Unforseen lockdown problems...what is going on????

[mstricer]

Oh I have a hovabator not LG.

 

[Chinchilla2]

Hovabator or LG, they still get lumped together under the same category as being unpredictable and the source of many a bad hatch. From what I can see, a large portion of the problems with these incubators lies in the operator, especially the first time operator. They are reasonably priced for the first time incubator, the documentation is written in such a way to make you think that it's just a "pop in the eggs and forget it" process with very little practical advice and instructions for handling the eggs, temperature regulation, and humidity levels as well as conflicting temperature recommendations for forced or still air styles all in one little book. Add that to the first time jitters, impatience for seeing that first chick come popping out of that shell, and the standard habit many have of placing that rather useless direction pamphlet to the side after getting just the basic "start-up" steps over with. In essence, what you have is a multitude of things that can go wrong. All the ingredients for a hatching disaster are right there waiting to do their thing.

I've been keeping track of how many eggs I have set and hatched in mine and, not counting the occasional infertile or early quitter, I'm running a 80% hatch rate with all but one batch of eggs being sent through the PO. The majority of the eggs have been for a friend and a couple of neighbors but I have run over 250 eggs through that LG sucker in the last 6-8 months and it's been everything from cardinal eggs (a clutch of four eggs that my dang cat knocked out of a tree), various quail, just as various a selection of chicken, and 7 turkeys. Haven't done any duck or goose eggs yet but figure my mom or sister will come along with that request eventually. Am I just lucky? Maybe but then again I try not to fret over every little thing and other than adding a little water, the occasional egg I have to hand turn (either because I can't figure out which end is the pointy one) or possible ruptured air sac on a shipped egg, I leave the darn thing alone. Having three kids, two of them with autism, patience is no longer a virtue here, it's a requirement for sanity.

My hubby has nicknamed my LG the Styrobroody. My putting decals and stickers of chickens and quail around the sides may have had something to do with that. Sounds better than styrocrapbox but amounts to the same thing.

<dang typoes, edited to fix 'em>

 

[kvmommy]

Oh this is definitely operator error. I wish he hadn't pipped so I can just take that material out. I would move the bator to the bathroom and get it all hot and steamy but i'm such a clutz I don't want to drop it which I probably would. Wish i had a spritz bottle. No other peeps...no movement no sound nothing. Ughhh...hope this one didn't die. ITs a white silkie. I desperately want a white one.

 

[Melissa Rose]

Quote:
I was sorting out my incubator full of tortoise eggs a week ago and I didn't see that it was on the edge of the desk. When I picked up two dishes with eggs I knew weren't going to develope the incubator fell off of the desk and I lost all of the eggs

With tortoise eggs they can't be moved or rotated sooooo

 

[kvmommy]

Quote:
I was sorting out my incubator full of tortoise eggs a week ago and I didn't see that it was on the edge of the desk. When I picked up two dishes with eggs I knew weren't going to develope the incubator fell off of the desk and I lost all of the eggs

With tortoise eggs they can't be moved or rotated sooooo

wow...that is awful! And thats exactly what would happen if i moved my bator. I know my limitations. And grace is just not something I have. I literally run into at least one wall or corner everyday. A doc commented and thought I was anemic because I alway have these HUGE dark bruises on my legs or arms. I assured him that I just run into everything. The more careful I try to be, the clumsier I am. I have broken soooo many dishes while trying to be quiet and not wake the kids up while washing them. I try to pick up a dish quietly so they don't clank and I slam it into the faucet and break it...ALL THE TIME. lol I'm really sorry about your eggs though!!!

 

[kvmommy]

I just realized my eggs are technically on day 18 still...will be Day 19 at 9 pm. Isn't day 18 way too early???

 

[runsw/scissors]

Not really... when it comes to chickens and their eggs pretty much anything goes... lol! The little critters will do exactly as they please!

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Lock those babies down Yeah you will soon have chickies

 

[kvmommy]

OK...can't get the humidity to stay up past 55%. Should I risk this one by opening it and taking the eggs out to get that rubber mat out? I'm sooo stressed. I've heard nothing and seen nothing from this pipped egg. I wonder if its already shrinkwrapped.

 

[Melissa Rose]

I have noticed that once the pip occurs they take a break for a good amount of time like 6 or 7 hours. I would think they are getting up the strength to zip and learning how to breathe oxygen. Have you tried sneaking in a wet spunge? That works pretty good for me! On the three chicks I lost they had piped on day one but on the last day wich was basically just a little more than 48 hours later they were already dead!