I had two batches set 2 days apart. I have the DIY bator, the NR 360, and 3 new broodies (the first broody I had given two of our own eggs, EE mix, several days earlier.
Batch one were 6+4 Sulmtaler shipped from a farm in my own state. Troubles with this weren’t all related to incubating! Arrived on time and looked good, air cells in good shape. Put 8 in the 360 and gave 2 to one broody. All eggs started development. Early on, it looked like a broody stuck a nail thru one egg - I think they played musical nests. I replaced that one with one out of the incubator. Three eggs in the 360 quit. No super concerned, they were shipped after all. So at lock down had 4 in the 360 and 2 under broody, all appeared alive at candling. Temp and humidity seemed reasonable throughout incubator incubating, and maintained at least 60% during lockdown. One hatched under broody and the other appeared to have died, no idea why. Moved to the incubator just in case I missed something and was for sure dead by the morning. Another in the bator failed to hatch, not sure why. And I stink at writing stuff down so I don’t remember if it had internal pipped or not. I think it had? Pretty sure one pipped wrong end as well and helped that one out. In the meantime two in the brooder appeared to have burned their backs under the heat plate overnight!!! Why did they not move around and adjust themselves? They seem to be doing okay, putting veterycin twice daily. In the meantime, I came home one day to find the broody Sulmtaler chick dead and missing it’s skull. My guess is the first broody who had chicks for a few days killed it. I’ve shuffled things around so everyone is okay for now ... so out of 10 eggs, only three live chicks.
Batch 2, the one that is probably more interesting for you. Shipped from Papa’s Poultry which I didn’t realize was in CA and I’m in VA. Got 12+3 eggs of mainly different Orpingtons, but also opal Legbar, 55 flowery, and the Rhodebar “olive egger”. Eggs were not in the best of shape. None broken but air cells ranged from fully detached to a little shifty. Most were some degree of saddled. One even had extra air bubbles so probably scrambled. I suspect this is the main cause of the poor hatch, but can’t rule out other issues. I picked three of the eggs with the least shifty air cells - they weren’t too bad at all - and put two under one broody and one (plus another EE X egg) under the fourth broody) All the others went in my DIY bator, Incubating upright, tilted about 45 degrees three times daily. I guess it was a “dry” hatch. Humidity averaging in the 20s but did get into 30s and as low as upper teens. This seemed to coincide with the weather outside. Temp appeared to spike at 102x at one point, probably because in addition to temps in the 30s outside we also got into the 80s during incubation! Predictably had a significant number quit or not start at all, or start and quit so soon I couldn’t see anything. Ended up with 6 going in to lockdown, upright, into the 360. Mean while, the three under the broodies appeared to be grown and no quit. One egg even got cracked, I patched it with plain wax, and continued to grow! Unfortunately, the 2 under the one broody failed to hatch. I took in to the incubator, but they were already dead. No ideal why they made it to hatch, under a broody, then died. The patched one under the other broody with the homegrown egg did hatch, all by itself! Still alive! It’s a choco gold lace orp! In the 360 - I had one Rhodebar hatch all by herself. Had to help her brother out, but he’s doing well, and then there was a 55 flowery that I was kind of helping along, internal pip on her own. Two days after hatch she still hadn’t come out, but seemed vigorous, so I “hatched” her. She wasn’t positioned quite right - head not under wing, and her legs and toes were formed but curled against her belly, so she probably couldn’t push out? Kept her in the bator for two more days, but her legs weren’t straightening at all. It seemed more extensive than some tape shoes could fix. I moved them - PT? - at least twice daily and the joints seemed rather stiff. She needed to come out of the bator, and she was getting less vibrant, so I stuck her under the heat plate to be with her hatch mates. She died overnight, which I kind of figured would happen, just at least she wasn’t alone.
Of all the eggs that make it to hatch but didn’t - should have kept better notes. I only removed the shell over the air cell to look. Haven’t brought myself to full eggtopsies yet! From what I could see, two had way too much fluid under the membrane. Not sure what that means. One or two had internally pipped in air cell but then died. At least two were malpositioned- feet up or no beak insight. I’ve read that malpositions can be due to genetics but also shipping and handling. As they were a few different breeds, I would think the genetic reason is smaller? And I meddle quite a lot, but never handled them roughly, but definitely handled to candle at all stages. The 360 appeared to recover temp and humidity pretty quickly. One thing I did note this time compared to last time - the 360 humidity stayed in the 60s and some 70s. Last time it was getting up into the 80s. These were verified with two additional combo hygrometer/thermometer. Temp in the 360 ranged from 98.x to 100.x. It was set at 101, I think. I’m wondering how much ambient/outside temps and weather play a role? Also, I just thought about it - it has a fan, but is it blowing uniformly? Does it matter? Another thing with my set up that has occurred to me and I need to take notes next time - I am wondering if there are temp differences within the 360 - I feel like when I checked the thermometers the one in the “back” was slightly higher temp than in “front”. Mine is on a desk and “front” is where I look at it and “back” is close to the wall and the side of a book shelf.
Sorry for this long post!!
yes, it is true “buy cheap, get cheap”. However the Goabroas were a recommended Christmas gift - it must be good 
. Jinxed it!
