What are common bator mistakes??

[Frogtown]

Keep small animals, ie cats, away from the bator. I had one knock over my bator and lost the entire hatch from either cracked eggs or the thermostate getting messed up in the fall.

Make sure you keep the bator in a room with stable temps, dark room or closet.
Never place anything on top of bator, this makes the temp rise.

Always take into account that if you have an automatic turner the motor gives off heat and should adjust temp accordingly.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

thank you all so much for the great advice. I am glad that I started this post I am going into day 3 -@ 2:30 today and I was wanting something I could use as a guideline to help me out, and any one else doing this for a first time.
But I have a quick question when you mention " temp at egg level " please explain how I know what egg level is.

also SARA do you have a link that shows duck eggs at diffrenet stages of growth?

thank you all

Julie

** edit to add ** I am having a very hard time getting my humidity up past 47-50% I have the bottom filled with water also I a dish in there filled with water and still cant the humitidty up - any ideas??

 

[Smitty's Farm]

Julie,

Good luck w/ your hatch. Thanks for starting the thread. It's a great reference. Keep us posted on your hatching adventure.

Temp at egg levels means that you want a themometer at the same level as the top of the egg and not just a temp w/ a themometer laying on the bottom of the egg tray. Some will elevate the themometer w/ something, so it's at egg level. Some have a themometer that hangs down on the side to be at the same level as the egg. Hope this makes sense.

 

[hypnofrogstevie]

make sure temp is right and humididty is right. dont fill both trays or else they will drown. stop turning at day 18.

 

[hinkjc]

I am having a very hard time getting my humidity up past 47-50% I have the bottom filled with water also I a dish in there filled with water and still cant the humitidty up - any ideas??

You really don't want the humidity higher than that in the first 18 days. I would get another hygrometer as it sounds like it is not reading correctly with that much water in there. I never have the entire bottom filled (in a styro bator?) and I have never added extra bowls and my hatches go fine. The best judge of proper humidity is to monitor the air cell in the egg during candling times.

I believe this is the same link sara gave, but I will post again and point out that it has a great color photo of how the air cell should grow during specific stages of incubation.

http://www.msstate.edu/dept/poultry/hatch.htm

Here is another great publication on incubating and hatching eggs..
http://gallus.tamu.edu/Extension publications/b6092.pdf

Jody​

 

[Buckguy20]

COMMON BATOR MISTAKES?

For hatchaholics the first one is pluggimg them in.

 

[hinkjc]

Quote:
Just don't ever UNplug them and you'll be fine.

Jody

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi! I always figured 'temp at egg height' meant 'air temp at the top of the egg'.
Egg height in the turner (probe taped to an arm of an egg cup):

As the turner turns, temp goes from 100.2 when it is straight up, to 98.9 when the eggs are all the way over to either side.

Egg height in the hatcher:

With the probe at egg height, temp in the hatcher reads 101.5. Temp with the probe on the wire reads between 96 and 97.

edited to add:
The bator with turner is forced air / with a fan --- 99.5 at egg height.
The hatcher is still air / no fan --- 101.5 at egg height.

'Never unplug it' works for me

Lisa

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

what is better to use a water wiggler or just using the probe at egg height?


Julie

 

[tazcat70]

Messing with the thermostat after you have eggs in the bator.

Putting the bator next to a heater vent.