THE Brinsea Octagon 20 Eco Thread; Hatches, etc. (PICS)

[jbher]

Make sure you calibrate! Thermometer and hygrometer. I didn't before my first hatch which didn't effect anything until hatch time, which ended up being way too dry. Also, instructions say keep humidity between 40-50%....I let my humidity sit right around 40%. Good luck

Okay I will make sure to do that. Which thermometer and hygrometer do you guys recommend? Anything that I could buy on Amazon or locally in a big box store?

 

[starlingdaly]

And the year of incubating begins! I have an Octagon 20 Eco manual turn and put some eBay Exchequer leghorn eggs in there last week that appear to be doing really well.
But then I stalked eBay and found an Octagon 20 Advance and set my highest bid in the last 15 seconds.... And won it! So I guess I can hatch every week now

 

[Ariel188]

Wow, good luck on your chicken adventure!

I have gotten many batches of eggs mailed in from FL, GA, MT, CA, NH, and NM. My hatch rate is horrible! Most got 0%. I tried a styro incubator and also made my own. I did end up with this one and did have a slightly better result (2/13) from shipped and 4/4 on my own flock's eggs. So for me and my postal hub, its the shipping process and not necessarily my incubation technique.

I have heard some folks get much better results from shipped eggs. I think part of it is that if the eggs are flown in the results are worse vs just getting driven in a mail truck. In my first few tries, I did candle the eggs with a flashlight and I think I may have damaged the embryos as the light was slightly hot (eggs were hotter where the light was held) so I have switched to am LED flashlight with a duct tape collar and it works much better.

I loved this incubator in its simplicity. If you read my posts, I did have a mis-marked thermometer from the factory and spent some time adjusting the Brinsea until I realized it was the reference thermometer. After the new one arrived I ended up adjusting the setting back to about where the factory setting was.

I had hygrometers (both dial and digital) that I put in. Be sure to calibrate them (there is a wet bulb method and a salt method). I found both to be off reading too low--the analog by about 10%, the digital about 25%.

I do a semi-dry hatch in that I do put water in one of the wells but this only gets me to about 25% humidity because we are so dry. I actually prefer to weigh the eggs on a gram scale and then track the weight loss. I write the starting weight on the eggshell in pencil to start, number the eggs and write a table in a little notebook along with other data. I aim to have about 15% weight loss over the 3 weeks. I have had eggs hatch with over 20% loss, but it is not ideal.

The down side to this incubator is the water wells are not as accessable as some other types, but its not that big of a deal. If you see that your temp is doing up a little, I am willing to bet it is becasue you ran out of water in your wells.

Try putting the incubator in whatever room has the most stable temperatures with no direct sun. I have used my basement or a spare bedroom depending on the season. If you are having problems with humidity (too dry) consider running a humidifier in the room itself as the incubator draws in room air and you will start with a higher humidity.

You've probably already read them, but here are two threads on BYC that should be re-read many times if you are new to incubation:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/704328/diary-notes-air-cell-detatched-shipped-eggs

and

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101

Good luck!

WOW thanks for all the info! My Brinsea Octogon 20 advance just arrive an hour ago!!

 

[sreihart]

Okay I will make sure to do that. Which thermometer and hygrometer do you guys recommend? Anything that I could buy on Amazon or locally in a big box store?

I would like to know what thermometer and hygrometer to use also. I just received my Brinsea Octogon 20 Eco with the auto turner yesterday and put eggs in it today. I'm having trouble getting the temp set around 99.5. I've moved it a tiny amount at a time and let it sit for several hours before checking again. Would really like a hygrometer and another thermometer to be safe.

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

I would like to know what thermometer and hygrometer to use also. I just received my Brinsea Octogon 20 Eco with the auto turner yesterday and put eggs in it today. I'm having trouble getting the temp set around 99.5. I've moved it a tiny amount at a time and let it sit for several hours before checking again. Would really like a hygrometer and another thermometer to be safe.

