What i learned being a first time hatcher do's and don'ts.

Chris,

You should be proud of yourself! I have read of people who have tried three or 4 times and NO eggs hatched.

You kept notes and you know what to change next time--good job!

ANd you have 3 chicks. Hope 2 are pullets!

 

I'm pretty sure there was more going on than just opening the incubator a couple times. The first batch of 7 i did, i left them on my kitchen counter unturned for 10 days, had no way to check humidity, and just the cheapie thermometer that comes with the hovabator. I took each chick out, and had it open a bunch of time fiddling with a couple that were having trouble. 6 of 7 hatched, the one that didn't wasn't fertile.

I think the stink is a strong clue. The next batch i did was shipped eggs, and i had 5 go rotten, and several that started to develop and stop, i have to think i had some bacterial problems.

The last batch, i left scrambled shipped eggs in till day 18, and they never spoiled, they were very nice clean eggs, and actually fed em to my dogs.

Anywho don't beatyourself up.

 

My first hatch was bad, the temp went up to 110 over night and then the power went out for 12 hours taking the temp down to 86. Out of 42 eggs 20 hatched. I was amazed because I didn't think I would get any.

I also learned to clean my bator everytime I'm done and if I know I'm going to use it again I clean it out a week before and let it sit in the sun. I am so afraid of bacterial problems.

 

My first time hatching eggs in the incubator went very well (for a first timer with not much of a clue). I used eggs from some RIR's that I had at the time. I put 18 eggs in and finished out with 14 chicks. I never candled so I'm not sure about the three eggs that didn't hatch but one egg was a chick that started hatching and died in the process. I admit to helping a few chicks hatch after that one and they all lived. Like you I felt bad watching the newly hatched chicks flop around in the incubator on that wire rack and kick the other eggs all over so I took each one out shortly after hatching. Honestly I don't think that was your downfall and why so many of your eggs didn't hatch.

So great hatching only to have half of them eat one night by a bobcat just shortly after I transfered them to the chick pen outside. The pen had heavy square wire on it first, then chicken wire over it because the squares were pretty big. Did not think at all about an animal reaching through from the outside. I put up really tiny, heavy duty wire right after that and haven't had anymore losses.

Hope you get your two pullets from this hatching and hopefully better luck to you if you try again down the road!

 

I personally take the chicks and their shells out of the hatcher when they hatch. I have done it both ways and left the chicks in, but a friend of mine reminded me that if you have a broody hatching she gets off the nest once in awhile to do her business, so now I don't worry about it any more. Probably the rooster was shooting blanks. Mine were during the summer heat. I have had many very successful hatches. I do have a Sportsman cabinet incubator that I incubate in and styrofoam LGs and Hova-Bators that I hatch in. I have 50 going into lockdown tomorrow. We did have problems with the fertility during the hot summer months as the boys just didn't feel like jumping the girls as often and when they did I think they were shooting blanks so I took a couple of months off from hatching. Some friends of mine had the same issues. We live in Florida.