Very poor hatch, could use advice

[wolftracks]

That cheat is printed out and available. LOL

I have still airs. I actually like them. The Sportsman has a fan though and so do most that my husband had made, but we also made 2 that are still air.

Hope you get a great next hatch!

 

[babyblue]

Thank you very much wolftracks.

I cleaned out the bator and decided that because the dh was not home I would open them to see progress. It was definatly a temp issue. Varrious stages of progress from around day 14-18 I would say. Then to top it off absoutley none of the BO's were even fertile, none, zero, zip, zilch. They were hatchery quality BO hens with a blue Orp rooster from nice SQ stock. Some of my friends just wanted layers so I figured why not even if they turned out funny colors. The eggs from the BBS Orp hens all at least got to around 14 days incubation. Colors were very obvious. I lost 2 black, 2 blue and 4 splash. And I really really wanted a few more black orp hens, poo.


I have no idea why the BO's weren't even fertile, the BO hens were going on 2.5 but still laying well, although they were hatchery stock. The BBS hens are all this years pullets and from some really nice SQ parents. I did sell the BO hens to a friend that wanted some free range laying hens, so they still have a purpose even if they cant make any babies.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
im just sooo mad at that incubator that i have kill lots LOTS of babys fully form due to spikes and droops off and not holding humidity. i hate it got to love my home made ..

I know the OP doesn't like to hear it but none of the LG owners will. but the fact is they do kill more than they hatch, why do you think they have a 400 page thread going just for misguided LG buyers/owners just to figure out how to even use them, no other incubators have their own troubleshooting thread. I feel your pain but a little research would have prevented this. I wish you all the luck though.

 

[scbatz33]

I use a 1588 for primary incubating and LG still air for hatching, but I have also used it for incubating. I have 2 dozen orps in there now.

It does sound like your temp was too low, however that should have only prolonged the hatch not killed it.

I would question the humidity as the primary suspect. I "dry hatch". Meaning, since I live where the humidity is pretty high anyway, I only add water on day 18. In order to help bump it up, I will soak a sponge in hot water - sopping wet.

Remember, humidity is based on surface area, not depth. If you have anything covering the wells, your humidity will stay low regardless of how much water is in there. The pic of the bubble wrapped eggs, is a good example. The bubble wrap is covering the wells, so the humidity is going to stay low.

Secondly, orps are known to have HUGE babies. I have had to help a few from time to time. Especially the larger "show" type stock. Is the roo over the BO the same over the BBS? If not, I'd think you may have a roo issue. I would watch him breed before I'd blame the girls. Just because he's SQ stock and they are hatchery, doesn't make the hatchery stock the culprit. If he's young or lazy or they are DRAMATICALLY smaller than him, he may not be doing a good job covering.

As for the smell, sometimes they just stink. Other times it's because of a bacteria issue. My guess would be since you had dead chicks from about 14 days on, after 23 days in the incubator they weren't smelling too great. I doubt seriously bacteria is the cause of the low hatch.

My advice is this: 1. calibrate the hygrometer and the thermometer so you know you are getting accurate readings.

2. make sure you are reading temp at the top of the eggs. Temp can fluctuate greatly from top to base of a still air.

3. consider adding a fan, but it's not necessary. I would use an auto turner. In my experience using an LG, the auto turner is way better at helping to maintain temp and humidity because you aren't opening and closing the incubator 3 and 4 times a day.

4. test fertility on you next batch of home growns before setting. I'd really check out the roo's breeding habits.

5. candle at least once on day 10. That way you aren't wasting time waiting on eggs to hatch that aren't ever going to. By day 10 on orps, it is very clear what is growing and what isn't

6. dont' give up. It's a trial and error process. Unlike chickens, we take time to get it right!

 

[scbatz33]

Quote:
im just sooo mad at that incubator that i have kill lots LOTS of babys fully form due to spikes and droops off and not holding humidity. i hate it got to love my home made ..

I know the OP doesn't like to hear it but none of the LG owners will. but the fact is they do kill more than they hatch, why do you think they have a 400 page thread going just for misguided LG buyers/owners just to figure out how to even use them, no other incubators have their own troubleshooting thread. I feel your pain but a little research would have prevented this. I wish you all the luck though.

