Topic of the Week - Incubating eggs

[ChcknNurse]

4 of the original 6 eggs made it to lockdown. One was clear, and the other blood ringed. Yesterday they went on lockdown for the bantam egg. The incubator died now, too. I wrapped it in an electric blanket, keeping it the right temperature. The bantam egg should hatch tomorrow, and the leghorn eggs on Saturday. I hope at least some of them hatch! I'll post updates soon.

What? Incubator stopped ?

 

[guinealeghorn]

Yeah, the heater and fan died. It was a very cheap bator, but my first one. I hope to get a brinsea this winter.

 

[Chasingcars]

Ooh it’s that most wonderful time of the year...chick time!
*Nerd Alert* had a new incubator for my birthday and this is the first hatch in it.. gosh it’s difficult moving onto a new incubator...
any one got experience of chicktec Inca? It’s an English manufacturer so prob a long shot on here! I’m struggling to see how I can raise temperature for lockdown as I can’t increase the surface area of water in there..blue bottom part is full of water just to get 35% ( happy with this till day 18) I’ve attached pic so you can see design..maybe there’s a similar US model?

And as you can see it’s full of eggs so no room for sponge on top...all ideas gratefully received!

 

[Chasingcars]

Yeah, the heater and fan died. It was a very cheap bator, but my first one. I hope to get a brinsea this winter.

I had that happen to me on day 16 with my very first batch happened years ago but i think I’m damaged for life from it! I then bought a second hand ( good) one..don’t dismiss buying used..many people upgrade to a bigger model when they get addicted to hatching...it’s a great way to buy a better model when funds are tight ..I always sell my old incubators on in good working order perhaps consider this option until you can get the dream brinsea! happy hatching!

 

[Hunters Hen's]

Got spoiled on my birthday, got a Brinsea Maxi II EX. On second hatch now, first was 9 for 9. Excellent incubator once you figure out the humidity pump, the instructions that came with it were really vague. Said nothing about wrapping the tubing around the pump so the water wasn't hitting the evaporation card. Ended up figuring it out ourselves. Other than that it is an excellent product.

 

[The Farmers' Daughter]

I'm jumping ahead of the game here...
What do you use to clean your incubators following hatch? I've got a Styrofoam one.

 

[Chasingcars]

I'm jumping ahead of the game here...
What do you use to clean your incubators following hatch? I've got a Styrofoam one.

Hi..I use ecover wipes and pop it in the sunshine...on a rare sunny spring day in Derbyshire!

I don’t like to use harsh chemicals but If you’re not fussed I found this ....

http://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2014/09/how-to-clean-your-styrofoam-incubator.html

 

[guinealeghorn]

I now have a Styrofoam incubator, covered with plastic with a window on top. It also has an automatic egg turner. I have hatched some guinea eggs that my hens quit on. It works well, as we got 10 out of the hatch when we didn't expect any of them to survive. I will be hatching in July, when I have time to be with the chicks!

 

[Fordchickenmama11]

I am storing my eggs to do my first incubation. I am borrowing my neighbors incubator and it’s just a cheap on from tractor supply I think it doesn’t have a turner. She has had luck with it though. I’m hatching half her eggs and half mine because mine don’t lay enough. I just tried doing 2 dozen but I had no clue what I was doing and a tornado hit us and we were without power for two days and no generator or anything and of course the tornado damage took over caring for eggs they were only in there for 5 days. I got advice on here to toss them and start over. I have been reading a lot so I’m ready to try again but I would love any advice with rotating, humidity, and anything with this paticular incubator! Thanks so much!!!

 

[Fordchickenmama11]