# Day 18



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I have 6 sweedish flower eggs which are a night away from lockdown. Hoping to get more then just 2 out of this one. 
I've made a lot of fixes to the coolerbator, using it as a hatcher an I am liking the stability I have achieved. 
Wish me luck, I've yet to get the hang of hatching.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Best of luck to you this go around powderhog.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I'm going to keep at it. My goal is a 75% hatch out or better. I've accepted that it likely won't happen with shipped eggs, but I've got my ladies laying me a few eggs a day so hopefully I can save up a dozen in a week and set a bunch of y own eggs.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Hatching shipped eggs is a challenge. I have only hatched a few batches of shipped eggs with probably a 50% hatch rate average. Hatching my own eggs is much more fun to me. You can just mix and match and create whatever you want to. Of course sometime you have to use shipped eggs to get your flock started or add new blood.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

One more quit, 5 on lockdown had movement. 1 appeared behind the rest.. Here's to a nearly 50% on eggs shipped from across the country.







And a shot showing my humidity set up. 2 dishes with sponges and cloth, and 2 big mason jars open lids during lockdown gives me 65-75%. 
Since my last batches seemed to failed because of humidity, I'm hoping the increase will help that.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

In lockdown the rest quit. Eggopsy showed most with a nasty dark color inside, one had a nearly fully formed bird. 
Now I must ask, what am I doing wrong. These all were moving 3 days ago, now they are dead. Any thoughts or suggestions. The one with a chick in it looked like the membrane was still dry, despite everything I had in the coolerbator for lockdown.


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## SilkieBoy (May 4, 2013)

Buy a real incubator, then you can sit back and add water! The temp was probably unstable!!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

And what is your definition of a real incubator?


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## matt_kas (Mar 11, 2013)

powderhogg01 said:


> And what is your definition of a real incubator?


That is a real incubator just because it's not name brand doesn't mean it not real

I build mine and it's real.... As a matter of fact the setup was pretty much the same as the one you have here


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I have never found the need to get caught up in brand names. But even then the eggs incubated in a brand name bator and were moved to my diy for hatching.. 
Low temps and high humidity may have even my issue


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I placed the next batch set to hatch on Sunday into the coolerbator. I removed all the water trays leaving my mason jars full of water and open. I am sitting right at 40% rh. 6 of 8 have noticeable movement, one even appears to have internally pipped. The 2 without movement are too dark to tell for sure. 
Hope this go round is not so tough.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I've got a pip


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Woohoo!
...


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I have now added some water to the bator and closed the main vent hole, as suggested by the dry hatch method. Hopefully things go well, this pip is a day earlier then I expected.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

Mine almost always hatch 12 to 24 hrs early.


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## SilkieBoy (May 4, 2013)

Yup, just an accurate one! I find lights are not consultant with heating! It is much harder to have a good hatch when using lights as a form of heat! Good luck with next batch!!!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Well as of this morning I have two more pips.














Sorry bout the quality, the viewing pane has fogged up.


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## SilkieBoy (May 4, 2013)

Very exciting!!!!!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

One is out and 3 are working on it. Looks like 4-6 so far.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

That's great PH! Thats out of 10 right? That's better. 
You just have to do what works best for your setup and location. What works in Colorado probably won't work here in Texas. 
Glad you are getting it worked out.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Yeah out of ten. Definitely a better hatch so far. The difficult part is I had separate hatches going in the same bator. And only had shipped eggs to work with. 
My ladies are once again laying and I will really be able to experiment.


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

You asked for a pic of my thermostat setup. Here is what I got, and in used the wafer thermostat.































Hopefully gives you a it of idea.

Jim


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Thanks jim!
I have 3 peeps, one egg quit, it looked to me like the bird was too large for the shell and could not zip out. Still 2 eggs left, no external pips, I may move the dry chicks in the morning


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

The last viable egg seemed to quit, same symptom of being too large for the shell, last egg was rotten, not sure how it squeaked by, glad I only opened the top and was able to discard right away. Pee- eeww


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

I got 1 more chick out of 2 less to start. Still shipped. I hope my next batch continues the improving trend


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## Jim (Sep 26, 2012)

Good deal. 


Jim


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## SilkieBoy (May 4, 2013)

Lol, know that I see your incubator I have to admit it looks pretty cool!!! I am thrilled you had a good hatch! They are adorable!!!!!


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

It is cool, it cost 20 bucks total, everything else came from other projects or even the recycling. 
It has taken some altering and modification, but that's also partly to do with MY inexperience hatching. 
Now I am figuring out what works best here and can anticipate the hatches improving as I go


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