Hi,
On ebay there is a great egg-o-meter. It measures the internal temp of the eggs, but does not have a hygrometer with it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Egg-O-Meter...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f1e1d8de6

I use this one-Incutherm plus which has a hygrometer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IncuTherm-P...486?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cf4a1146


There are many options available, and you will most likely get lots of suggestions. I use the incutherm alongside the included mercury thermometer that Brinsea puts in the eco20. The mercury one is spot on for temps. My incutherm matches the temps of the mercury one and gives me a good idea of humidity. With the incutherm readings I keep my humidity at 50 to 53% until I bump humidity up the last few days, and I get excellent results.
,
And if any of you experience the mercury separating from itself on the Brinsea thermometer, you can simply heat water and put the thermometer in it for a few seconds and the mercury will re-adhere to itself. The water will need to be at least a little over the 100 degree mark for the mercury to regroup.

 

[sreihart]

Hi,
On ebay there is a great egg-o-meter. It measures the internal temp of the eggs, but does not have a hygrometer with it:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Egg-O-Meter...t=LH_DefaultDomain_0&var=&hash=item3f1e1d8de6

I use this one-Incutherm plus which has a hygrometer:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/IncuTherm-P...486?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35cf4a1146


There are many options available, and you will most likely get lots of suggestions. I use the incutherm alongside the included mercury thermometer that Brinsea puts in the eco20. The mercury one is spot on for temps. My incutherm matches the temps of the mercury one and gives me a good idea of humidity. With the incutherm readings I keep my humidity at 50 to 53% until I bump humidity up the last few days, and I get excellent results.
,
And if any of you experience the mercury separating from itself on the Brinsea thermometer, you can simply heat water and put the thermometer in it for a few seconds and the mercury will re-adhere to itself. The water will need to be at least a little over the 100 degree mark for the mercury to regroup.

Thank you SO SO much for your response! I just ordered the Incutherm on ebay (thanks for the link!). Can you tell me where in the Eco you put the probe through? I just got my Brinsea Eco 20 so I'm a real newbie at this. Can't wait for three weeks to elapse! Thanks again for your help!

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

Thank you SO SO much for your response! I just ordered the Incutherm on ebay (thanks for the link!). Can you tell me where in the Eco you put the probe through? I just got my Brinsea Eco 20 so I'm a real newbie at this. Can't wait for three weeks to elapse! Thanks again for your help!

You're welcome! Always glad to help .
You will want to use the little back 'easel' or pop out stand that comes with the thermometer and stand it on the floor of the black plastic tray. I typically put it in the center of the incubator if possible. Then I kind of snake the probe around and through the eggs, keeping it at egg level. Some recommend setting the probe at the top of the eggs (kind of rest it on top of some), so that you know what the temps are at the hottest point (closest to the warm air blowing around).

Check your temps and hygrometer reading often. I ALWAYS check my glass mercury thermometer against my digital one to make sure. The glass one will almost always be extremely accurate and you will want to keep temps at 99.5. A bit of a fluctuation from the 99.5 is ok, BUT if it is more than a degree off either direction throughout the process, you will have a terrible hatch rate and probably need to help chicks get out of their shells. Consistency in that 99.5 degree zone is critical.

I would recommend having the incubator up and running at least a day or so before you set eggs. Sometimes it will take a little repeated tweaking of the temperature adjuster in order to get the right temps. Also, make sure you are doing your test run WITH WATER/humidity so that your temps will read correctly, as humidity can cause the temps to read a bit different than dry temps.

Whew. Hope that helps you some. Always available if you have questions, and there are lots of friendly folks on BYC to lend a helping hand

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

Thank you SO SO much for your response! I just ordered the Incutherm on ebay (thanks for the link!). Can you tell me where in the Eco you put the probe through? I just got my Brinsea Eco 20 so I'm a real newbie at this. Can't wait for three weeks to elapse! Thanks again for your help!

