AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

The problem I had was that four hatched on day 19, but there was at least one alive and unhatched for another FIVE days. The humidity was up around 70-80% (and higher) for almost a week. I can't do that every week, it would be 70-80% or higher continuously.

But, as has been said, practice makes perfect. Well...near perfect.

A home made incubator is a real challenge, but it sounds like you're going great. Day 19 hatches sound like the temp might have been a little high. Have you tried putting thermometers in different places around the egg space to see if you have hot spots and cold spots. When I used to use a still air Bellsouth I had to rotate the eggs around when I turned them. I numbered them so I could see where to put them to make sure they all moved in a rotation. Then the average temp for them all was the same and they all hatched at once. I know you have a fan, but is it possible something is still causing a cooler or warmer spot? Maybe rotating would prevent the staggered hatch.

With humidity, I only lift the humidity up really high once I get significant pipping. Then I keep it up until the hatch finishes. That's only a maximum of two days for me. Then I drop it back to normal.

I should clarify, sorry.

First...the day 19 hatches were bantam eggs. All four that hatched were on day 19.

Second...those that never hatched, never hatched on any day.

Third...the one that was still alive on day 24 was from a large hen and didn't even break into the air sac.

I only know because I was throwing it out along with two other large eggs on about day 22. I had broken off a section of the air sac end ready to do a postmortem eggsam when I noticed movement.

I returned all three to the incubator where it continued to move until day 24 when I messed around and made a blood vessel bleed. It was dead the next morning, having still not broken through the air sac.

So, I guess "staggered" was a bad choice of word by me. All bantam survivors hatched on day 19. Nothing else hatched.

I apologise for the confusion.

Quick update on the eggs in the incubator at the moment that are being "turned" by being tilted in alternate directions at each turn time.

Last night I tapped a hole in the top of one of those that candled as infertile and jammed a medical thermometer into the core. The temp in the core was 37.6 according to that particular medical thermometer. It had said that my body temp was 36.2, so it would seem that the temperature inside those eggs is pretty much right.

I didn't bother opening the egg right up to see if there was even a hint of development. As you would have noticed from the YouTube video it was quite porous though.

Yep very clever mate not to mention inspiring





Jeff

I guess.

So, follow my lead. Before candling, have a medical thermometer handy. When you come across an infertile egg, take it out to the kitchen (or somewhere without carpet) and jam the thermometer into it to see what temperature your incubator is really keeping the eggs at.

I've not done it or anything similar over carpet, because I know what will happen the very first time I do.

I have egg on my face. I got my dates/days wrong not just once, but twice.

Those that I said hatched day 19, didn't. They'd been set on Saturday 16/02 at 3:30am. That's early enough to count that day as day 1. They began pipping on Thursday 06/03 (Day 20) and all hatched between 00:30 and 08:40 on Friday...Day 21!!! My paper record taped to the top of the incubator clearly shows this. It has taken me nearly two weeks to notice.

AND...

I thought the eggs due to hatch soon were on Day 19, they're not. I'd been keeping records for that batch on the computer and went straight from day 15 to day 17 and was out by a day!

I'm thinking of building another broody pen and taking the six due-to-hatch eggs down to the broody bantam.

She can't do a worse job than me, right?

I seem to be almost the only one replying in this topic, but that's life....

I have a question and an update or three..

There are six eggs in the incubator that are due to hatch perhaps Saturday during the Gatton Auction.

I candled them earlier this morning and returned them to the incubator. However, I've done something extra in the hope it will help. The eggs are laying on their side smaller end down, but I made sure that the biggest part of the air sac was on the up-side.

I did this in the hope that it will maximise the chances of the chickens finding heaps of air when they break through into their air sacs.

Do you reckon that makes sense?

Next...an update.

Of the 16 eggs that have spent 9 days in the incubator, 8 candled as infertile or bad. I have throw those away and laid the eggs on their sides, smaller end down of course.

I suspect the problem was my change in how they are turned. I had put this lot into the little white basket on a bed of rice along with several store-bought eggs for "fill". I turned by tilting the entire basket in alternate directions at each turn.

1. The only went back and forth in two directions.
2. They weren't tilted very steeply.

I don't reckon they got the nutrients they needed.

I had previously numbered four sides of each egg, so the remaining eight will be turned on four sides in order 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4...

And, finally...

Since it wouldn't be one of my posts if I didn't reveal the answers may end up being irrelevant...I may be putting the six eggs under one of the bantam broodies (broody for two days, but showing broody inclination for over a week) and the eight under the other.

If so, one will hatch chickens this weekend, the other about ten days later.

I just have to see what I can make broody pens out of today.


Charles

I often put eggs from the bator under a hen , figure then I don't need to worry about uping the humidity ---tend to do it at day 18 instead of moving them to the hatcher---but you do have to be sure the hen will not up and leave the nest mind u if they do, the eggs just go back in the bator I have eggs due tomorrow too good luck with your hatch, cheers pam

A lot can happen in a day.

Six eggs went under one broody bantam. One silly kid took broody bantam off six eggs. Six eggs became five when one kid broke one.

Eight eggs went under other broody bantam.

Both broody bantams are sitting on eggs.

As for the incubator: The lights are on, but no-one's home.