Egg hatching services are vital to continue the food and egg production cycle. Recently, we have upgraded our incubator to a Brinsea which provides superior temperature and humidity control for egg hatching to improve hatch rates and decrease problems. Still air incubators can have highly varying temps throughout incubator with low quality temp and humidity sensors. The Brinsea incubator provides highly accurate and even tempratures throughout the incubator and automatic humidity controls. Egg candling occurs at day 7 and day 18 to track egg hatching and incubation process
Our incubator is free of hatching chicks, we use a hatcher. Also our incubator turns your eggs automatically.
In addition to our services, a livestream will be set up for you to be able to keep an eye on incubator and process from start to finish.
Cost
Cost per egg is $1.
Our Posts
See our post about egg hatching
Post about raising chicks after egg hatching
Hatching Complications
Did you know that varying temperature and humidity can affect hatch rates and complications of your chicks?
Also, I found this helpful chart from Missisipi State University Website with complication findings and potential causes of the complication. Also Brinsea has a helpful chart as shown below.
Stable temps and humidty levels are key to prevent these problems!
Complication Table 1
| Problem | Possible Causes |
| Chicks hatch late | • Large eggs • Old breeders • Eggs stored for too long • Incubator temperature too low • Weak embryos • Inbreeding • Incubator humidity too high |
| Slow (drawn-out) hatch | Mix of eggs (different sizes, different aged breeders, storage times)Poor egg handlingHot or cold spots in incubatorIncubator or Hatcher temperature too high or low |
| Sticky Chicks, smeared with albumen | • Low incubation temperature • High incubation humidity • Poor turning • Old eggs• Very large eggs |
| Chicks stuck in shell, dry, shell fragment stuck to feathers | • Low humidity in storage • Poor egg turning • Cracked shell or Poor shell quality |
| Premature hatching, bloody navels | • Temperature too high |
| Small chicks | • Small eggs • Low humidity • High temperature • High altitude • Thin, porous shells |
Complication Table 2
| Problem | Possible Causes |
| Eyes closed, down stuck to eyes | • Temperature too high in Hatcher • Chicks remain in Hatcher too long after hatching • Excessive air movement in Hatcher |
| Exploding eggs | Dirty eggs from nestEggs not washed properly(eggs wiped or cleaned with contaminated cloth)Water condensation on eggsWater sprayed on eggsContamination from earlier explodersContaminations from handling with dirty hands |
| Dwarf embryos, runts in growing chicks | • Egg contaminations • Breeder diseases • Nutritional deficiencies |
| Haemorrhage | • Incubator or Hatcher temperature too high • Rough handling at transfer • Nutritional deficiencies (vitamin K or vitamin E) • Contamination |
| Swollen head and back of neck | • Nutritional deficiencies |
| Small air cell, egg weight loss under 10% | • High humidity • Very thick shells • Low temperature |
| Exposed brain | • High incubation temperature • Low oxygen levels= |
Complication Table 3
| Problem | Possible Causes |
| Unhealed naval, dry, rough down feathers | • High incubator temperature, or temperature fluctuations • Humidity too high when hatching • Inadequate nutrition |
| Weak Chicks | • High hatching temperature • Poor Hatcher ventilation • Contamination |
| Chicks malpositioned | • Eggs sat small end up position • Inadequate turning • Excessive turning at late stages • Too high or too low temperature • High humidity• Old breeders • Round shaped eggs • Nutritional deficiencies • Retarded development • Poor egg handling or storage conditions |
| Malformations | • Poor storage conditions • Jarring of eggs • Nutritional deficiencies • Inadequate turning• High or low temperature • Inadequate ventilation |
| Crooked toes, bent legs | • High or low temperature • Poor nutrition |
| Short down, wiry down | • Nutritional deficiencies (especially riboflavin) • High incubation temperature |