And PS: Old timers highly recommend turning the eggs at least 5 times per day or more the first week. Studies have been done and it appears that hatch rate success increaces greatly if during the first week you roll the eggs as much as you can (or as much as you can stand to roll them haha). After the first week it is not as critical to roll the eggs as much, but to be successful, rolling at least three times is minimum (more the better throughout the incubation). And, always have clean hands! Every time you touch the eggs, oil or miniscule bacteria can enter the pores of the shell. Obviously bacteria can kill, and the less oil from hands on the shell, the more open pores for the chick to be able to accomplish that air exchange.

I have had my 2 Brinsea's running non-stop for about 3 1/2 months. I am soooo burned out on rolling lol. I have the auto turner, but I prefer to do it myself.

 

[sreihart]

You're welcome! Always glad to help .
You will want to use the little back 'easel' or pop out stand that comes with the thermometer and stand it on the floor of the black plastic tray. I typically put it in the center of the incubator if possible. Then I kind of snake the probe around and through the eggs, keeping it at egg level. Some recommend setting the probe at the top of the eggs (kind of rest it on top of some), so that you know what the temps are at the hottest point (closest to the warm air blowing around).

Check your temps and hygrometer reading often. I ALWAYS check my glass mercury thermometer against my digital one to make sure. The glass one will almost always be extremely accurate and you will want to keep temps at 99.5. A bit of a fluctuation from the 99.5 is ok, BUT if it is more than a degree off either direction throughout the process, you will have a terrible hatch rate and probably need to help chicks get out of their shells. Consistency in that 99.5 degree zone is critical.

I would recommend having the incubator up and running at least a day or so before you set eggs. Sometimes it will take a little repeated tweaking of the temperature adjuster in order to get the right temps. Also, make sure you are doing your test run WITH WATER/humidity so that your temps will read correctly, as humidity can cause the temps to read a bit different than dry temps.

Whew. Hope that helps you some. Always available if you have questions, and there are lots of friendly folks on BYC to lend a helping hand

Oh wow, thank you so much for all this information! I put water in the one reservoir about 3/4 full as mentioned on the Brinsea literature. Can't wait until this hygrometer arrives so I can be more spot-on with the humidity and temperature. The eggs I have in now are just the eggs from my sister's flock, a mix of mongrels basically but I'm sure we'll love them too. We wanted to run this test batch and get the learning curve over with before setting more expensive eggs. I may put in a couple from my flock but I wasn't home yesterday to gather eggs frequently enough to insure a better chance of hatching. It's still below freezing here and I don't know how long they can be chilled and still viable. Thanks again!!!

 

[RooRidgeFarm]

Oh wow, thank you so much for all this information! I put water in the one reservoir about 3/4 full as mentioned on the Brinsea literature. Can't wait until this hygrometer arrives so I can be more spot-on with the humidity and temperature. The eggs I have in now are just the eggs from my sister's flock, a mix of mongrels basically but I'm sure we'll love them too. We wanted to run this test batch and get the learning curve over with before setting more expensive eggs. I may put in a couple from my flock but I wasn't home yesterday to gather eggs frequently enough to insure a better chance of hatching. It's still below freezing here and I don't know how long they can be chilled and still viable. Thanks again!!!

We had below freezing temps here (in SC no less!) and I took a few eggs that were freezing cold and test incubated them. They hatched yesterday! The hens laid them in about 25 degree temps and we didn't collect eggs until late in the day, so they had been sitting out for hours. My experiment/test worked, so you may want to give one or two a try and see what happens.

I didn't realize you had eggs in already. Mixed 'mutts' as I call them, tend to be some of the friendliest chickens I had. And, it's kind of neat because they will 'imprint' with you if they see you first after they hatch. I have several game fowl I hatched that will come sit in my lap if I am out in the yard.