Very poor hatch, could use advice

[Gypsy07]

Babyblue: 99.5F is for a bator with a fan. In a still air bator the temp should be slightly higher, I think about 101F at the level of the top of the eggs. But you say your first chick hatched on day 19, which (unless they were bantams) would make most people think that your temps were actually too high, not too low. Maybe with it being still air you had hot and cold spots in your bator. Some people really don't like LGs but some people have great hatches with them, so don't be too quick to blame it all on the bator...

I'm sure other people will have more ideas about what could have gone wrong in there.

 

[babyblue]

@ gypsy and cowgirl- I candled at day 10 and 14, all 25 looked good as far as I could tell. I think there were some hot and then cold spots. I think I am going to ask dh to install a computer fan at least.

@applesweets- I think you are right on the infection, then the large chick was bashing around the incubator all over the rest of the eggs and I think it may have passed whatever it was onto them and thats why the rest did not hatch.

I did not know still air had to be a high temp, I just went with the directions on the box

 

[LilMissPetie]

I am also using a LG 9200, and was wondering about also installing a computer fan, just not sure how to go about doing it, anyone that has could let me know that would be great, my dad has some computers sitting in his garage I may just have to rob one for it's fan .

 

[crazyeggs]

Quote:
I wired an old computer fan and have it just sitting on the wire bottom of my incubator. I did not know how to go about hitching it up to the top lid like shown in other models. It has seemed to work fine. I have my first batch piping in there now. I am a little concern of them bumping into it and will be keeping a close eye on this and next time I will be building a screen to protect the fan and chicks from harm.

 

[Mama Austranought]

Sound like you've got it sussed out, babyblue! You will be better installing a fan. Now to clean the incubator and start planning the next hatch. .

 

[BeccaOH]

I wouldn't totally blame the LG. I bought a used LG with fan from a friend for my first hatches. My very first hatch was from two batches of shipped eggs, and I had excellent results hatching well over half the eggs. I now use a cabinet incubator but still use the LG as a hatcher.

Sorry about your hatch. It does sound like some bad eggs to me.

 

[naakte]

Quote:
i put a pc fan in my lg i used 4 12 mm beads to hold it off the LG so i could have air flow wired it in with wire here is a picture of it....

 

[wolftracks]

I have several incubators. Two are LGs. I use one of those as a hatcher.

I have pretty good hatches and then last summer I was getting as few as zero chicks to hatch out. I had other things on my mind and be leaving something out. Nothing I read helped, sometimes I'd get a so so hatch. Must have done something right twice, because I got two 100% hatches, but then all horrible ones again.

Then chookschick had had enough. Told me to follow her cheatsheet. Except for yesterday where I had a lot of dark clear eggs, I've been having great hatches. This weekend everything but 3 clears hatched, so I have another full brooder.

Follow this and even shipped egg %ages go up.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/we...et&PHPSESSID=6a9ef75252d048761e502795e39964f4

There are a lot of people on here that have used LGs for years and have great hatches, so I know this link is going to help and your biggest problem will be affording all the starter that you're going to need.

 

[wolftracks]

Oh something I just noticed though. Temps for still air are more like 101. Might want to start there. But use that cheatsheet!

 

[babyblue]

thank you, that cheat sheet is great. Plus I have tons of aquarium thermometers all over the house. that (plus going to 101 if dh does not add the fan should really help)