Which incubator to use in the uk?

[als77]

Sorry for some reason i no longer get notifications anymore.

I have started another batch, currently on day 12 and out of 19 eggs, 16 are fertile and developing!!

The temp has been easier this time and its normally quite secure around the 37.1 to 37.7 range according to my 3 thermostats in different places. I do always keep the polystyrene cover on along with 2 tea towels to keep heat in.

Humiditiy is my bug bear and hard to keep steady.

We will see how successful this next hatch is and i can conclude then what i think.

Luckily a stable humidity isn't necessary

One of my now almost 8 weeks old started crowing the day before yesterday (plus chasing/pecking at two others that I assume are males), and today I got my first egg

A perfectly formed egg, and also in size (11g vs 12g om average for the ones I incubated)

 

[Mellowmalt]

congrats als. Didn't realize you were raising quail. My mum told me to get quails but I am quite happy I went for bantams instead unless they become too noisy. My oldest just started to attempt crowing, luckily it isn't very loud and he's missing the long roooo at the end, more of a roo roo. The only downside is that bantam eggs are too fragile. I am 99% sure my incubator is running perfectly now but I still lost eggs.

All the ones I predicted were going to fail failed and the last 2 failed by day 7. One egg managed to start developing and even moved but considering 80% of them got damaged in transit the last 2 didn't make it either

Out of the second lot that looked good one had a saddleshaped aircell. That aborted by day 12. Another perfectly healthy egg also aborted, one egg with a saddleshaped aircell has made it till day 15 and it is moving still but it has a very large aircell. The last 3, including the cracked one looked very healthy last time I checked.

But it will be a poor result for bantams yet again. 6 just never made it at all and out of 6 good ones I've lost 2 that were developing by day 12.
3 good ones left that should hatch and 1 that I am hoping will make it.

What kind of hatch percentage is that? Something like 30%? 25% if I'm unlucky?

Next year I will hatch out some of my own eggs that haven't been through the post, for now fingers crossed I do need a couple of these latest ones to make it and need at least 1 female then my breeding stock will be complete.

 

[als77]

Thanks - seems like that is the only egg I'll get though - haven't gotten any since...

Sorry about the bad hatch rate. Guess you will not know for sure why unless you either splurge on a high-quality incubator or try hatching from your own breeding stock, but shipping can be very challenging (some people say to expect 50% hatch rate from shipped eggs)

 

[Mellowmalt]

@penkwolf​

hey penk, you should be on day 22? Hope things going ok for you.
I'm on day 19 & 1/2 here and I am pretty sure I have heard 3 distinct different chirps from 4 eggs. They are bantams so I am expecting them to hatch on day 20, coming up in less than 12 hours. Chirping has been going on here and there for 9 hours so far.
brooder warming up. Can't wait to see their tiny faces.

 

[Mellowmalt]

Finally my incubation is over
Been a long 20 days but I am happy to announce all 4 of the eggs that survived the post hatched into really strong healthy chicks, eating straight away and able to walk without issues. I'm very happy I got such a good result with some dutch duckoo's.
That's it for me for this year now. Incubator is going into storage till next year.
Thanks for watching whoever was watching.

1st April - 21st April temps & humidity

Final day, temps & humidity


Poly box, heating cable, fan and incubator with egg turner.

freshly hatched, still a bit wet:

 

[als77]

Congratulations