What is your Incubator HATCH success rate?

Poultryprincess · Post by **Poultryprincess** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:08 pm

Had 50 eggs in old bator when it crashed.
Candled & 9 were either not fertile or floaters.

Moved 41 good eggs to new Hovabator.
Candled today & found 9 "quitters"
(somewhat developed but now duds )

Have 3 days til "Lock Down" :smiley-char026:
I do Not expect ALL 32 eggs to to result in perfect chicks.

IF I figure 41 as my start, & have 9 quitters - how does this compare to Your hatch progression?
This means a 20% dud rate before I even get to hatch.
I know with the Brower Top Hatch I was getting less than 50%
I am STILL EXCITED over my hatch - "Silkies & Showgirls" OH MY!!!!!!

Post by **thegawd** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 8:48 pm

only the clear or infertile eggs dont count towards your hatch rate as there was never a chance for them to hatch.

you seen how I wrote it out in my making babies thread...
49/69=71% hatch rate and im very happy with that!

GOOD LUCK With your hatch!!!

Post by **Killerbunny** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 5:56 am

Not going to want to hear this but for me it depends on , weather, eggs, time of year etc. I usually get better hatches later in the year.

Doug The Chickenman · Post by **Doug The Chickenman** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:12 am

At this time of year as was indicated by KB there are so many variables such as temp. With the temps varying so much and the eggs getting cold / freezing then they may not start. Also it depends on if you have roo who is doing his job. We have one pen where the roo is not mounting any hens.
that means all those eggs go to the frying pan.

Poultryprincess · Post by **Poultryprincess** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:15 am

Thanx!!!
They don't call you "thegawd" for nothing - hee hee hee
"IF" I am fortunate enough to lose only another 5%, I would be Thrilled.
I am expecting another 20% which would mean 60% hatch rate.
Which is WAY better than what I was getting with the Top Hatch.

Actually Killerbunny, I "DO" want to hear it ~ ALL knowledge is a Good thing.
Just bummer timing when all the folks want birds in the spring (myself included)

Doug The Chickenman
Quick question - do you mean "eggs in the pan"
that have been in the bator for 5 / 6 days & then candled?
The ones that were Never fertile? NO developement, all clear?
----------------------------
I have a Buff Frizzle I bought from Performance 5 years ago.
Her roomate is another 5 yr old silkie hen.
Roosters always beat them up, so they are Man-less.

The frizzle has Almost 100% success with the eggs I give her.
Fabulous mom but she can only handle 5 or 6 eggs.
When the frizzle is setting, the silkie is lonely & squawks NONstop.

DH ~ I NEED A BARN ~ so I can have hens a setting, Incubators Perculating!!!
I don't even mind if I have to LIVE in the barn....it's the Best room in the house (*=*)

Cuttlefish · Post by **Cuttlefish** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:28 am

I think 74% was the highest I got with the old incubator, still testing the new one... fingers crossed, lockdown is tonight! : )

goatgal35 · Post by **goatgal35** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:51 am

I have an old, heavy 600 egg cedar cabinet incubator. It has six trays that hold about 100 eggs each. It has little pull tab things on the front of each tray to roll the eggs manually. One a week I put whatever hatching eggs I have in one or two trays. I try to remember to keep water in the pan in the top of the incubator. I move whatever is due to hatch to the bottom tray on day 18 and stop turning them. There is no lockdown, or temp and humidity change for hatching as I still have all the other trays incubating. I mix chicken, duck, goose, turkey, quail, and pheasant eggs in together during incubation. I only separate them for hatching do to the different hatch dates. If my chickens start hatching a day early I turn down the temp a bit. Even with my unorthodox method of incubating I still average around 70% hatch rate over the year. Some hatches are fabulous, some not so great, but I love every minute of it.

Post by **Killerbunny** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:00 am

That sounds like a great incubator!

Doug The Chickenman · Post by **Doug The Chickenman** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:15 am

Poultryprincess wrote:QR_BBPOST Thanx!!!
They don't call you "thegawd" for nothing - hee hee hee
"IF" I am fortunate enough to lose only another 5%, I would be Thrilled.
I am expecting another 20% which would mean 60% hatch rate.
Which is WAY better than what I was getting with the Top Hatch.

Actually Killerbunny, I "DO" want to hear it ~ ALL knowledge is a Good thing.
Just bummer timing when all the folks want birds in the spring (myself included)

Doug The Chickenman
Quick question - do you mean "eggs in the pan"
that have been in the bator for 5 / 6 days & then candled?
The ones that were Never fertile? NO developement, all clear?
----------------------------
I have a Buff Frizzle I bought from Performance 5 years ago.
Her roomate is another 5 yr old silkie hen.
Roosters always beat them up, so they are Man-less.

The frizzle has Almost 100% success with the eggs I give her.
Fabulous mom but she can only handle 5 or 6 eggs.
When the frizzle is setting, the silkie is lonely & squawks NONstop.

DH ~ I NEED A BARN ~ so I can have hens a setting, Incubators Perculating!!!
I don't even mind if I have to LIVE in the barn....it's the Best room in the house (*=*)

We know that that pen is not producing any fertile eggs so they do not go into the incubator they go into the cooking eggs container.
If they are no starters after the first week we dispose of them by burying out back along the creek where we won't be calling the predators to us.

Post by **WLLady** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 9:16 am

For me in spring i lose about 10-15% right off as non starters. I guess thats still late winter-i hatch year round quite often so this is from jan through marchish. After this i get annoyed if its not 100% starters-0% quitters. After i discard quitters at day 10 i do not candle again. I lock down and from the remainder early in the year i am happy with 60%. Once the warmer weather happens i expect no less than 70 and usually run between 80 and 85...barring power outs.

When i hatch in winter anything that hatches is a bonus. Too many variables...frozen eggs. Cold eggs. Hibernating roosters and hens. Smaller eggs...