. So, they say the foam isn't necessary, especially if the eggs are sitting on the bottom of the tray. I take out 1/2 the eggs and I'm able to remove the rail foam so the eggs sit better in the rails.
2. Seems the Octo manual tells you to fill 2 channels with water, but when you have the humidity pump those channels should be dry...lolz. If you read all the instructions, you still wouldn't know that, cause its never stated. Brinsea U.S. support tells me this.
3. Paper towels at the end of the rails to keep the large end up in the air...not needed...after all a chicken doesn't brood over eggs standing on their pointy tip...she says; "Get rid of the paper towels" This means of course that you have to accept the clickity-click of eggs hitting each other as it turns...a sound I worry about...but I'm following instructions.
4. Brinsea manual says if the turner is making noise, zap it with some WD40...but no matter what noise that could possibly make, it pails in comparison to the noise the **** humidity pump makes every time it turns...which is a lot...at least for now. "Nothing you can do about that", support says.
5. Oh, and one feature I read about; a "cooldown period" of 2hrs every 24 which the bator will stop trying to adjust temperature or humidity to simulate a hen getting off the nest (which sounded awesome in the manual)...she says; "Don't use it, I wish it wasn't even possible to do it...we did side by side incubations and the one with the cool-down hatched 1 day later than the other, albeit with a 100% hatch rate"...ok, so that's not a difference with a stryofoam bator.
6. Brinsea manual offers 2 methods of monitoring the incubation; Humidity monitoring, or weight loss monitoring...and they say; "Of the two methods the most reliable is egg weight method and is recommended"...neither method includes drawing air sac size on the egg. I am not saying its a bad idea, only its not one of the two ways Brinsea recommends doing it. They show weighing on Day 5, 8, 13 and 18.
7. Dry hatch...no way according to Brinsea, 40-50% RH during first 18 days, 65% at lockdown. I've set mine at 45%.

So, I got 48 eggs set and am going to put up with the clicking of the eggs and the **** pump noise. I only wish the pump noise was continuous, cause then I could get used to it as background noise...but, whatever...

This darn thing better give me a 100% hatch rate on fertile eggs...

First, yes, read the manuals first. I don't have the pump, but have read that they are very noisy. Don't use the foam cushions on the rails, it just takes up space. You don't need them. Filling the reservoirs just means that the pump won't have to run as much. If you read the manual, it says only fill them 3/4, or it will drain through the air holes when it tilts. I never use the cool down. My first setup wasn't that hard, but I am a "read the instructions" guy.

 

[NTBugtraq]

He hatched out this way so I feel it waa partly my fault with my incubating process being my first time and using a homemade bator. Plus on topof it I got the eggs had to drive them 3 hours home and came to find that some had been brooded beforehand . So it was a mess to begin with. I got the eggs from a lady saying they were Jersey Giants only to find at hatching they werent exactly. I got 1 Giant from the larger egg and from 2 smaller eggs a yellow chick and the little crooked leg chick which I believe is a Barred Rock. He is drinking a little and as for eating I am not sure he is really interested. They are only 2 days old so I dont expect him to pig out either. I have him with the other chicks so that way he is not the odd one out anymore than he already is. I dont want him to be alone in the house. So he is working with what he's got right now I am keeping a periodic eye on him and the others during the day and even several times at night I sneak out to check on them

Please don't misunderstand what I am going to say. I think its awesome that you want to find out if it was your incubation method that caused this...but in all things that include genes, there are rejects. Do not ascribe to yourself a fault because you can't find an answer.

 

[NTBugtraq]

First, yes, read the manuals first. I don't have the pump, but have read that they are very noisy. Don't use the foam cushions on the rails, it just takes up space. You don't need them. Filling the reservoirs just means that the pump won't have to run as much. If you read the manual, it says only fill them 3/4, or it will drain through the air holes when it tilts. I never use the cool down. My first setup wasn't that hard, but I am a "read the instructions" guy.

I only filled them 1/2 full, and still water came out the vent holes...and gratz for reading all the manuals...I look and do step 1, then 2...etc...I told Brinsea the bator manual should say at that point about filling the channels; "Unless you have the pump"...lolz

 

[BlackwoodHollow]

Sad thing is that's about accurate for the mentality of most of these towns up here.

