The Incubator Thread

[gimmie birdies]

I am always interested in what some egg will produce. I like interesting birds, and have blues and lavenders, isbars seem to have the largest egg for a small chicken. I am hatching out this next batch for me. (these are all the ones mentioned earlier.) 5 RIR I started with 7 but on day five, took out 2 that didn't have anything going on, 2 spotted brown ones at the top are probably a welsummer/cochin mix, the olive eggers are blue frizzle/cochin mixes. All that you see here I still have and are developing and in my incubator. an a hen is sitting on 5.(leghorn/EE mixes)

hen will get the whole bunch when hatched. She is not shy about taking babies either. Last batch she accepted were 6 weeks old.

 

[slordaz]

hey PD. I am over the 5k elevation could that have been part of the problem, didn't find any info locally but found this article about high altitudes causing issues. I am not sure where to find out much of this information but you sure seem to be a great resource. Don't understand a lot of the technical stuff lol

http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_C...AServiceBulletin_HatchingAltitudes2013_EN.pdf

will make your recommended change also for next hatch, it is gonna be a manual turn though

Thank you

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am at 1600' here.

 

[PD-Riverman]

hey PD. I am over the 5k elevation could that have been part of the problem, didn't find any info locally but found this article about high altitudes causing issues. I am not sure where to find out much of this information but you sure seem to be a great resource. Don't understand a lot of the technical stuff lol

http://en.aviagen.com/assets/Tech_C...AServiceBulletin_HatchingAltitudes2013_EN.pdf

will make your recommended change also for next hatch, it is gonna be a manual turn though

Thank you

I don't know that answer, But "I" do not feel it would make a difference. I feel your location compared to mine would make a difference and My hatching eperience would probably have to be adjusted to have a good hatch there. Hand turning is fine---alot of people do it. "I" personally would not hand turn eggs as long as there was a turner. One other thing I would not do is lay the eggs on a towel----might not hurt a thing---I just like good air movement. I lay them on wire. Your call. Good Luck

 

[WVduckchick]

I've read that higher elevations do better with higher humidity throughout incubation, but I'm only at a few hundred feet

@sidewing could you offer any input on high elevations?

 

[gimmie birdies]

I live in desert conditions have a wood stove and still dry hatch.

 

[slordaz]

suprise, this is outta the leghorn hen/ barred rock rooster, taken through the incubator window about 2 hours ago, she finally got rid of the part of the egg shell and is running round in there or trying to get up on top of the other eggs


here she is after she got dried off a bit

 

[Mims]

I'm getting ready to incubate quail eggs. It's my first time using one. I got the Brinsea Octagon 20 Advance.

Is there a step by step thread that will walk me thru this? From collecting to storing until time to incubate, to temps and humidity, etc? I'm reading as many threads as I can, but advice and info is all over the place.

 

[slordaz]

PD have a question now as it's all over with just one hatching, here are the results from all of the eggtospies as they are now completed. Incubator went into lockdown at day 17 due to 2 chips in the one that shrink wrapped that day. My thinking is need higher humidity besides temp than normal at the higher elevation. But does this seem like a problem with my barred rock hens? or is it just they are young. they have been laying for about 2 months now. not setting anymore of the really dark eggs either.

eggtopsy results were 2 shrink- 1wrapped at day 17 no pip and 1 at day 25 that didn't absorb blood but did absorb yolk internal pip only dead in shell was moving still on day 24 ,4 malpositioned and 13 that died between 3 and 8 days in dark eggs I couldn't see through

the ones that had the most problems were the barred rocks, only chick to make it was a white leghorn hen/ barred rock rooster hatched at day 25

 

[PD-Riverman]

PD have a question now as it's all over with just one hatching, here are the results from all of the eggtospies as they are now completed. Incubator went into lockdown at day 17 due to 2 chips in the one that shrink wrapped that day. My thinking is need higher humidity besides temp than normal at the higher elevation. But does this seem like a problem with my barred rock hens? or is it just they are young. they have been laying for about 2 months now. not setting anymore of the really dark eggs either.

eggtopsy results were 2 shrink- 1wrapped at day 17 no pip and 1 at day 25 that didn't absorb blood but did absorb yolk internal pip only dead in shell was moving still on day 24 ,4 malpositioned and 13 that died between 3 and 8 days in dark eggs I couldn't see through

the ones that had the most problems were the barred rocks, only chick to make it was a white leghorn hen/ barred rock rooster hatched at day 25

Mercy, Mercy you got questions that I can not answer and I got questions too that I am sure you would like to know the answer too.

How do you put eggs into a incubator at the same time and one pips on day 17(dies) others pip or not and die over the next few days and another hatches over a week later---several days late but appears to be fine??

What caused so many to die the first week(3 to 8 days)?

OK, so many died the first week----and the last one hatches days late sounds like the incubator got cold the first week for some reason, BUT why did one try to hatch 4 days early----I did not see the Pip on this egg in your picture---I just seen a dot---if this egg was full formed and pipped on day 17 would make me think a hen had set on it for a few days before you collected it----not that---thats what happen----something would have caused it to be ahead of the rest???? The incubator to hot could have caused it but how would one egg get to hot and all the rest to cold OR did the rest get to hot and caused some to die the first week, about kill the rest and it took them a few days to over that and continued growing but still died???????? I do not know!!!

I have about got one side of my head bald from scratching my head trying to figure out what happen with your set!! For sure something happen.

Question---How old was the oldest egg you put in the incubator when you set it?
Is it possible a hen sat on the early egg for a few days before you collected it?
Did your power go out on the incubator the first week?
OR did you get a high temp spike the first week?
As far as your humidity I feel it was to high the last 3 days, but I do not know for your location or how accurate your meter was. I have had a styrofoam humidity in the 90's the last 3 days and most every egg hatched----the hatched chicks looked like they were dripping water on the 22nd day when I took them out. The humidity was so high that my meter drowned/shorted out---had to throw it a way.

You know I have hatched over 5500 during my hatching time this past year. Many, Many incubators I set, Every hatch, hatched late day 20, day 21 except for one time---those hatched on day 22----I was using a new incubator and made the mistake of going by the built in thermometer----I readjusted for that and it done a great job after. Other than that one incubator load---I have never had eggs hatch on day 22 or later. We are talking about chicken eggs here!!