I'm just sick! I never want to incubate again!

[McGoo]

Hope you get a couple of little ones.

I only got one on my first hatch and ended up buying a couple of day olds to join her. Hang in there - it's nice that easy with temps and humidity issues.

All and all I've never had great success with incubating, so I decided to let a hen do the work this time and she had an 80% hatch rate and all are doing great. Just something to consider for next time.

 

[lovemychix]

Why would that one be deformed with the tumor on it's head and behind. The one chick is still acting weird won't walk. Just lays around. I finally just cracked the others open and tried to get them out (what do I have to lose after they have peeped for 3 days. Going on day 24. The one was dead. I figured. The other one I cracked it open and it's doing great. I didn't ever break the membrane and it came out fine. It's doing great. One healthy chick. It peeped for 3 days and couldn't get out. I never could get humidity up. I tried everything so I had to do that. I never mess with the chicks. I've had 30 some chicks this summer with broody hens and never lost a one. My other eggs are under my broody. That is the way I'm going to do it from now on. I always seem to have a broody anyway. I just thought I would give a chance at incubation. I had done it a couple years ago with great luck. Well. Incubator is no longer going to be me. Not after the stress of this hatch and watching my babies suffer.

 

[lovemychix]

Thanks everyone for the support. I cried all day over this.

I loved this babies and was wanting them so bad. Will keep you updated on the new one and the other that can't walk. You guys are the best. Very understanding. I just have a soft heart and I think I really screwed things up.

 

[monita]

speckled hen..... may i ask what kind of thermo/ hygro you use? where did you get it and how much did it cost? i would like to look into this. i have 3 thermos in my bator right now and 2 read bout the same but 1 is much hiugher. the one that is much higher is one that came with the bator. the other 2 are an acurite thermo/hygro combo from TSC and one that came with the auto turner.

 

[speckledhen]

The best ones are the ones made for incubating that have an accuracy rating (not a range and not how it measures, as in increments of 1/10 of a degree) It will say accurate to within +/- a certain number. You want one that has a fraction, not a whole number, like 2 degrees, as most household thermometers do.

I bought the Spot-Check by Brinsea, also called the Egg-Temp by GQF, same exact unit, has a probe and is meant to be turned off when not checking temp to save the battery. It's specifically made for incubating and for the accuracy, is quite reasonable. Mine came from Cutler Supply, cost $21.95 and I added the extra pack of 4 batteries for $3 or so (it comes with one battery already installed). I have 2 AcuRites, one Springfield (not the white one), a Taylor and a Fluker. The Taylor is probably the most accurate of the ones on that list, but I was tired of guessing about the accuracy of all of those. The Fluker does weird things like jump up to 102 and hold there, while the Spot-Check will read each tenth of a degree as it happens so you can tell if temps are going up or down on the spot. I think the Fluker messed up my last hatch--since I have the Spot-Check, I see that the Fluker often reads a degree or more too high, which made me turn down the thermostat when I shouldn't have. The Spot-Check and the Egg-Temp are accurate to within a tenth of a degree, it says.

 

[Ryan81986]

What type of incubator did you use?

 

[happi752]

the main problem it sounds like is your humidity on the last couple of days. I raise the humidity to 85% very simply. I take a large sponge and I wet it, then I zap it into the microwave and toss it in the bator. I usually do that just on day 21 as they start pipping so the membrane does not dry out and shrink wrap around them or get too tough for them to zip. And thats what it sounds like happened to you, they pipped but couldnt zip. meaning the membrane was too tough.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree that the humidity was probably off. In the mid 50's is too low and if your hygrometer was reading too high, it was actually lower than that.

 

[Germaine_11.20]

We don't want you to give up. It is heart wrenching and I am sorry you have had to go through that.

They say practice makes perfect. Why not take some of your own hen eggs and work on incubating them. Find out what works for you and what doesn't.

Don't do alot, maybe four or six. That way you can keep trying until you figure out how to fix the problem.

I would say it is the hygrometer too. Although if they started to pip late then the temp is just a little low. I prefer to be a tad high than low. They basically do fine hatching out a day early. Just be prepared for that.

Use a few different hygrometer/thermometers while you are incubating and also in the lockdown period. Then you can see an average.

 

[Chook-A-Holic]

Get you a note book for the incubator. Each time you set eggs, take notes a few times daily as to the temps, humidity, adjustments you've made etc. Then as you do more hatches you may see ways to improve your technique.

Marty