Found this on pintrest, thought it was funny:

Too accurate!
Working on plans for coop #3 this time. Breeding pens are sounding nice. lol

 

[NTBugtraq]

My apologies for the **** words, from now on my dam will be spelled this way....;-]

 

[rossfam06]

Too accurate!
Working on plans for coop #3 this time. Breeding pens are sounding nice. lol

I have two breeders and I layer......its nice. but I do want an actual Hen House for just my layers.

 

[rossfam06]

My apologies for the **** words, from now on my dam will be spelled this way....;-]

Hahaha! I learned the hard way too! lol!

 

[WalnutHill]

Well, I have to say, scflock must have got his Brinsea so long ago he forgets what its like to set one up for the first time, or, he's one of those who reads all instructions before he starts anything. No slight intended sc...

So, I had the Brinsea Octo 40 Adv EX all assembled, except the automatic humidity pump...including setting eggs into the trays with the rails (not in the bator, but put into the trays). So then I move to manual #2...the humidity pump manual. It says put the supplied foam into the trays and inside the rails...lolz, so now I gotta take all eggs out. So I do that, brushing eggs against metal rails...never felt so feeble in my life. Of course I break an egg...darn. Put in all the foam they recommend, some eggs won't sit down completely into the rail, leave the trays out and start the unit to get it up to speed (run it for an hour or so).

After 2 hours, I had set the humidity at 45%...its reading 65%, and there's water on the counter-top its sitting on. The bator is on a 45 deg angle, and eggs are being kept from falling into the next rail only because the lid is stopping them. I call Brinsea.

1. So, they say the foam isn't necessary, especially if the eggs are sitting on the bottom of the tray. I take out 1/2 the eggs and I'm able to remove the rail foam so the eggs sit better in the rails.
2. Seems the Octo manual tells you to fill 2 channels with water, but when you have the humidity pump those channels should be dry...lolz. If you read all the instructions, you still wouldn't know that, cause its never stated. Brinsea U.S. support tells me this.
3. Paper towels at the end of the rails to keep the large end up in the air...not needed...after all a chicken doesn't brood over eggs standing on their pointy tip...she says; "Get rid of the paper towels" This means of course that you have to accept the clickity-click of eggs hitting each other as it turns...a sound I worry about...but I'm following instructions.
4. Brinsea manual says if the turner is making noise, zap it with some WD40...but no matter what noise that could possibly make, it pails in comparison to the noise the **** humidity pump makes every time it turns...which is a lot...at least for now. "Nothing you can do about that", support says.
5. Oh, and one feature I read about; a "cooldown period" of 2hrs every 24 which the bator will stop trying to adjust temperature or humidity to simulate a hen getting off the nest (which sounded awesome in the manual)...she says; "Don't use it, I wish it wasn't even possible to do it...we did side by side incubations and the one with the cool-down hatched 1 day later than the other, albeit with a 100% hatch rate"...ok, so that's not a difference with a stryofoam bator.
6. Brinsea manual offers 2 methods of monitoring the incubation; Humidity monitoring, or weight loss monitoring...and they say; "Of the two methods the most reliable is egg weight method and is recommended"...neither method includes drawing air sac size on the egg. I am not saying its a bad idea, only its not one of the two ways Brinsea recommends doing it. They show weighing on Day 5, 8, 13 and 18.
7. Dry hatch...no way according to Brinsea, 40-50% RH during first 18 days, 65% at lockdown. I've set mine at 45%.

So, I got 48 eggs set and am going to put up with the clicking of the eggs and the darn pump noise. I only wish the pump noise was continuous, cause then I could get used to it as background noise...but, whatever...

This darn thing better give me a 100% hatch rate on fertile eggs...but I gotta say, this start up was way harder because I bought their top of the line product...lolz...what a marketing concept.

That's an excellent review of your first experience. I hope some Brinsea employee happens to come across this...maybe a link to this post on Facebook would get their attention.

I look forward to your results at each step of the way. Every day I am tempted to either buy/build a dedicated hatcher, to replace my homebuilt with a right-sized cabinet, and I seriously considered the Brinsea 40. If I had enough laying turkeys to fill it in a few days that would probably work, but I have three hens so I need to stagger my sets. Hence my five drawer cabinet...

 

[NTBugtraq]

Hahaha! I learned the hard way too! lol!

Can I just say, hot woman with fish....awwweeesome