Woooooohooooo, got my first incubator this weekend. I was looking for inexpensive to start. Found one on Craigslist for $15.00! Its a Hova-Bater. No egg turner, but for that price I will turn them myself! I started reading up on how to do this. Now I'm making myself scared to do this! I have a thermometer in this thing, but nothing to measure humidity. The lady I got it from used it to hatch snake eggs and did do some chickens eggs on occassional basis. She's a science teacher. She said temperature always stayed consistent. I'm nervous about getting sick or deformed chickens that I will have to cull. I have never done this, I dont eat my own birds and have never had to do anything like this. Some advice and some pep to make me feel better about this new adventure would be great. Thanks!
I got an incubator this weekend!
They won't all make it, but those that do make it more than worth it. If you do need to cull, I can go over what the CA state avian vet told me to do. I only had to euthanize one chick and then my vet took care of it for me, but the avian vet endorsed the scissor handle method as the kindest. Mostly they just don't hatch if they are seriously deformed.
You do need a hygrometer to measure RH. You can get them online--they have nice ones for cigar humidors. And calibrate your thermometer--get more than one and try to figure which one is closest to the actual temp. The one that I got with my (new) incubator was about 2 degrees off! Once you know how off it is, you can make allowances for it. I got an excellent thermometer/hygrometer from Radio Shack--but they aren't selling the very small ones anymore. The optimal temps are different depending on whether you have a still or forced air incubator.
It might be worth buying the egg turner....If not mark your eggs on one side so you know that you have turned them and do it an odd number of times per day--3, 5 or 7 times per day for example. Three is the absolute minimum--space the turning out as evenly as you can.
You are going to have such fun! Don't freak if the temp drops or rises for short periods--most will do just fine if you keep the temp mostly even. It really is a miracle.
I bought a thermometer that also measures humidity at Wal-mart for about $7. They are back with the alarm clocks. It is about 2/3 the size of a credit card and has worked perfectly.
You can do this, just read and ask questions. This was the first year I have hatched eggs and was also a little scared, but got to thinking that the first year sitting hens don't know what they are doing and somehow figure it out.
There are many good helpers on here, so just ask away.
Sheila
yippe, so happy for you!
tf
I will check Walmart now. On my way to pick kids up from summer camp and daycare. I have had the incubator on since Sunday night. Temp. is almost to where it needs to be. At 97 right now, or so the thermometer inside says! Hopefully I will find that therm/humidity reader today. I have eggs sitting just in case I can get this all set in next couple of days. Thanks : )
found the temp/humidity gauge at Walmart! So far humidity is going up and up! Its at 84% and my temp so far is at 89 degrees. I think I put too much water in in the wells. I think I put about 12 oz in when I fired it up on Sunday. I will have to look at it and take some out!
Hi Janastasio, congrats on your find! Are you turning the eggs you have sitting? What kind are you going to incubate?
Christy
I am being a good girl and turning my eggs! : ) I have them at a 45 degree angle and have been rotating them several times a day. I will be incubating aracauna eggs and the other eggs are from my other chickens, ie: black sex links, buff orphingtons, astralorps, RIR's. I have only one rooster, an aracauna. Is it ok to hatch mix breed chickens if they are only for egg production? You dont see much out there for mutt chickens?
sure when you hatch out your own they are likly to be mixed breeds, not like you are selling them LOL, you will love them to pieces...
that rH is WAY too high. don't put the eggs in till it is down around 60. the process of putting eggs in will drop both temp and rH, so make sure temp is steady, and then once eggs are in be prepared to turn it up and re-regulate it...
a baster or syringe works good for taking out water when you put too muich in, ask me how i know...
I just dumped out the water and put about a 1/4 cup in. I just checked again about 10min after and it shows the RH at 96. I think I hear thunder within the incubator! Any advice on getting the RH down? Seems like this bater keep its humidity in very well. When I added in the water just a short while ago, I added in hot water. Should I have used cold?
I think a lot of people have mixed mutt chickens.....at least we do. That is what we have been hatching, along with pure breeds. It sure is interesting to see the mutts though. You look at the as little chicks and think......ummm ok, your a this and a that and look at that coloring.....wonder if you are a he or a she and what you are going to end up looking like. We just played this game this morning. Brown Leghorn Hen, Plymouth Barred Rock roo, the chick came out of a white egg and looks like a barred rock chick. We are thinking it is a roo, but we could be completely off.
With an aracauna roo, you ought to come out with all kinds of interesting mixes. I was told though that it is not a good idea though to hatch out eggs from the mixed mutts, that they might turn out right.
Sorry, I am pretty new to all of this too and have no idea how to get the RH down. Do you have several wells that the water goes in? Maybe not filling one of them would bring it down enough. I don't know for sure, but I know when fighting to get the RH up, you have to add more water sources so maybe the opposite is true for getting it down?
Christy
warm water is best... but hot was OK, what kind of hygrometer are you using? can you check it with another somehow?
the temp does effect the rH, that is why it is called Relative Humidity LOL, but eggs and thunderstorms do NOT mix...
this is weird... somebody help...
OK, my BRAIN of a husband wonder if you have considered what water you are using. if it is high in chlorine or flourine or another chemical, the temp in the bator will cause them to evaporate quicker, and they being gases in a natural state could be causing the high humidity...
WHATEVER?!
so, try some drinking water.
seriously, chemicals turning to gaseous form would make more particles in the air causing a high humidity, maybe he is right...
What is the RH of the room?
