What do you wish you had known before incubating?

[gimmie birdies]

I have some eggs in incubator, and some on order for the same time, incase I only get one hatched out, he will still have friends.

 

[PNW_Peepers]

During the colder months the eggs aren't as fertile. I eat eggs every day so I can check the fertility.

This is one of the things I really hadn’t factored in. My cockerel, is pretty keen on mounting everyone. In fact since getting eggs, I haven’t cracked one open that isn’t fertile. I’m hoping all seven I set are fertile. Time will tell.

 

[RodNTN]

I wish I had known that chicken math only gets worse when you buy an incubator
Just kidding, but a fair warning: Incubating is very fun, and addictive!

 

[cmom]

 

[Mosey2003]

I wish I had known that however big of an expert someone seems to be, incubating at 65% humidity all the way through just really doesn't work that well. No matter if that other person and his or her friends seem to have the best results doing it that way. Good old 50-55% works best for my eggs and environment. I wasted a lot of eggs trying to force the initial recommendation to work.

I also wish I had known that digital does not mean better when it comes to incubators, and that I could have been keeping my eye out for a used HovaBator 1602n and saved time and money.

 

[gimmie birdies]

I am jealous Cmom! I am already planning on having hatched+shipped chicks in my nice insulated/heated and wired for electricity shed

. Lucky my husband doesn't use it, but they will be out of the house...(out of sight out of mind)

 

[Al Capon]

What do you wish you had known before incubating?

It's okay to chip shell away and help a chick that has been struggling for days if that's the only way to save it, the "chicken incubator police" won't come after you. Just be prepared to lose it if it bleeds. I lost one because I was a dumbass and let it go too long, stuck in the membrane and died, 21 days down the drain.

 

[cmom]

I started like most others one incubator at a time. I have had both still air and circulated air and have always had better hatches with my circulated air incubators so I eventually converted my still air's to circulated air. I think a lot also depends on where you live, where you set up your incubator, etc. Still air has hot and cool spots. I am no expert by far but over the years figured what works best for me and good hatch rates. In the past when I first started hatching I had some rather poor hatches and some awesome ones. I think a young cockerel will be more fertile than an older cock. I have an old cock bird who is a past champion who has produced some awesome chicks. He will not be in the breeding pens this year but in with the general population birds till death do us part.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Hey Cmom, do you start to look at everything and it's egg hatching potential? I used to, I am slowing down a bit.

 

[cmom]

I look for several things. I'm an old lady too and don't know how many more years I can do this but I also like to show my birds. I enjoy selecting my breeders, which I'll be doing after the holidays. I'll probably put my first eggs for this next year in the incubator sometime in February and do a test hatch. The birds that don't go into the breeding coops and pens go into the general population coops and pens. I do sell some birds as there are many nice birds that would make good starters for someone who wants to raise my breeds that I don't use as breeders but would make fine breeders. I won't have any males initially until I hatch. I recently sold the last of the males that I decided not to use as breeders. I have one main male and a backup for each of my breeds. Actually my Leghorns and Rhode Island Whites are my best egg layers.