This is just not true and quite negative. I have a friend who has far WORSE hatch rates in her brinsea super expensive la de da incubator than I do out of my crappy little styrofoam ones. It has not as much to do with the incubator as it does with the operator LEARNING how the LG works and finding the correct operating level to get good hatches.

AS Thumper's mother used to say, if you can't say nuthing nice, don't say anything at all.

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
I know the OP doesn't like to hear it but none of the LG owners will. but the fact is they do kill more than they hatch, why do you think they have a 400 page thread going just for misguided LG buyers/owners just to figure out how to even use them, no other incubators have their own troubleshooting thread. I feel your pain but a little research would have prevented this. I wish you all the luck though.

This is just not true and quite negative. I have a friend who has far WORSE hatch rates in her brinsea super expensive la de da incubator than I do out of my crappy little styrofoam ones. It has not as much to do with the incubator as it does with the operator LEARNING how the LG works and finding the correct operating level to get good hatches.

AS Thumper's mother used to say, if you can't say nuthing nice, don't say anything at all.

I went back to the LG and gave away a Brinsea. What a piece of garbage that was. hmmmm maybe it's the one I threw outside in the rain. oops think it was.

My first hatch was in a shoe box on my nightstand when I was 12. No water, a table light and 2 or of 3 hatched. OK sometimes now my hatches are crap, but hasn't always been in an LG.

Yeah and gotta have an auto turner. I forget that everyone doesn't sometimes since I have 3, plus the Sportsman. Then again, if my egg auction doesn't sell, I might set some and not turn at all. I'm all about experimenting when it won't cost me anything. I see the same eggs in the same psoition under my broodie. Either she doesn't turn them much or she's broken.

 

[scbatz33]

wolftracks - same here. I have been hatching for a couple years and it took me a lot of screw ups to figure out what works for me. Now I stick to that. I have found if I deviate, I kill more eggs than the LG would ever hope to. It is generally operator error.

I'd love to have some broodies. My orps just don't' feel the need. Lazy cows! Maybe one of these silkies will grow up to be the super broody I keep hearing about!

 

[rancher hicks]

One thing that threw me when I first started was that I didn't realize just how important the placement of the incubator is.

It should be placed in an area of low traffic and a temp of 70 -80* .. Drafts and such can affect the temps but you won't know it. You want it in a room where the temps don't keep going up and down.

I have a friend who uses a still air and she does fine. Me not so good.

I have a gen 1588 and that's good for me. You just gotta find your groove.

Hope everyone finds their groove.


rancher

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Good luck. My Silkies are useless. I bought a few for broodies. Yeah well, they lay eggs one a month, are nuerotic and crazed. I'd be affraid of them teaching a big chicken how to act. I have one roo that if he didn't have some very good things going for him I would have probably wrung his neck by now. No kidding. He's nuts!

My Games??? OMG, those girls are such good broodies and good moms. There are a ton of them in my neighborhood. There are hens and chicks walking down the sidewalks around here. I had one sitting on eggs that I ended up having to hatch out in the bator, because my daughter was here. She saw her out in the yard with my other birds and tried ot catch her and put her back on the nest. Yep, chasing them around the yard for 10 minutes will break broodiness.

Now I have another out there. At first she was keeping the others away, but a couple of fat FBCMs climbed in with her to lay. I found smashed eggs under her. Last I checked she still had 7, but I haven't bothered her since. She started with 10. Was hoing she'd hatch out BCMs, but most of those were the broken ones. Figures.

Now I mix BCM and Game. I get good broodies, lots of eggs and they tolerate heat and cold, so add the Marans to that and the chicks are turning out awsome. I can use the eggs to egg and if someone goes broody they can hatch out my pures. Plus Marans are supposed to taste great, so hopefully the flavor will be close when roos are processed.

Oh I forgot..........Some people put the bators in a closet or something where the temps and humidity usually stay the same.

 

[scbatz33]

Well, I took on some silkies for showing first, breeding second. So if they brood more so the better.

I really want show girls - sick, I know - so I'm getting some good show stock for the attempt!

My orps are just not that great for brooding. I've only had 2 go and they starved themselves. Of course, if I hadn't been out of town working and my DH had better paying attention skills, he would have seen they weren't getting off the nest, but that's neither here nor there.


ANYWHO! sorry for the thread jack!