The 6th Annual BYC Easter Hatch-a-long!

[AmyLynn2374]

Still air incubators are more like having the eggs under a hen. The air on top of the eggs is warmer than on the bottom, and turning the eggs ensures that they will be warmed evenly. You need the temperature in a still air incubator a little higher than a circulated air one, so that the bottoms of the eggs are not too cold. Circulated air incubators have small fans that move the warm air around the eggs evenly. Some types of birds do better in a still air incubator, but chickens do fine in either type. I would pick your first incubator based on how much time you have available to spend on it. If you are not ready to babysit your eggs all day and all night for nearly a month, go with a model with an automatic turner. Look for models that are known to hold their temperature well, so that you will be less likely to need to adjust your temperature during you hatch. If you are not familiar with how the incubator's temperature dial behaves when you adjust it, you could get some big shifts in temperature. I would suggest getting your incubator as far in advance of the hatch a long as possible, so you can start it up, have it running for a while, and understand how it behaves - every brand runs slightly differently. I'm still calibrating one of my incubators, while the other is running exactly at temperature. Before you know it, you'll be hooked on incubating like the rest of us!

That is sooooo true. It's my biggest factor in recommending or not when someone asks me.

If you can afford a pricier model like a Brinsea, that is surely the way to go, but a lot of people (myself included) can't spend that much. We have to go "next best thing" and that really does depend on your time and lifestyle. You can have good hatches in your Little Giant and other foam bators, you just have to put more time and work into them. They are not for the person who is working 10-12 hours a day. They are definitely not for the person who gets frustrated easily. They need to be in a place with no drafts, no direct sunlight on the bator and in a room where the temps are fairly steady. They need extra monitoring to catch any major temp flunctuations. If you have the time and patience for them there is no reason to not try them, if your fiances do not allow a pricier model.

once I get a bator what else do i need for hatching

At least TWO calibrated thermometers. Never trust just one and never trust gages on a bator that have not been checked for accuracy. (Just because a thermometer is new, doesn't mean that it is accurate, trust me.) A good hygrometer is also needed. While I believe that checking your egg's air cells is the important measure in knowing how to adjust your humidity. You need an idea of what your humidity is. New sponges. Sponges are very useful especially at lockdown to up your humidity and keep it up, (just re-wet the sponge instead of opening your whole bator to refill the water wells.)
Also if you are going to hatch it's a good idea to give this a read: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101 It is a great read for newbie hatchers.

 

[OneMountainAcres]

I have almost talked my husband into getting a incubator and doing hatching that way instead of waiting on a bloody. Does anyone have any advice on starter incubaters. I like how easy it is with broodys but I really want chicks now.lol

hovabator forced air. I can't even say how thrilled I am with mine!

 

[Happy Chooks]

For those of you new to hatching, I really recommend the Brinsea Spot Check thermometer. It's super accurate.

 

[ozexpat]

For those of you new to hatching, I really recommend the Brinsea Spot Check thermometer. It's super accurate.

I love it for "spot checks" but I prefer a continuous read out sitting in the bator

 

[chicken pickin]

For those of you new to hatching, I really recommend the Brinsea Spot Check thermometer. It's super accurate.

I agree. I got one last year and it is spot on. It showed me how inaccurate the other thermometers I was using actually were.

 

[ozexpat]

At least TWO calibrated thermometers. Never trust just one and never trust gages on a bator that have not been checked for accuracy. (Just because a thermometer is new, doesn't mean that it is accurate, trust me.)

calibrating a digital thermometer is hard.

I set a glass of water in the bator for 2 hours, then use a medical grade thermometer to measure the water and comparing it to the temp on the didgital thermometer that is sandwiched between two ziploc bags of water.

 

[Razadia]

Quote:dick horstman sells his heritage rir for $24/doz - in PA

Quote:
Dick Hortsman! Good man! Here are some of his babies. Not RIR though.

Tried to find a photo of one grown up..only have one photo of a pullet..this is what they grew up to look like. A Silver Pencil Rock.

Quote:
Here ya go...http://www.horstmanspoultry.com/largefowlhome/rosecombrhodeislandred.html



http://www.horstmanspoultry.com/largefowlhome/singlecombrhodeisland.html

I have Dick's lines in my pen of RIR. Spetacular birds.

I like his prices too - he does not gauge.

I get a chuckle when i see others selling dick horstman line eggs for 3+ dollars each

Thanks! Shipping isn't bad so I may end up ordering from him. Now I just need to find maran eggs.

 

[acemario]

For those wondering about incubators, feel free to check out my chick cam! I'm using the Brinsea Mini Advance.

I have 2 speckled sussex and one SLWxWA cross left in the batch. Hatch date is the 18th or 19th. I'll let everyone know when the real action starts!

http://ustre.am/1lSqp

 

[Peep-Chicken]

For those wondering about incubators, feel free to check out my [COLOR=000080]chick cam[/COLOR]! I'm using the Brinsea Mini Advance.

I have 2 speckled sussex and one SLWxWA cross left in the batch. Hatch date is the 18th or 19th. I'll let everyone know when the real action starts!

http://ustre.am/1lSqp

Oh cool! I love chick cams

 

[ozexpat]

Oh cool! I love chick cams

we can deduce that from your name.......