The Incubator Thread

[cottagefarmgirl]

Okay, I have a farm innovations incubator with auto turner. I am in week 3, as of today, of incubation. I know to turn the turner off, and remove it, I assume. Am I to take out the wire as well? I may be over-thinking , but that seems to be a danger to the newborns and their legs and feet. Once hatched, how long do you leave them in the machine before removing them to the brooder. Very new to this, and the instructions were vague, at best. Been researching but don't find satisfactory info in books or the internet. So, I decided to ask here. You guys usually give me the best info anyway. Thanks so much.

 

[JenS9]

I'm not familiar with your particular machine, so I'll let someone else answer that.

The chicks can go 3 days without food/water, and live off the nutrients they got from the yolk sack. So they will be fine until that point. If they all hatch and dry before that, you can take them out.

 

[chookbrains]

i have got the same, and yea very unclear

 

[chickieluver26]

Can someone with information on incubating turkey eggs help me please. We found a turkey egg on our ranch we grabbed it thinking it was one of our chickens we got back to the house and realized it was a turkey I candled it and here are the pictures of the candling
Here is the air cell

There is a medium to large dark mass at the top which I am assuming is the embryo am I right?

I have it in a homemade incubator that has a steady temp of 101.5 here is a picture of it

Can anyone help me or tell me if it is alive?

 

[scopechick]

So excited! After a lot of comparing, getting people's opinions and really being serious about our goals with chickens I Just bought a Janoel 48. Had good and not so good reviews but I discovered that is the case with most brands. Now the long wait til it arrives then the fun really begins. Thanks everyone for these very informative posts! They all helped us to really figure out which one we would try.

Chris

 

[justoldbobo2]

Welcome to your new addiction even if you don't realize it yet lol. I hatched my first last spring in homemade cooler bator and have had three successful hatches. Won't be long and I'll warm it up again. The search button on here is a great tool.

 

[Roxannemc]

I totally agree...... and I dont even have a Brinsea !......

Brinsea has all the components to get a good hatch including right humidity which others don't unless you go to the$300- $500 ones

Getting your first incubator ... hard to know where to start .What do you need? what don't you need.?Whats important?

I have been on BYC Incubating thread for year and a half most days and see so many ppl who get great hatches with even the Mini Brindea.
. I have never seen anyone say they didn't get some chicks with a Brinsea .

My thinking now for myself is is if i get a dozen eggs and use another incubator say Genesis 1688 for approx. $150 (what i have and its pretty good but not perfect ).......maybe ill get 7 to hatch of the 12 maybe even 11 but maybe ill get only 2. or none .. ...if i get the mini Brinsea approx. $150 i have a lot better chance of getting all 6 to hatch even if it does only hold 6.eggs as it regulates the humidity AND does all that Genesis does too that you NEED to get a good hatch.

Percent wise its much better deal even if the price is similar to a good Styrofoam that holds 42 eggs

.I like the Styrofoam Geneisis 1688 but don't get the % of hatch that i think i would with the Brinsea MY opinion. only.

By the way the Styrofoam itself isn't what you pay for in the Styrofoam bators ...Its the heating element, heat regulator . lit digital heat and humidity read outs plastic water tray ... But yes you can build your own for cheaper if your handy and have time to invest
Some Ive heard work even better than bought do.(.See youtube) Maybe as much or little as $50 to build
A very crude one for fun no heat regulator and a light bulb for heat... for maybe $5 if you have things laying around.

I have built a crude one just for my emergency lockdown spare .

Lower the priced get even less hatch often as the temp jumps around. and Genesis holds the temp exactly where you set it why you pay more for it
Brinsea holds the humidity and temp too why its higher than Genesis and others.

So Basically The more it does to get the optimal hatch the more you pay.

Optimum hatch...You need perfect temps 99.5
holds good humidity
and turns the eggs.
A plus to me is able to see inside
Good Luck!

 

[Roxannemc]

Chickie
Looks like you have a chick in there.
Cant say if its alive You might be able to see it move if you hold it still for a while maybe.Maybe see red veins too .

 

[Roxannemc]

Cottage
They can go 3 days without food and water but I think most ppl don't leave them in that long. even if they say you can.
To me its healthier not to stress them to the very last limit they can go without out food and water.
.My opinion
.
If they all have hatched no need to keep them in though Take them out when each is dry. 5 hours very minimum on each.

If some eggs are pipped I would leave them in until the pipped ones hatch if possible
.
Sometimes you just have to get them out though as just one is taking way over 24 hours to hatch after pip but i really try not to open it if i have pipped chicks
.Still better to save the ones hatched and healthy than a pipped one that may and may not hatch and make it i
If its pipped for 36 hours and no progress from 36 hours before I usually assist hatch

A whole nother thing to learn to do to not kill them wont talk about here.
.
Anyway I take my hatched out latest about 24 to 36 hours after hatch .
There isnt any big hurry
Sometimes they get rolling the eggs around and it drives you crazy they might smother a pipped chick especially if there are like 6 or 7 wandering around. rolling eggs .

If you do remove some Just crack the lid and spray water in first to get the humidity up to your top level you want then quickly grab them out and make sure the humidity doesn't drop too low afterwards if seem like it s too low spray again a little to get it back to normal
Again try and make sure you have no pipped eggs when you do this.

 

[Audio51]

Okay, I have a farm innovations incubator with auto turner. I am in week 3, as of today, of incubation. I know to turn the turner off, and remove it, I assume. Am I to take out the wire as well? I may be over-thinking , but that seems to be a danger to the newborns and their legs and feet. Once hatched, how long do you leave them in the machine before removing them to the brooder. Very new to this, and the instructions were vague, at best. Been researching but don't find satisfactory info in books or the internet. So, I decided to ask here. You guys usually give me the best info anyway. Thanks so much.

I have this one too. Yes...I would remove the egg turner at lockdown. No...do not remove the wire. I did cover my wire with the rubber shelf liner so they can have a softer surface but still get good traction. This also makes it easier to clean after. I move the eggs to a paper egg carton on half of the bator space and let them hatch in that. I give the hatched chicks the other half and have even put in a cardboard barrier held in place with toothpicks.