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

[scflock]

I got the first pictures yesterday of some of my first hatches all grown up. He is throwing some beautiful birds, but had gotten a bad attitude. Seminolewind gave me some great behavior modification techniques that are working

 

[Phoenix5ire]

Yes I would agree with you.
The first picture is a clear infertile.
The second picture a quitter.

Good luck with the rest of your hatch

Great feedback! Well, I guess I don't feel so bad taking them out.

Thanks again for the edification.

 

[WalnutHill]

I got the first pictures yesterday of some of my first hatches all grown up. He is throwing some beautiful birds, but had gotten a bad attitude. Seminolewind gave me some great behavior modification techniques that are working

If you want to calm down a rooster's aggression, put a tom turkey in with him.

 

[scflock]

For anyone interested, Amylynn and I are doing kind of a Brinsea vs styrofoam incubation thread here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...id-whos-right-whos-wrong-no-one#post_15228139

It's not to prove that the Brinsea is better, but more to show the differences in monitoring and hatching techniques. She is a more hands on hatcher, and I am more of a "leave them in there til it's over" kind of guy. I think it would be interesting to get some Eco owners on there, because the Eco is so much better than styrofoam for not that much more money. It will be a fun thread where we take a lot of light hearted jabs at each other, so check it out if you want

 

[themenagerie]

Thank you Scflock & AmyLynn. I had my first two hatches in styrobators (really poor... 3/9 and 5/24) and i just bought a brinsea eco20., will be doing shipped eggs next week. Maybe i'll set in each one at the same time ($$ eggs in brinsea vs barn yard eggs in hovabator).. .I'll hit that thread and see if I can set when you set.

 

[scflock]

Thank you Scflock & AmyLynn. I had my first two hatches in styrobators (really poor... 3/9 and 5/24) and i just bought a brinsea eco20., will be doing shipped eggs next week. Maybe i'll set in each one at the same time ($$ eggs in brinsea vs barn yard eggs in hovabator).. .I'll hit that thread and see if I can set when you set.

That would be awesome. I think that thread may stick around, so it doesn't matter when you set. I think it will be a good place to compare notes. I would love to hear your opinions running a Hovabator and Eco at the same time. You will set before either of us does, so jump on in

 

[FridayYet]

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question here since I have a similar incubator

I have an Octagon 20 Advance with the humidity pump. We are very dry here with our humidity dropping into the single digits at times! For those of you that use the pump, do you add any water at all in the incubator bottom channels? Or do you just let the pump take care of it all. To simulate a "dry hatch" I've been told to shoot for 35-40% humidity for the first 18 days.

Thanks in advance - this will be my first attempt at incubation.

 

[Phoenix5ire]

Day 19 and Lockdown Updates:
Yesterday was day 19 and around 7pm, I went to check on the incubator and low and behold, 3 little guys were peeking at me! Our whole family was ecstatically excited!

...and then this morning (day 20), when we woke up, 8 more were sitting there peeking at us.

By afternoon, 3 more had hatched. It was starting to get a little crowded in there so I took all 10 of them out into the brooder and left the 3 that just hatched in the bator to dry/gather their strength.

*happy chickee campers.

In summary, 13 has hatched by day 20. I got 7 left to go, but they may have hatched by the time I get home this evening. So far, the Brinsea Eco 20 with the auto-turner has perform flawlessly. I will do another follow-up once all eggs have hatched.

Happy Hatching!

 

[scflock]

Hope you don't mind if I ask a question here since I have a similar incubator  

I have an Octagon 20 Advance with the humidity pump.  We are very dry here with our humidity dropping into the single digits at times!  For those of you that use the pump, do you add any water at all in the incubator bottom channels?  Or do you just let the pump take care of it all.  To simulate a "dry hatch" I've been told to shoot for 35-40% humidity for the first 18 days.

Thanks in advance - this will be my first attempt at incubation.

I haven't had any luck under40% for the first 18 days. In the winter, with the heater running, it takes filling both wells just to keep it that high. As dry as you are, I would fill at least one well, then let the pump supplement. That pump will be running a lot trying to maintain on its own, then you can leave the air vent more open for oxygen exchange

 

[themenagerie]

I fired up my brand new Eco20 today in anticipation of my hatching eggs arriving. The glass thermometer up top reads about 103ish, while my digital hygrometer/thermometer reads 99 at egg level. If I remember correctly from reading this LONG thread.. this is fairly consistent and correct? I'm bummed that my incutherm probe hygrometer/thermometer won't fit through the vent holes. I think I'll go to Petsmart tomorrow and buy one of the reptile type thermometers to have a third one.