RH is better today! Thank goodness! I took a window out overnight and this morning it was at 60%. I had to do a little adjusting over the day, but eggs are finally in, YEAH! A total of 15 eggs. We shall see what things show in a week when I candle them. Cant wait to see what candling shows. I have never done that before!
i got my first hoverbator in may . i put in 15 eggs filled both trays with water i never measered rh and tried to keep my thermometer at 97 on the screen i turned them 3 or 4 times a day no certain order 11 hatched and are doing fine . i put 5 more eggs in they all hatched so its not real hard im new and just try to turn them a lot and keep temp 97 on the screen or 99 on top of the egg
i bought the indoor outdoor 9.95 thermometer from walmart and layed the outdoor probe on the screen a couple times on hot days the temp on top of the egg was 101 so i thought theyre dead
and once the power went out for 4 hours and it went down below 90 i thought theyre dead till i read they can live below 90 up to 18 hours so i let them in and they hatched ok
That is great to know! I'll try and stop being a worry wart! My temp is 99 on top of the screen. Hope that isnt too warm. I had read 102 degrees in the still air incubators, so I figured 99 was pretty close and it would be a little warmer closer to the top of the eggs. Did you put your eggs directly on the screen. They seem kind of "rolley" on there. I have them there for now, but not sure how long that is going to last with turning them.
The temps for different incubators are different--My Little Giant (similar to the Hoverbator) said to keep it at 102 when still air then 99.5 when I installed the fan. Even then the temp varied quite a bit and I don't think it affected the hatch--the thermometer that came with the incubator was way off. Also with the RH, it is more a matter of having the air cell about right for each stage--sometimes the same eggs under the same conditions react very differently and you have large air cells and small air cells--it is worrying, but you just try to do your best and things hatch. Almost everyone has horror stories of the temp going up to 109 or down to 87 and still having a good hatch. Just correct as quickly as possible and move on:0)
99 sounds to high to me on the screen that would be 101 at the top of the egg try 97 on the screen yes they roll easily
did you keep your on the screen or is there a better way? Can they be kept in an egg carton open in there, or do they need to be completely exposed?
i just layed them on the screen and let them roll around my rcom incubator turns them every hour or so ,so i believe the more you turn them the better
even at 97 on the screen mine mostly hatch at 19 days so i think its warm enough
my rcom incubator isnice it keeps them at 37 c it turns them every hour or so and everyone has hatched so far but my hoverbator holds more eggs and does just as well once i learned what to do
Good to know, I shall let them rock and roll! Well speaking of rolling. I'm gonna turn those bad boys and roll into bed!
just got my bator too so eggs pointy side up or down? and when you turn them are you rotating around up up to down?
Hi fieldsems--pointy end down, large blunt end up--its the way they will lie naturally if you put them on a flat surface--but they can also go in some sort of cup so that the large end is straight up--either way will work. Just the big end should be somewhat elevated over the small.
They should be rolled on their sides if they are lying on a flat surface. 180 degrees at least 3 times a day--always an odd number and spaced out over time as regularly as possible--the main concern is that they not be in the same position every night when they are likely to stay in the same position for the longest time. If they are upright in an egg cup you can just tip the cup to the side 45 degrees, then back up up, then to the other side 45 degrees; that would be like rolling them three time--again you want to do it an odd number of times per day. The automatic egg turner does it this way many times with small gradations every day. I really recommend an automatic egg turner--it saves a lot of worry if you can afford it. But it is not necessary if you are determined to keep up with the turning.
Great news! You only have to do this the first 18 days--then absolutely leave them alone--the chick is positioning itself to pip and needs to stay in one position.
Everyone says to mark all the eggs with a soft pencil so you know which side is which--like and "X" on one side--to help you keep track of the turning.
It is really such fun!
This message was edited Jul 4, 2008 7:27 PM
I am so excited I hope this works some of my eggs are like 2 weeks old though will they still work if you can order eggs from a hatchery and have them shipped to you surely mine will make it at least i hope so thanks so much for the info
you will know when you candle at ten days. likely only the eggs one week old will work, dpeending on how you had stored them.
good luck!
I was wondering when you could candle. So its 10 days. I cant wait that long!
I candle at 7 days--if the eggs are light you can see development. But I am bad.
should i wash my eggs before putting them in some get really dirty
no, do not wash eggs you will incubate. either use a fine sand paper for the worst part, or put them in dirty, or only use clean ones...
Careful of putting in too dirty of ones if it is their feces. Definitely sand off the worst if you can. The bacteria can infect healthy embryos of the others in the incubator. also, if you wash them, you will close the pores in the eggs sealing in any dirt & bacteria. I believe I read where the hen puts a 'protective' layer on the egg when laying.
There is a product "textal" or something like that you can dilute & spray on them. It is used to sterolize the incubator, trays & even hen houses. I have used in past & would swear by it. I can check my bottle tomorrow (if I remember) to find the name. Let me know.
Have fun!
i candle at 3 days u can see a blob with veins looks like a spider then again at 6 and 9 and 12 and 18
you sound like catscan, i think she candles every night, like it was a sport or something!
tf
okay sorry guys but another stupid question please. my incubator does not have a tray in it so the eggs just kinda roll around should I put the eggs in an egg carton then in the bator so they stay put? thanks so much for all your help
Not sport, tf--therapy! I would sit at the top of the cool dark basement stairs and peer into my eggs every evening. Golden glowing globes of mystery. How I miss it!
Fieldsems--unless you have an automatic egg turner, I think the eggs are usually just laid on the screen at the bottom of the incubator. You can put them in an egg carton and tip the carton instead--but I think you want to use styrofoam and not cardboard cartons to prevent mold. No question is stupid!
yes, if you do the carton thing, you gotta turn them 5-7 times a day. i used a turner, then moved mine to a carton for hatching...
sorry catscan, wrong terminology LOL
who says its not a sport tamara lol i used to do it a lot more but i am getting better control over myself as i get more used to the egg hatching experience