AUSTRALIAN POULTRY FORUM™

Its always frustrating when you’re incubating eggs and the power goes out for several hours. I found it doesn't matter that much when the eggs are in the final week they seem to cope with temperature changes. Good luck with your eggs I hope they all hatch

Hi all.

Well I have just carried out the "post-mortem" on the eggs which were due on 30/9 from my home made incubator. I did have 5 hatch - which - whilst it is not a very good result (no kidding I hear you mutter under your breath), the post-mortem did reveal an insight into the reasons.

It appears the first disaster was during the first week, when the temperature went down to the low 30 degree range for what I would assume was the whole night (we had a frost and the incubator is in a semi-open laundry). When I candled them all at about day 7 I threw out all the obviously clear ones. It was a few days after this that we had the really cold couple of nights. So about half of the post-mortem embryos were about the size of a large marble (about a weeks growth? ?).

Then at about day 16-18 we had another couple of cold nights (frost on windows of cars) and that was when the other half appear to have bitten the dust. Most had only about a 1-2 inch diameter size "yolk" left and were fully developed, so were nearly there. Temp was even down to 29.7 that night and wasn't rising - DOOOOOMMMMMM. .

So after that I got out my double sided tape, trusty glue gun and sealed that sucker so tight I doubt an ant could get in. I put another layer of polystyrene on the outside, sealed up the teensy holes where the "auto turners" are and everything else I suspected was letting air through. Temperature seems to be a lot steadier now. My Light Sussex girl (who wasn't affected by the frost ) is still sitting but that was a bit of a hotch potch as well, cause she got off the nest cause the other girl got in and pushed her out so they BOTH moved nests. That was 19th September 11 days before they were due, so I have had two hatch from that lot, but they aren't very strong. Maybe more on the way because the other two sussex were hopping in and sneaking extra eggs in so the hatchings have been staggered.

Anyway, we'll try again with our extra insulation and see how we go. I'm happy with my few babies I have, one is completely black even the beak and legs so may even be a pure Minorca.

Sorry to ramble but had to keep you all posted.

Cheers for now.

Ann