The Incubator Thread

[yinepu]

Okay guys my incubator finally arrived today YAY :-D
For muscovies, what is the ideal temp and humidity?
It is an unbranded 48 egg incubator and I'm assuming the booklet is a generic guide only.
Thr humidity doesn't seem to want to go above 42% and the alarm is set to 45%. I can't possibly fit more water in the irrigation channels either so I'm a bit lost and nervous about this whole process:-/

sending you a PM

 

[casba]

Hi guys 2 1/2 days left till lock down on my 9 duck eggs can't wait 3 where no good already storing eggs for my next hatch I am so pleased with the knew incubator it realy does it's job ran it dry with humidity 45 to 59% temperature at 37.6 and it didn't fluctuat at all so all good in my book

 

[Peach2u]

I too got a new incubator. I am on day 8. What my hubby did for our incubator was he drilled tiny holes to connect the chambers. The one I bought has like 8 chambers for water in the bottom. I filled 3 up to start with and the humidity went over 60% so I put a stick in the corner of the lid to let it escape. That dropped it back down to 48-53%. When it drops down about every 2 days U add water to the middle tray not sides. I plan on adding water to the sides on lockdown.
The temp at first was all over the place. I'm not running ac/heat in the house. So what ever the room temp is the incubator soon followed. I fixed that by putting the Styrofoam base it came packed in under it. Now the day temp is 37.8 and night temp is 37.6. I'm still hoping for a good hatch. I found the little squirt bottle that came with it to add water in the small plunged hole is useless. I got more water on the table from the leaking bottle than in the trays. So I just keep a teapot with room temp water close by. I open the top and add to the middle. Remember we drilled holes to make all the chambers connect.

I hope this helps you. As I am still learning this process too.

 

[gimmie birdies]

these 3 eggs are due tomorrow- the BCM has a peck hole, the isbar in middle may be a day late- the legbar is making pecking sounds.

 

[gimmie birdies]

isbar/legbar cross

 

[philipchickymad]

i still have 2 eggs under my broody and the other 5 hatched on wednes day so thats three days late do u think i should leave the eggs under
the hen

 

[Peach2u]

Sorry, I don't get on the pc on the weekend. I too had 2 eggs left under my broody. I had 6 of 12 hatch on Friday with 2 warm eggs still sitting in the nest. I let her sit on them till Sunday afternoon. That's when I took them and cleaned out he cage. The eggs didn't have peep holes in them and where not warm anymore. I did have a look to see what happened. They where fully developed. The yoke was gone. So I think they just couldn't crack open the thick shells and drowned. This was the hens first brood. My ace Buffy hen had 3 broods last year with 13 of 14 eggs hatch every time. But I also watched her help break open shells.

So the answer I would give is 2 day. Chicks can live for 3 days on the yoke sac. So, if in my pens, if it hasn't hatched within 2 day of the other. They are weak or something is wrong with them, you can often help them hatch. But over generations of helping them out or having days late hatch can change the hatch rate and health of the whole flock.

 

[what did I do]

I just thought I'd toss this incubator out there.

It is an Rcom 20 although they make a bigger model too. It is great so far, I've only done one hatch in it but I'm setting again tomorrow at a facility for the handicapped people. Hatches good and is very easy to clean. It has a big viewing window

 

[gimmie birdies]

 

[Yoyo with chick]

Just got my incubator yesterday and put eggs in today I stole some from a broody hen the eggs have been under the hen for 2 weeks and the tempuature and humidity are high in the incubator what can I do? My incubator is a hovabator 1588 genesis